But there are only two more weeks with Nate Davenport, and I refuse to waste one second of our precious time together.
6
Maddie Grace
I huff,stomping my feet, kicking up sand as I put as much distance as possible between me and the stupid, cursed waters of Lake Horizon.
I. Am. Done.
“Get your cute ass back here, Madeline,” Nate calls after me, his voice laced with amusement.
I whip around, throwing him the filthiest glare I can conjure. “Never. You want me back on that death trap you call a boat. You better wrap me in fifteen life vests first.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” he teases, trailing behind me. “It wasn’t that bad.”
Is he serious?
“It’s been a month, Nate. One whole month, and I still can’t swim.”
Frustration surges through me, my bottom lip wobbling against my will. I grit my teeth, forcing back the sting of tears.
What the hell is wrong with me? It’s like I’m made of bricks.
I can’t even float.
Before I can shake him off, Nate wraps his wet body around mine. “Don’t be upset. You’ll get it.”
“I don’t want to do it anymore, Nate.” My voice comes out smaller than I’d like. “Let’s pick something else to do together. Something that doesn’t involve drowning.”
“Sailing is my life, Mads. I’m going to have my boat with me in California, and I want you on it all the time when you come.”
“Stop saying California,” I spit, taking my anger out on him. “I’m not going to get into that college. You’re planning this whole life for nothing.”
“Whoa.” He pulls back, his brows drawing together as he studies my face. “What’s going on right now? Since when do you think you’re not going to get in?”
Since there’s more at stake.
Since I started picturing a future that might not exist.
And I hate that for me…forus.
I shrug, unwilling to voice the storm raging inside of me.
Nate’s a mind reader when it comes to the people he cares for. He’s always one step ahead, anticipating what people need before they even realize it themselves. It’s a quality I admire, one I adore, but sometimes…sometimes it makes it impossible to hide.
If I say anything, he’ll see right through me, dissecting every word.
“Mads, talk to me, babe. What’s going on through my goddess’s head?”
If I don’t get into USC, it won’t just mean choosing a backup plan…it’ll mean leaving him behind.
And that thought has been slowly breaking my heart, little by little.
I can barely believe we’ll make it until I graduate high school, though Nate is not only convinced, he’s determined to prove mewrong. But making it through college? That’s on a whole other level.
One, I don’t think we’d survive.
“Hey.” Nate’s voice is low, full of concern, when I still don’t answer, pulling me back into a fierce, unwavering embrace.
