at me. “Not as proud as we are, right, honey?”
Dad nodded. “Look at this.” He gestured to all the people in the parking lot. “This is exactly what doing right after your mistakes looks like.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Of course.” He grinned. “Now, I better get myself a cupcake.”
After my parents went to the stand, everyone swarmed, congratulating me and patting my back for finally standing up to Merritt.
Everyone except the boy who really mattered.
Fifty-One
I peeled a wrapper back from the base of a cupcake, ripped it in half, and pressed the bottom half over the frosting, thinking of Beckett the whole time. Casey, Aiden, and I sat on Aiden’s bed, eating from a box of leftovers Gayle and her husband gave me.
Casey licked some pink frosting from her knuckle. “I wish I could have seen you in action. It sounds like it was epic.”
With a blush, I shook my head. “Just said what needed to be said.”
Aiden tossed his own cupcake wrapper in his trashcan. “Don’t let her fool you, Cas. She has this, like, creepy hidden charisma in there.” He put his arm around Casey’s shoulder. “She’s going to rule the world someday.”
I rolled my eyes and got up. “Yeah right, couldn’t even get you to stay at the back of the parade.”
Casey eyed him.
“What?” he asked defensively. “It’s not my fault her speech moved me to action.”
With a shake of my head, I said, “I’m going to go pack my bags to hang out at Zara’s.”
Aiden frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the game with us?”
“Nah, you two have fun.” I tried to say it nonchalantly, but I couldn’t help the shake that crept into my voice. Seeing Beckett play at his last game of the season, knowing it was ending early because of me, would just hurt too bad.
I left Aiden’s room before I could dwell too much on what I’d be missing too. This would be my last chance to go to a game as a high school student. But sometimes, you just had to choose the lesser of two pains, not get rid of the hurt altogether.
The other girls and I agreed to meet at Zara’s after the game, so around nine that night, I got in my car and drove the now familiar path to Brentwood. As I pulled up to Zara’s gated home and security let me through, there was a strange combination of bittersweet emotions warring within me that I couldn’t quite reconcile. It made me want to sing and cry at the same time.
I was happy to have my friends back, but if I were being honest, I’d hoped Beckett would come around at the assembly. That he would understand.
But how could he?
I’d humiliated him in front of the school. Used a bet as an excuse to pursue my true feelings about him. And then confronted him without warning in the hallway and insulted him to top it off.
I would have a hard time forgiving me too, and I didn’t have every red-blooded person of the opposite sex vying for my attention either.
Trying to shove down my disappointment so I could fully enjoy this time with my friends, I got out of my car and walked to the front door. Beth let me in with a warm smile. “Rory, glad you’re back, sweetie.”
I grinned. “Good to be back.”
“Zara and the other girls are up in her room.”
I thanked her and walked up the stairs and down the hall to Zara’s expansive space. The others were in their swimsuits—even Callie. I noticed her psoriasis, patchy and red from her shoulder to her hairline.
Catching my stare, she said, “You inspired me.”
My eyebrows rose. I couldn’t believe my words had that much power, but I was glad. Callie deserved to have fun in the hot tub, just like the rest of us.
Zara tossed me a swimming suit. “Tonight’s definitely a hot tub night.”
“And a pizza night,” Ginger added. “Please, let me eat something with GMOs.”
I laughed. “We could probably arrange that.”
Callie held up her phone. “Cool if I order it?”
Zara shrugged. “Fine by me. I’ll let Beth know someone’s coming.”
While Zara tapped out a message on her phone and Callie ordered pizza on hers, I went back to the bathroom to change. This bikini top showed off my midsection, and the boy shorts had to stretch quite a bit to fit my hips, but I looked at myself in the mirror anyway. From my stretchmarks to the small