Where have you been all these years?
Why didn’t you reach out? Why didn’t you tell me you were okay?
Instead of saying any of those things, I threw out arandom word that seemed fitting enough for the occasion. “Weird?”
She nodded. “Weird.” Shaking her head, she huffed out another laugh, although there was no humor in it. “I guess. How have things been?”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel.
How was I supposed to answer that? What was the correct way to explain that she was my entire world? That my entire being seemed to rotate on an axis around her, and when she left without saying a single word, a part of me fractured, shattering into a million tiny pieces on the floor.
When I didn’t answer right away, her face contorted into something of discomfort. “Sorry, that was also…weird. I’m not good at this, Hayden.” Taking a deep breath, she continued. “I really do want to start over. I also know I owe you some explanations, but I’m just not ready for that yet. Is that okay?”
Without thinking, I reached over, taking her hand in mine and squeezing.
One. Two. Three.
A silent message. A promise.
“I’ll be here when you’re ready. I’ll always be here, Skip.”
Even if it tore me up from the inside out, I’d always be there for her.
“Remember that time we broke into the football field our junior year?” I changed the subject in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I thought for sure Keenan was going to get us caught.”
It worked, and Sierra’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Yeah, I do. Those were the days, weren’t they? We were fucking delinquents.”
“We?” I laughed. “If I recall correctly, it was you who said we should hop the fence.”
She shrugged with the same devilish grin from back then. “Technically, it was Keenan’s fault. He’s the one who got us there in the first place.”
“Hello?” I answered my phone on the third ring, the caller ID displaying Keenan’s name.
“Wanna go on an adventure?” His voice was low and hushed, although there was a hint of anticipation.
I rubbed my eyes. “It’s like two in the morning, dude.”
Something rustled in the background of the phone call. “Exactly. It’ll be fun.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, I’m kinda already here, and I need your help so I don’t get caught.”
An involuntary groan rose from my throat. “Where are you?”
“SGU…” His voice trailed off. “The football stadium.”
“Keenan,” I hissed. “If you get caught, you’re going to get banned for life. GCSO doesn’t have jurisdiction on campus, so our dads can’t do anything!” Not that our dads would do anything to begin with. If we played stupid games, we won stupid prizes.
“I know. That’s why I need your help getting out of here. Bring Sierra, too. Hurry.”
“You owe me.” Grumbling, I rolled out of bed and pulled on some clothes. My dad was on night shift, so he was gone, and my mom was a heavy sleeper.
I dialed Sierra’s phone number, praying she’d pick up.
Come on, Skip, I thought.
She picked up on the fourth ring, her voice groggy and laden with sleep. “Hello?”
