I snorted. "You brought me foot cream as a peace offering?"
"Not just any foot cream," he said solemnly. "With lavender. And regret."
I laughed so hard I nearly dropped it.
When we pulled up to my house, I figured he'd wave goodbye from the car. But instead, he parked, stepped out, and walked around.
"Wait—what are you doing?" I asked, eyebrows raised.
He tugged at his shirt nervously. "I—I want to introduce myself to your dad."
"You...what?"
"You said you live with him. I just—um—it's polite. Right? I thought it'd be polite."
I stared. "No one does that anymore."
He shrugged, "W-well. Someone should."
Still stunned, I led him to the door. My dad opened it and stared at Liam in his too-neatly-buttoned shirt.
"Hello, sir," Liam said stiffly. "I'm Liam. I, um, stepped on your daughter. A lot. But not—uh—on purpose."
My dad blinked.
"I brought her balm," Liam added quickly, pushing up his glasses. "So... restitution?"
My dad chuckled, then clapped him on the shoulder. "You're already better than most."
I stood there, completely floored as the two of them shook hands.
As Liam turned to leave, he paused by the car and looked at me with this soft, crooked little smile.
"You're like a moon I didn't expect to orbit June."
I blinked. "What?"
"I just meant..." He exhaled, flustered. "Like gravitational pull? I wasn't planning to stay this long I thought I was just passing by, but I stayed... in your orbit. In a good way. Not a creepy way."
He paused, horrified. "Okay, that sounds worse."
I smiled. "No, I think I get it."
"Good," he mumbled, cheeks pink as he tugged at his collar. "Because I've committed to the metaphor and I don't know how to back out now."
Then he gave me this little nod, shy and proud and terrified all at once. "Goodnight, June."
I stood there, smiling stupidly as he walked to his car, and whispered, "Goodnight, moonboy."
I stood in the doorway smiling like a dork. My dad glanced at me, then back at the car.
"He's weird."
"He is," I agreed.
"But you laughed."
I nodded. "Yeah. I did." And I couldn't stop.
