“You still like her?”
Roan sat on one of his benches, taking a sip of water from his own bottle before answering. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, but this is just between you and me.”
“Totally,” Cody said.
“We were together from the time we were fifteen years old until I moved out to California. I left without saying goodbye. Ghosted her for our prom.”
“Dude, why would you do that?”
Roan told him the whole story, including his grief over his mother, his breakdown during the English test, not showing up to take Reese to their prom, his tunnel vision that told himto take the escape route. Cody listened without comment, his sensitive eyes seeming to take it all in.
When Roan finished, Cody nodded his head, a knowing expression on his face. “So you basically sabotaged the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Yep. Exactly right.”
“I totally get it,” Cody said. “I do the same. Since Mom died.” A wave of obvious pain and grief overtook the boy’s face before he arranged his features back into the blank expression he had mastered so well.
“I’ve felt bad about it. All these years. Haunted, to be honest.” Roan wrapped his hands around his water bottle. “She deserved so much better than what I did. I’m grateful I finally had a chance to tell her how sorry I am.”
“What’s up with the two of you working together to save the lost kids?” Cody asked.
“You’re not lost. You guys just need some people in your corner. Grace Hayes came up with the idea. Do you know her?”
“Yeah, she’s a real do-gooder, as my dad used to say.”
Roan chuckled, nodding his head. “The classic do-gooder. I guess she figured we had something to offer you kids.”
“Either that or she’s pushing you back together. Playing matchmaker.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Roan said. “But that ship’s sailed. There’s no way Reese would ever entertain the idea of letting me back into her life. Not in that way anyway.”
“I’ve seen her looking at you. In that way girls do when they really like you.”
Roan wanted to ask for details but held himself back. This was not about him. This was about Cody. “You want to try the rope?”
“Now?”
“Just to see where you are,” Roan said. “Gives you a baseline. No pressure. Just see how far you can get.”
“Okay.” Cody walked over to the rope, looking up at the bell. He grabbed it with both hands, testing his grip.
“Remember what I showed you. Feet grip the rope between them, like a clamp. Then pull with your hands while you push with your legs. It’s a full body movement.”
Cody nodded. He gripped the rope, positioned his feet, and started climbing. His long arms were an advantage, giving him good reach. He pulled himself up, feet working to grip the rope. Five feet. Eight feet. Ten feet.
Then he stalled. His arms started shaking. He hung there for a moment, breathing hard, then slowly descended, dropping the last few feet to the mat.
“Halfway,” Roan said. “That’s really good for a first attempt. Most people can’t get that far.”
Cody was breathing hard, staring up at the bell. “I want to ring it. Bad.”
“You will. We’ll work on grip strength, upper body, technique. Give it a few weeks.”
“How long did it take you?”
