“What would your mom say?” Ashton asked.
Silas rubbed his hands over his thighs. “I already know this because she said them to me in the letter she left for me. The one I had to read at the end of our ninety days together. I can show it to you when you get home. But it’s memorized, right here.” He tapped his temple. “Fight. Fight with everything you’ve got. Fight for Blue. But fight for yourself, too. Whatever it takes. All to pieces.” His head bobbed. “Only she said Lemon, not Blue. Obviously.”
I closed my eyes and let myself breathe, taking in Momma’s words. It sounded like her. Exactly. And I knew it’s what she’d say if she were here. She would’ve liked Blue. A lot. Not the part where he went out with Lacy the day after we broke up. And definitely not the press conference. But as a whole. Momma knew that life was full of mistakes. But she also said the most beautiful things could come from those mistakes. Like me. Yeah. She would’ve liked him. At that thought a gentle peace swirled in my chest, like she was right there, sitting next to me, letting me know it was true. I put a hand to my heart trying to capture it forever.
“Anna?” Silas squeezed my knee.
I nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Anna Dupree!” A man shouted. I looked up to see Shane barreling toward me, veins bulging in his neck, fury in his expression.
In unison, all three of my uncles stood, blocking his way.
“She needs to give him that necklace back,” Shane hissed through gritted teeth.
Silas took a step forward. “We’re working on it, Shane.” His voice was calm, but commanding. “I think we can all agree that we want Blue to succeed here, okay?”
“Well, everyone but me.” Ashton shrugged. “It’s nothing personal.” He shook the cowbell in Shane’s face. “Go Hokies!”
Holden huffed out a laugh. “Seriously?”
Shane’s nostrils flared and his chest kept heaving. “She can give it to me. I’ll make sure he gets it.”
Silas put his hands on his hips. “No. She needs to give it to him herself.”
Shane jerked, surprised. “Good. Fine. I’ll take her to him.”
I opened my mouth to protest but Holden beat me to it. “She’s not going anywhere with you. But if you want to send somebody with some sense up here, we’ll consider it.” Holden twirled his finger in the air. “So just go ahead and turn yourself back around. Go on. Git.”
A giggle escaped my throat because I was pretty sure my mommawashere and Holden had just channeled Sophie Dupree. That sounded exactly like her.
Shane huffed, turned, and stormed off.
Seven minutes later, Daisy Foxhorn walked up.
I glared. “I don’t want to go with her either.” She probably started the Backwoods Barbie hashtag. She’d certainly gotten Lacy to the press conference.
Holden put a hand on my back, his brow raised. “I’ll come with you?”
“Yeah. Okay.” But I shot Daisy another death ray letting her know not to say a word.
Like Smoky Mountain Stadium, the underbelly of Lane Stadium was monstrous. We zigged and we zagged until I almost thought we’d entered an alternate dimension. Like in a bad dream when you’re stuck and can’t find your way out of a building. As we went, I unhooked the chain and tucked it in my fist.
“Are we lost?” Holden finally asked.
Daisy glowered over her shoulder at us. “No.”
As if his question had opened a magic portal, she gestured at a door. I looked at it, unsure what that meant. “Go,” she said, irritated. “He’s inside.”
“I’ll wait right here,” Holden said with a gentle smile.
I turned the handle with my shaking hands. The room was huge. A massive VT logo, fully backlit, stared down at me from the ceiling. The carpet was plush, the lockers mahogany. Padded massage chairs lined a wall.
But no Blue. No anyone. I almost turned, certain Daisy had led me to the wrong room. But then I caught movement from behind a large pillar. Just a knee poking out. I came around the column to see him sitting on a maroon-colored leather bench, head in his hands.
“Blue.” I dropped to my knees in front of him.
His head came up and he looked at me, worn out. Beat down. Battle weary. And not just from the game. I pushed up and lifted the chain around his neck.
