“Do your parents know?”
He chuckled.“Nope.I’ll only tell them if they bother me to let them know.I don’t want to go there.There are a lot of schools not too far from here and if it’s only a few hours, I can make that work.I don’t want to go far.I know that sounds pathetic, but....I don’t want to leave, not anymore.My parents talk about me ‘expanding my horizons’ and all I can think about is how empty and miserable it’ll be without everyone with me.”
I stared at the ground, pushing at a stick by my feet.“At least someone wants to stay nearby.”
“Cadence.”The tone in his voice was stern.
I glanced his way, noticing that he was frowning.
“We all want to stay nearby.That hasn’t changed.”
I didn’t respond because it felt all too much like a lie knowing Paxon was ready to run so far away.Instead, I said, “I think I might have an acceptance letter too.”
He blinked.“Might?”
“I haven’t officially checked,” I admitted.“I thought I saw it in the pile of my mail, but I refuse to actually go through my mail.The email’s unopened too.I can’t even check the portal.It just....”I exhaled slowly.“It feels too real, I guess.For the longest time, I didn’t think I’d even make it this far.”
Bryan didn’t respond, letting me continue.
“I really believed,” I said, voice smaller now, “that I’d be stuck under Lindie’s thumb forever.Or that something would happen to me before I could get out.College was something other people talked about, not me.And then suddenly, I’m given my future back and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with that.”
When I glanced at Bryan, he was watching me in that way only he could.He wasn’t pitying or judging me.He was just seeing me.Simple.
“You’re here,” he said.“You made it.”
“Yeah,” I whispered.“Now I just have to figure out what to do with that.”
He nudged my shoulder.“We’re both a bit of a mess, aren’t we?”
“An understatement.”
“I don’t even want to go,” he admitted, his voice suddenly raw.“They’re going to remember eventually that they need to ask me, and I can’t imagine what that conversation is going to look like.I don’t want to tell them I’d rather stay.I don’t want to lose this.”
I looked at him, noting the way his brow creased, the tiredness that even his glasses couldn’t hide, the way he carried the weight of expectations like they were bricks in his pockets.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.“I’m sorry your parents are the way that they are.”
The wind brushed between us again, scattering small leaves at our feet.I shivered and pressed into Bryan a little more.
Bryan kissed the top of my head.“While I love this and don’t want it to end, I also know hiding from the charity festival isn’t the best plan either.”
“Yeah, but it’s a nice break,” I said.“I feel calmer already.”
He chuckled and pulled away from me, letting my arm free.I shivered again against the chilly air.“I wish we could keep playing hooky from our own lives, but Toby won’t let us.I bet he’s already searching for us and he’ll find us soon.”
I stretched and stood.“Fine.Let’s go find him before he calls the calvary.”
“Okay.”He held out his hand and I grabbed it.I let him lead me back into the chaos, trusting that with his ability to see over most people’s heads, he knew where to go.
