More glaring and chest heaving. Then a slow smile spread across his face and he laughed. My dad was laughing at me. As I stood there sobbing. “You are so naïve. Did you actually think you two were going to last? Face it. I did you a favor. If that was all it took to break you up, you were never meant to be in the first place. Go find a new girlfriend. They’re all over the place out here.”
Rage tore through me. I gripped his shoulders, wishing I could hit him. Fear flashed in his eyes. Good. I cocked my fist back, certain it would make me feel better.
“Hey.” Uncle Van walked into the room. “Blue, back down, buddy.” But I didn’t. I just stood there, tears leaking out of my eyes no matter how hard I tried to stop them, fist ready to break Dad’s nose. “You’ll regret it later,” Uncle Van tried in a calm tone. He reached for the keys to his Mustang on the wall. I’d wanted to drive that thing since the day we arrived. “Take a drive. Cool down.” He tossed them to me.
I caught them and stepped back. The carbon dioxide that was exiting my body was infused with hate. Hate for my dad. Hate for Anna’s inability to see further than right now. But most of all, hate for the suffocating helplessness I felt from being poor.
As I raced down the road, going way too fast, I made myself a promise. I was going to be so freaking good at football that every college would want me. I’d pick the one that offered the most money and the almighty dollar sign would never have the power to screw up my life again.Poor no more, would be my new mantra.
Ten minutes later, I pulled over at the beach and walked out onto the sand. There was a volleyball game going on. Girls were lying out, tanning. Two weeks before Christmas. California was nuts.
Then I texted my two best friends from Oceanview Prep, Slate and Oliver, who proceeded to give me the worst advice of my life.Take Lacy to the awards dinner, post it on social media, and tag Anna.They were positive Anna would come crawling back. And like a complete moron, I ran that play faster and harder than I ever had with a football. Crashing and burning any future chance I had with the only girl I’d ever loved.
CHAPTER 18
anna
Iclapped for Chloe, relieved it was almost over. Blue was so close I could smell him. His aftershave or deodorant was musky, like sandalwood and sea air. He kept chuckling like he’d never been happier, and every time he did, his ridiculous dimple would appear. I swear that thing had magical magnetic powers. Every time it showed up I wanted to fling myself into his arms. The fingers on his left hand kept drumming at his waist. His throwing hand. Why, after all these years, did I still find the fact that he was left-handed so stupidly attractive?
He glanced over at me, a grin splitting his face, those hazel eyes trying to tug me toward him like he wasn’t the same guy who’d devastated me at a televised press conference last week.But he apologized on all his socials.I shut that line of thinking down immediately.No. Too little, too late. Someone had created a hashtag for all the haters to tag me as they spit vitriol all over the internet. #BackwoodsBarbie had far surpassed #Blupree. His apology had done little to squelch it. Most people thought he was just posting it to look like a good guy. Some said he was backpedaling because Ford had threatened to sue him. Which had sent the hate in Ford’s direction. Super fun.
Blue caught my eye and winked. I sucked in a stuttered breath, my stupid lungs betraying me. Yeah. I had a serious weakness when it came to Blue Bishop and I needed to get the heck out of here and get control of myself.
As soon as the song ended, I marched off the field ahead of everyone else. I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to wait and walk off last with Blue. But I needed to put people and space between us. As I reached the bottom of the bleachers, I gave myself one glance into the stands and saw that Tally and Brooklyn were standing in front of Madden, chatting and laughing. Then I took off. I sent a quick text in our besties thread, letting them know that I was headed back to my family’s house for the night. They were both sleeping at their parents’ houses anyway. We’d ride back to Sweet Grass together tomorrow afternoon.
I was impressed at how quickly I could walk in heels. Truly impressed. I must’ve set some kind of walking-in-heels record. I made it past the concessions stand before I realized I was being followed. Blue was behind me. I knew because everyone kept calling his name as he walked by. I peeked over my shoulder and dang if he wasn’t smiling, amused as he strode a constant fifteen feet in my wake.
“Blue!” An older woman, wearing a Rocky Top Me sweatshirt, stepped in his path. “Can I have your autograph?”
Frustration crossed his face but he stopped.
“Haha. Sucker,” I muttered, kicking my heels into overdrive. What was he planning to do anyway? Say something to make himself feel better about the press conference, probably. But it would just hurt me like all the times before. I was so done being hurt by Blue Bishop.
“Anna,” he called as I went flying through the ticket booth area. “Anna,” he tried again, this time followed by a frustrated chuckle. I went faster, almost at a trot.
A man with a microphone, followed by another guy with a video camera on his shoulder, cut him off. Had they climbed out of the bushes? “Blue, can we get a statement about the state of your amnesia?”
“Yes!” Blue yelled, shifting to a canter without slowing at all. “It’s gone. Done-zo. I don’t have it anymore.”
What?
“Anna, please stop,” he called as I hoofed it across the blacktop of the student lot. He was gaining speed, his footfalls pounding a few feet behind me. I jogged. Why had I parked in the stupid teacher’s lot, farthest from the field?
When I hit the corner of the school his frustratingly strong fingers went around my wrist. He gently shoved me against the brick wall of the high school, locking me between his arms. “Good grief. Maybe you should play for Knoxville. You’re really fast.” His lungs heaved. He licked his lips and laughed, his hooded eyes taking me in like they wanted to devour me.
I shrugged, crossing my arms to keep myself from touching him. Because oh my goodness did I want to put my hands all over that fine body. But I couldn’t. No. Touching Blue would only bring heartbreak. “I think you’re just out of shape. Too much lying in a hospital bed.”
His eyes sparkled. “Yeah. Maybe.” He was wearing a plaid button-down shirt that was fitted. Not one of those baggy ones old men at church wear. No, this thing looked like it had been hand-tailored to hug him just right, showing off the perfection of his muscled torso. He’d probably worn it on purpose to distract me. My chest bloomed with heat just looking at him.
I scrunched my nose and stared at his shoulder. It was safer than looking at that face. “You shouldn’t lie to reporters. They’re going to find out when you have your next appointment.”
“I didn’t lie.” His eyes sparkled, darting over my face. “I remembereverything.”
My breath caught. “Really? Okay. What’s my favorite color?”
His eyes pinned me. “Green. The same color as the fields on your farm in late spring.”
Lucky guess. A very specific lucky guess. “Well…what’s my favorite thing about summer?”
