Mom exhales, and a few moments of silence pass while I wait for her to agree with me.
“Sweetie, have you thought about what you might do in the event she doesn’t want to go?”
That’s not even a remote possibility. This is a forever thing for us. Even if Gracie needs time to process, not being together is a reality I know neither of us will accept.
“I already signed,” I whisper, my breaths short and ragged. “So there’s no option for me to back out at this point.”
Another minute of silence. When Mom speaks, she doesn’t address my response at all. “I love you. And hey, kiddo?”
“Yeah?”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
The congratulatory sentiment fades away as I sink down onto my futon.Did I completely miscalculate this?I shake my head. No, Gracie knows me through and through. Plus, she’s always told me she’ll follow me anywhere.
I have it all planned out. In every future, it’s us. We’re going to be fine.
Chapter 35
Grace
Eighteen Years Old
Ipound on the door four times before leaning over to catch my breath. Running from the campus shuttle to his dorm wasn’t my brightest idea, but I couldn’t wait a second longer to see him. Danny yanks the door open, his hair still wet from a shower.
I don’t even know where to start. My brain is so messy, and a buzzing noise fills my ears. “How could you…Whywould you…”
Danny stumbles back into his dorm room as I shove him through his own doorway. He looks behind me, seemingly searching for someone else responsible for the hurt expression on my face, not knowing it was him who caused it.
“Wha…?”
I shove a copy of the school newspaper into his chest. When Danny told me yesterday that he wanted to “talk about something important” tonight, I never picturedthis.
He glances at the article in clear surprise, his eyes wide.
“Gracie. Don’t freak out. I’m sorry you found out about it like this. Nothing was supposed to be formally announced for another week.”
The heavy door slams behind me, and I stop in my tracks. “Formally announced? When did you know?”
Danny runs his hands through his hair, tugging slightly at the ends like he’s trying to physically pull the words I want to hear out of his head. “When did I know transferring was a possibility? Or when did I make my decision? I’m going to tell you everything, just?—”
I lean against the door in shock. “Are you breaking up with me?”
Danny takes a step toward me and grasps my hands, mine limp in his. “What the fuck? Gracie, no. Jesus. I’dneverbreak up with you.”
“So, you’re not going to New York?” Confusion muddles my mind, like I’m trying to place missing pieces in a puzzle with my eyes closed.
He squeezes my hands tighter, like he’s afraid I’ll slip through his fingers. “It’s an amazing opportunity for both of us, I promise. There’s so much I need to tell you. That’s why I wanted to get dinner tonight, so I could explain everything and we can talk about our future. There are so many things I want to say.”
I shake off his hands and poke a finger in the center of his chest. “Is this why you’ve been happier lately?”
“What do you mean?”
“When your mood improved a few days ago… Did you know about the transfer then?”
Danny has the self-awareness to look sheepish. “Well, yes, the decision deadline was three days ago.”
