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None of us stop her planning because Jenna is in the zone. This is what she lives for, and she’s damn good at it.

I’m just happy to have my boyfriend here for a little longer before it all possibly goes to hell.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

calvin

Saturday turned into Sunday far too fast.

I don’t want to go home and face my parents and brother, but I know I have to. I can’t put it off any longer.

Going back to school after Friday’s game is going to be hard enough without putting this off.

The truth is I’m ready.

I didn’t think I’d ever get to this point, but I’m ready. I don’t want to lie and hide who I am anymore. I’m going to lose my family. I know that. But maybe the truth is I never really had them.

Because they never really cared about me or who I actually am. They just wanted someone to carry on the family name and didn’t care about anything else. They forced me into a box I was all too willing to climb inside.

Until Jonah.

Until he showed me I can be more. That I can dream and hope for so much more.

I won’t lie and say I’m not scared, but I have something else now. I have someone to lean on when I need it, and I’m sure as hell going to be someone he can lean on right back—even if he’s the strongest person I’ve ever known.

Even the strong need to rest sometimes.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Jonah asks, his hands on both sides of my face as he leans his forehead against mine.

“No. I need to do this by myself.” I hope I sound more sure to him than I sound to myself.

I can feel Jenna and Micah lingering nearby, watching us with worry, like parents should do.

Jonah and I have a lot in common, I realize. Both of our parents let us down and failed us hard, but he has them. Micah and Jenna.

And now, somehow, he gifted them to me too. Because I can feel how much they care. How much they worry.

“It’ll be okay,” I say, pressing a quick kiss to his lips and stepping back out of his hold because if he’s touching me, I won’t leave. I turn to Micah and Jenna. “I’ll be okay.”

Their faces look grim, and Coach takes a deep breath, the air filling his chest and making it puff out just before he releases the air slowly. “No matter what happens, you have a place you can go. You will always have a place to go.”

“Always,” Jenna adds in, and I smile sadly at her.

“Promise me.” Jonah’s pleading voice gets my attention. “Promise me, if they kick you out or if they hurt you . . .”—he shudders like the thought is impossible for him—“that you’ll come back here. That you won’t do this alone because you’re not on your own.”

I swallow hard, not knowing if I can actually promise that. A year ago, it never would have even crossed my mind to tell my parents the truth about me. Not ever. I thought I’d take this to my grave at one point. But now . . . now that I know Jonah and his family . . . I don’t feel so alone.

“Promise me,” he says again, walking closer to me.

I take his face in mine this time and hold his gaze as I nod. “I promise.”

He looks only somewhat relieved as he leans into my ear. “I love you,” he whispers, stunning me stupid with his words, but he pulls back and gives me a quick kiss, not giving me a chance to respond. “Go before I refuse to let you.”

I’m still stunned. I don’t know why. It makes sense. He’s shown me he loves me, but it’s almost too much for me to handle. I give one quick wave and then make the drive to my house.

The house that never really felt like mine. The house with so many conditions and rules. It was never really mine.

I go inside and see my grandfather, father, and brother sitting on the couch, staring at some game playing on television. All three sets of eyes lock on me with unhidden fury.