“Wasn’t going to.”
“Okay, well, what do you want?”
He motioned to his truck like a flight attendant. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
I rolled my eyes and turned away to go back inside. His boots scraped against asphalt as he lurched forward, hand landing on mine around the door knob.
“Please,” he whispered.
My cheeks flushed at the sudden proximity. I hated that he made me so flustered. And I hated that, despite every ounce of me determined to avoid any further pain, the spark in my chest let him lead me into his Jeep.
Teddy sent me a cautious, sidelong glance as the engine roared to life. I crossed my arms and slumped back into the seat.He flicked on the radio to a Sixpence None The Richer song, drumming his fingers against the wheel and peeking at me each time we came to a stop.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was nervous.
I refused to get my hopes up. That’s all I knew for certain.
At the end of Main Street, he paused longer than usual at the stop sign, rummaging through his pocket. I eyed him warily as a band of fabric appeared in his extended palm.
“No,” I said.
Teddy put his hands together, pleading. “This is the last thing, I promise.”
“If you murder me, I’m going to besomad,” I grumbled. Snatching it from him, I tied it around my face until I couldn’t see anything but a faint outline of passing lamp posts.
He simply replied with a laugh.
The rest of the car ride didn’t last very long, maybe five or ten minutes. I heard the tires crunch and the brakes moan as we slowed to a stop, followed by his parking brake and a quiet command not to move. His door slammed shut, then mine was wrenched open, a rush of cold air sending a shiver down my spine.
Teddy grabbed my hand and eased me to the ground, murmuring, “Watch your step.”
My boots sunk into a layer of gravel. “I’m going to trip and break a tooth,” I muttered, slowly following his lead.
“I’m not opposed to carrying you,” he quipped.
“Never mind.”
“That’s what I thought.” The smile was clear in his voice.
A couple minutes later, Teddy directed me to stand still while he ran a few steps ahead. Metal clinked and something like hinges groaned before he took my hand again and urged me forward. My eyebrows drew together when I smelled it: fresh-cut grass, mixed with another smell that tugged the depths ofmy memories. Our footsteps changed from scraping gravel, to asphalt, to a soft, slippery surface that muffled the noise.
“Okay,” he breathed, “I’m going to take this off—you ready?”
I wasn’t. The second the fabric fell, a tiny gasp escaped my lips.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
We stood in the middle of the high school football field, lit only by the glow of the cracked, faulty scoreboards. I’d spent the bulk of those four years here—training sessions for soccer in the freezing air, warm Friday nights watching Teddy and Wes from the bleachers while Georgie, Serena and I gossiped over a box of candy.
I stooped down, brushing my palm over the grass with a smile. Some days, school felt more like home than home did.
“Turns out they’re going to rip it up soon,” Teddy said. “Finally replacing it with turf.”
I frowned and glanced up at him. “But that’s half the appeal.”
“Something about the massive influx of town funds. They’re even forming a chamber of commerce.”
Rising, I arched a brow at him. “You discovered all this in a week?”
