Noticing my discomfort, Becky quickly explained, “Oh, I’m sorry! Don’t get the wrong idea. Derick and I have been friends forever. This is just how we are.”
“If anything were going to happen between us, we’d have been married years ago,” she added with an exaggerated grin.
I turned to Derick, hoping he’d have the same playful expression as Becky, but instead, his face showed a hint of something like regret. Just as quickly, his expression turned stern as he scolded,
“Can’t figure out the back seat way?” he snapped. “Get in. We don’t have all day.”
As I slid into the back, Derick barely glanced in the rearview mirror, his face hardening into an expression I barely recognized. Becky settled comfortably in the passenger seat, as though she belonged there. I closed my eyes, brushing off the unease weighting me down.
Then, my favorite love song from the ’80s started playing—a tune that had been a big hit back in the day, one I’d often heard at community events and even weddings.