Under the Lights (The Field Party #2) - Abbi Glines Page 0,79

was the only explanation.

She hadn’t loved me. If she loved me, she would have opened that door and faced me. Explained this to me. Given me more than a piece of paper. I had come to her house. Knocked on her door and called out her name.

That was as close to begging as I was going to do. Ever again. I should have known better than to love someone and trust them to love me in return.

Be Safe, Gunner

CHAPTER 48

WILLA

Standing in my window, I held the letter he’d read, then slipped back to me. His retreating form was stiff, and I wanted to call out his name and run after him. But I couldn’t. Nonna had made it clear I had to stay away from Gunner or I’d be going to a Catholic school in Nashville.

He hadn’t said anything else to me through the door or even tried to ask me questions. I had been prepared to respond if he had. Ignoring him was too hard. It hurt me to not respond to him. The letter was the only way I could think of and not get in trouble with Nonna. She didn’t understand that Gunner needed me. She was worried about me.

When I could no longer see him anymore, I set the letter on my nightstand and walked back to the kitchen where the phone was. Calling him was tempting, but it wouldn’t help. It would make things harder.

So I stood there alone in the kitchen. Wishing things were different. Knowing they never would be.

Two days later Nonna had supplied me with a laptop and gotten me signed up for homeschooling online. She wasn’t that great with technology, but I was, so I had been able to research it and show her what she needed to do. Monday I had thought I might get to sleep late since we weren’t set up for online classes yet, but Nonna had woken me up at five in the morning with a list of things she wanted done in the house.

From before the sun rose to after it set I worked on that list. Only took a break to eat lunch. I didn’t complain though. I’d much rather be cleaning Nonna’s house than that of some strange woman I didn’t know in Nashville.

Tuesday morning I was relieved to have my computer and classes ready so I wouldn’t have to do another of those lists again. Not that there was anything left to do in this house. It was spotless and completely organized now.

However, Nonna woke me up at five again with another list, this one much shorter than yesterday’s, and had me do those things before eight when she expected me to start my classes. At this rate I was going to start going to bed at eight every night in order to survive. No one should be awake at five in the morning. It wasn’t even light out yet.

I was almost done with the last item on the list, mopping the back porch, when Nonna came up to the house with a worried frown.

“You talked to Gunner?”

I shook my head. “No, ma’am.”

“You sure?” she asked in a more demanding tone.

“I swear. He came here Saturday morning, and I didn’t answer the door. He went away. He hasn’t been back.”

Nonna sighed and her shoulders sagged. “This is the second morning he hasn’t come down for breakfast. Yesterday morning his bed was unmade when I went to clean his room. But then I don’t clean on Sundays, so that could have been since Saturday night. He didn’t come get breakfast yesterday morning and this morning. When I went to make up his bed, it was untouched. Just like I left it yesterday.”

“Have you called the Higgenses? Asked Brady or his mom? Maybe he’s there.” That was hopeful thinking. He wasn’t there. He was gone. Gunner had run. Just like he wanted to. And it was my fault. I was all he had to talk to about this, and I had shut him out to save myself.

“I did.” She nodded. “They ain’t seen him either. I’m gonna have to tell his momma. She’s off in San Francisco at some spa.”

She didn’t say she needed to tell his dad. There was no point. He wouldn’t care. “Is Rhett still home?”

She shook her head. “No, he left Sunday.”

My heart hurt. It had taken my Nonna to notice Gunner was missing. He had known running wouldn’t affect them. They wouldn’t look for him. This was what he