this new sensation spreading through me.
“Nice of you to join us, Miss Kent,” the teacher’s droney voice says, which pulls my attention to the person he’s addressing. I can’t even remember his name. My eyes go wide when I see who’s walking to a chair. Paislee. Isn’t today a walk down Memory Lane? I remember our little pretend tea parties in our backyard on a picnic blanket. My lips tug up on one side. Shaking my head, I’m unable to hide the grin that grows on my face.
She’s stopped, and her mouth hangs open, her eyes on me.
“Excuse me, Miss Kent. Are you having trouble locating your seat?” the teacher asks.
Her mouth shuts, and her head shakes as she starts walking again, this time heading right for the empty chair beside mine.
Even as she takes a seat, her focus doesn’t shift. Dropping her bag to the floor, she faces me. My bottom lip finds its way between my teeth, and I chomp down on it. Her analyzing gaze has me shifting uncomfortably. Without saying anything, she pokes me in the arm. My hand comes up and covers the spot she touched.
“Charity, please tell me I haven’t lost my mind and that you’re actually sitting here in my class,” she whispers.
I chuckle quietly so the teacher doesn’t hear. Although, I’m sure he’s that ancient he’d have to turn up his hearing aid to hear me. “What’s with everyone actually touching me? Actually, let’s pretend I’m a ghost, come back to haunt you.” Reaching out, I poke her in the arm. A loud gasp escapes her throat.
“Excuse me, ladies, can we continue this conversation after class?”
Both our heads flick toward the teacher who glowers in our direction.
Paislee’s hand reaches out and covers mine where it rests over the top of my books. I glance over. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she whispers then removes her hand. I’m not mad at her; she never made the promise to keep in touch. Jase did.
The rest of class is a blur. First Jase, my old best friend, and now Paislee, the girl who was like a sister to me. I wonder what they think now that I’m back. Do they know about my dad? Jase’s piercing blue eyes flash in my mind. What would he think of the girl I’ve become over the years? Perhaps it’s best for me to keep my distance. One thing I know is that when you unsettle the past, it tends to come at you like a steamroller, and before you realize it, it’s caused you pain.
It was her. I still can’t believe it. She is real, and damn, has she become gorgeous. Her hair is long, dark, and thick. My fingers itched to run through it when I saw her. And her piercing green eyes held me captive. But why did she act like she didn’t know who I was?
“Yo, dude, pay attention,” Blane shouts as he tosses the football in my direction. I snap back to attention. We stand on the football field, tossing the ball, and my fingers curl easily around the ball, catching it. “What’s got you love drunk and not paying attention? I’ve only seen you this unfocused when you were preparing to take that Paislee girl out on a date. Now look at how that turned out. You were friend-zoned once again.”
If I were standing near him, I’d probably jab him in the rib for that remark. “Shut up, man.”
Blane is our star quarterback. The only problem with him is that he doesn’t have a damn filter on that mouth of his.
He laughs as we continue to toss the football. “Where’s your head at if it’s not here? You realize the coach will tear into you if you’re unfocused, and then we’ll all be running laps of the field, so speak.”
I sigh as the ball leaves my hand again. “I ran into someone I haven’t seen in…I think it’s been close to ten years. She was my best friend when we were younger. I guess I’m a little surprised to see her. She moved away with her dad. I swear, he wasn’t all there in the head. I remember how destroyed her mom was when they left. We would go over and console her. She tried everything to get her back, but her husband was a piece of work—from what I remember, anyway.”
Blane pauses. “Would I remember her?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No. This was before you moved to town. I really thought she