"Sorry about my family," Tanner said as we were driving in his car.
"No need to apologize. You can't help how other people act."
"Yeah, but my brother…."
"He was cute."
Tanner snickered. "That's one way to put it. Then my mom was kinda rude."
I shrugged. "She was just tired. She works a lot to take care of you guys."
"Yeah, I guess. But I still thought she was rude."
"Next time I'll be sure to leave before she gets home. I'm sure she doesn't want to deal with guests after working two jobs."
He looked over at me. "Next time?"
"If you want me to come over again, that is."
His eyes lit up. "Of course I do."
"So where's your home?"
"My…? Oh right, you're supposed to drop me off. Why don't you drop me off at the library?" I asked. I couldn't let him know that I didn't have a home in town.
"It's closed. Let me take you home."
"We could go to a coffee house and grab some lattes," I said.
"That sounds nice, but I have to get back home or my mom will have a fit."
"You can drop me off anywhere. I'll get myself home."
"Without a car?"
"I do have two feet, you know."
"There's no way that I'm just dropping you off anywhere."
"The thing about me is that I'm tough. I can take care of myself."
"I know that Delphic Cove is a quiet town, but I'd still feel better about dropping you off myself."
"Just drop me off at a bus stop or something."
"A bus stop? What's going on? Why don't you want me to drop you off at home?" he asked, pulling into a parking lot.
"I like to walk."
"In the dark? Do you even have a car?"
I shook my head no.
"If your house is worse off than mine, I'm not going to judge you. You saw our little house and you're sitting in my beat up car. I know that the economy hasn't hit most of Delphic Cove, but it has hit a lot of people. I'm not going to think less of you."
Thinking of Vince's enormous mansion, I said, "That's not it."
Tanner stared at me while I tried to think up a believable story. Suddenly, he looked hurt. "Wait a minute. Do you live in the really nice part of town? Where the kids all go to the private school and have drivers. Is that why you don't have a car? Do you not want my car seen in your neighborhood?"
"No. That's not it. I don't have a driver."