Lahat ng Kabanata ng 15 Days Babysitting For My Star Quarterback Bully: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Tyler’s POVInviting Lila over for dinner shouldn’t feel like walking into a high-stakes game, but it does.“Relax,” Alex had said earlier when I told him. “It’s just dinner, not the Super Bowl.”Easy for him to say. He doesn’t have my father.Lila stares up at me, her eyes wide with innocence, when I push the door open. She’s dressed in a simple dress that looks nothing like what she wore to the party. But it still renders me speechless nonetheless.“Hey,” she beams.“Hey,” I reply, trying to sound normal as I tug restlessly at the collar of my shirt.I try not to overthink the fact that this is the first time she’s officially coming over as my girlfriend. But it doesn’t work. I still have half the mind to pick her up and run far away from here with her as possible.But my mom had insisted on having her over when she found out Lila was the babysitter she hired. She’d made my father promise to be on his best behavior too, so hopefully tonight won

I almost don’t come to school.The memory of Harvard’s rejection letter is still too fresh in my mind. And they might not have outrightly said anything, but Mom’s downcast expression and Dad’s silence at dinner last night was enough to show their disappointment.So, I got dressed and forced a smile on my face when Tyler showed up to take me to school.The parking lot is already loud when Tyler’s car rolls in. Clusters of students stand around in tight circles with their phones in hand as their voices rise and fall in bursts of excitement.“I got in…”“No way, seriously?”“Wait, check yours again…”My stomach drops as their words drift through the open window like static.Beside me, Tyler snorts as he looks out the window. “Must be early acceptance season.” He carefully shifts his casted arm away from the wheel, flexing his fingers slightly before glancing at me. “You okay?” he asks.I nod automatically, curling my fingers tightly in my lap until my nails start digging into my palm. “I

Tyler’s POVBeneath the fluorescent lights, Lila looks ethereal.Her pastel-colored dress shimmers like the rainbow, and her soft, brown curls fall softly around her shoulders, making me itch to run my fingers through them.I watch her pick at the food she absentmindedly ordered. She didn’t protest when the waiter recommended the shrimp scampi even though it’s basically swimming in garlic. When I pointed that out to her, she simply made a dismissive sound, which told me just how far in her head she is.Her fingers fidget with her fork and she scrunches up her nose as she glares at the dish.Sighing, I lower mine and look at her properly. “Okay, that’s it,” I say.Lila glances up, confused, with her nose still twisted. “What?”I almost smile at how adorable she looks. “What’s wrong?” I ask instead.She shrugs, returning her gaze to the plate before her. “Nothing is wrong.”I lean back in my chair, resting my casted arm against my stomach. “Lil

“Unbelievable,” Maya scoffs, staring at my bedroom door like it personally offended her. “A felony,” she continues slowly, blinking. “That’s what this feels like. He committed a felony.”I let out a weak groan and drop back against her pillows, dragging one over my face. “Please don’t make this worse than it already is.”“Worse?” she repeats, her voice climbing an octave. “Lila, you told your boyfriend you love him and he just… what? Stared at you like a confused golden retriever?”I groan louder, pressing the pillow harder into my face. “Stop talking.”“No, I will not stop talking!” she snaps, grabbing the pillow and yanking it away from me. “This is serious. This is emergency-level gossip. This is… oh my God, I can’t believe I wasn’t there.”I sit up, shooting her a look. “You’re unbelievable.”“I’m invested,” she corrects, crossing her legs dramatically on the bed. “There’s a difference.”I drag a hand down my face, already exhausted from reliving

My cheeks ache from smiling for hours, but I’m incapable of stopping it.I make a quick wave at Alex and Maya before running up the porch and into my house. Then, I head upstairs and drop my bag by the door, my smile widening even more as I replay the feel of Tyler’s fingers around mine in class and the way his voice softened at the end of his answer.It’d been clear in that moment, why he never gave an answer even though he clearly felt something more than just attraction.He was asking for time.My phone buzzes in my hand, and my pulse jumps when I see his name on the screen. I don’t even try to hide my smile as I answer. “Hi.”“Hey,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice too. “You get home okay?”“Yeah,” I reply, kicking off my shoes and flopping onto my bed. “You?”“I just did,” he says, then sighs. “I’m sorry I couldn’t drop you off today. Mom insisted I come home right after school. She still thinks these ‘family interventions’ will ma