I don’t know what I’d do if they are. I’m not sure I could handle it.
“Are you okay?” I ask, the words coming out in a croaked whisper.
Her eyebrows scrunch together as she crosses her legs on the bed. “I’m great. Why?”
She says she’s great. She wouldn’t lie to me. Run with it. “You promise? You wouldn’t lie to me, right?”
She tilts her head, seeming insulted that I even asked her. “Are you okay? You’re kind of freaking me out.”
No. I’m confused as hell. “Yeah,” I reply. “Yeah, I just—” I shake my head, looking down at the comforter. “I’m good. Fine. Never mind.”
She shifts, placing her arm around my back. “I wouldn’t lie to you. I don’t have any reason to. I’ve told you pretty much everything there is to know about me. You know that, right?”
She gazes at me with those big green eyes, all wide and doe-like. I stare into them again, trying to find any hint of a lie or even a bent truth, but there’s nothing but innocence. So if she says she’s fine, she is, right? Maybe that wasn’t the last thing she was writing. Maybe it was a passing thought of hers.
Maybe I should just stop thinking altogether.
I cup her chin, bringing her to me for a kiss. Here, with my lips pressed against hers, everything’s okay. Everything makes sense. And I trust her. If she says she’s fine, she’s fine. That’s all there is to it.
She rests her forehead against mine and asks, “You all right now, worrywart?”
I pull away with a nod. “If you’re okay, so am I.”
“Good, because I can’t have you being all crazy when I leave for Maryland next week.” She squeezes my leg and points to my book. “Now show me what we’re working on tonight.”
I flip through the pages until I land on the chapter Mr. Matthews emailed me the study guide for. “I missed all this while I was out sick,” I tell her. “Alkali metals. The study guide doesn’t look that hard. I’ve already memorized which elements are designated as alkali—”
“Wow.” I look up at her. Her smile falters, but returns quickly. “It’s just that you’re getting good. At this studying thing. Soon you won’t even need my help anymore.”
There’s something strange in her voice. Something almost sad. Unsure. Wrapping my arm around her back, I pull her to me for a side-hug. “You have no idea how far you are from the truth.”
chapter seventeen
Every season, the road to the away game at Beaufort is paved with blood, sweat, and tears. Usually ours. Okay, always ours. We haven’t won a game on their turf in the three years I’ve played varsity. Tradition isn’t on our side tonight.
Our team bus squeals to a stop outside the Eagles’ field. I yank my earbuds out and stuff them into my gear bag, along with my phone. Their guys are already out there warming up. Their bleachers aren’t nearly as packed as ours, but they’ve got a decent crowd. Baseball doesn’t rule supreme here, but that doesn’t mean a thing when they’re whoopin’ our asses.
“We’re not gonna get our asses whooped today,” Eric mutters beside me. I glance over. He slides on his sunglasses. “It’s a good day to break the streak, Braxton.”
No pressure.
Matt leans over the seat and slaps my shoulder. “Dude’s right. Don’t wanna disappoint your fan club.” He points out the window. A white van with Channel 5 Action News! plastered on its side is parked next to us.
Panic shoots through me. They wouldn’t be here for me, right? Our own town doesn’t send a news crew to the games. A few write-ups in the paper are my only claim to fame.
I shift in my seat so I can see Matt. “The hell’s that got to do with me?”
“Beaufort ain’t nothin’ special,” he says, settling against his seat. “Why else would they have a news van out here?”
I turn back around, facing the front. “You’re a prick, Matt.”
“And you’re an overrated—”
“Shut the hell up,” Eric says. “Why don’t you go fu—”
“Gentlemen,” Coach shouts from the front of the bus. He glares in our direction, his face tight. I swallow hard. “You’ve clearly noticed we have extra eyes on the field today. Very public and very prying eyes. Eyes that would eat up even a hint of fighting amongst teammates.”
He crosses his arms, steeling himself. “That night I brought y’all to the field, before this season even started, I reminded you of one fact: you are