I was sitting next to him, cross-legged with a pillow thrust in my lap. “It has.”
“How do you feel after talking to them?”
Shrugging, I held the pillow tighter. “Better. Relieved. At least now they know everything. I know it doesn’t change anything, and I know they are both disappointed, but it’s out there between us now and, yeah, it’s a relief,” I repeated.
“I get what you’re saying.” He cocked his head to the side. “Sometimes disappointment is worth the truth.” As he poked the pillow, a small grin played across his face. “You know, that night we got into it, you said something that was true.”
My brows rose. “I don’t think I said anything that was true.”
“No. You did.” He pulled the pillow out of my lap and put it behind him. “You were right about me not telling my dad about football.”
Oh. Hell. I’d forgotten how I’d thrown that in his face. I’d probably blocked it out.
“I talked to my dad.”
I jolted. “Seriously?”
“Yep.” He peered at me through thick lashes. “It didn’t exactly go over well.”
Popping up on my knees, I scooted closer to him. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
A brief grin appeared as I plopped down right in front of him. “I talked to him about a couple of weekends ago, actually. There’s really not much to tell. I was just honest.”
“And you’re just now telling me?” I smacked his arm. “Sebastian!”
“Hey.” He caught my hand, laughing. “We weren’t exactly being real talkative with one another, and you were dealing with other stuff.”
“True.” But I felt bad, because I should’ve had my head out of my butt long enough to have been there for him. I couldn’t change that, but I could be here for him now. “So what did he do?”
“He flipped out. Said I wasn’t thinking straight and that the accident had my head messed up. But I told him the truth—playing ball just isn’t something I’m that into now.” He lowered our joined hands to his knee. “I explained that I’d been feeling this way for a while.”
“Wow.”
“He didn’t speak to me for a straight week.” Sebastian laughed while I cringed. “But he seems to be trying to accept it. He’s talking to me at least, and I think Mom has been working on him.”
I squeezed his hand. “This is huge.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, biting down on his lower lip. “Looks like Dad won’t enter a downward spiral because of it, so that’s good.”
Grinning, I asked, “So now that you’ve officially decided to not do the college-football thing, what school are you thinking about?”
“God, there’s so much more opportunity now,” he said, his gaze drifting over my shoulder, to the map above my desk. “May stick around and do community college for a year, or maybe I’ll apply to Virginia Tech or—” his blue eyes fixed on mine “—UVA.” The hollows of his cheeks turned pink as I gaped at him. “Or somewhere else. Who knows? I’ve still got some time. Anyway,” he said, stretching out on the bed. He tugged on my hand. “Want to watch a movie?”
I studied his profile for a moment and then nodded. “Whatever you like.”
The answering grin warmed me, and I let him pull me down so I was lying next to him. I reached over, grabbed the remote off the nightstand and handed it to Sebastian. He started flipping through the free-movie section.
“Hey,” I said.
He turned those beautiful eyes to me.
“I’m proud of you. I just wanted to say that. I’m really proud of you.”
The grin turned into a blinding smile that stayed on his face the rest of the evening.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Joanna’s was dead on homecoming night, so much so that Felicia all but shoved me out the door at nine that evening.
After hanging up my apron, I made my way outside and climbed into my car. The drive home was quick, and once I was in my driveway, I checked my phone and saw a text from Dary of her and Abbi in their pretty dresses, under a flowery awning. They were totally rocking the awkward couple pose, with Abbi’s arms wrapped around Dary’s waist from behind. I’d messaged them both earlier in the evening, telling them to have a good time. Dary had texted back immediately with a heart and smiley face. And a half an hour later after that last text, Abbi had texted back with a simple message that chipped away at the heaviness in my veins.
Wish you were here.
That was a start—a great start—at repairing our friendship. And I wished I was there because I would’ve had fun with them, but I planned on doing something tonight I hadn’t done in a while.
Read a book.
And I couldn’t wait.
I was going to read while eating at least a half a bag of Funyuns. Maybe even an entire bag. I wasn’t going to beat myself up for not going tonight. And I wasn’t going to think about Sebastian at the dance, most likely being surrounded by girls.
Sebastian had swung by last night, after the game. There’d been no kissing or talking about the accident or about his dad. We’d just studied together.
I had no idea where things were going to go for us or where we’d end up, if we were together or apart. There would probably always be a part of me that would want more, but I was thrilled to have my best friend back. That was... That was good enough.
I climbed out of the car, then walked to the front of the house and reached for the door, but it opened before I even touched it.
Mom stood in the doorway, motioning me in. “Come on. Hurry up.”
Frowning, I hurried inside and stared openmouthed as Mom took my purse from me. “What’s going on?” I looked around, half expecting to see my father lurking in the dimly lit hallway.
“Nothing.” Mom smiled, taking my hand as she pulled me into the living room. Then she picked up a bundle of clothing and all but shoved it at me. “Go upstairs to the bathroom and change into this.”
“What?” I looked down at what I was holding. Looked like my oversize thermal and a pair of my black leggings that I was almost positive Mom must’ve washed while I was at work, because they had been dirty and lying on my floor. “I’m so confused.”
“Don’t ask questions. Just go do it.” She ushered me toward the stairs and I let her practically shove me up the steps. “I’ll be waiting for you in the hall. You have fifteen minutes.”
I stopped outside the bathroom and barked out a surprised laugh. “Why? This is weird and you’re—”
“Get in the bathroom,” Mom ordered with a grin. “Or you’re grounded.”
“What?” I gasped out another laugh. “Have you lost your mind?”
Mom folded her arms. “I will drag you in there and change you myself.”
“Oh my God. Okay, okay.”
Taking the bundle of clothing, I went inside the bathroom, having no idea what she was up to or why I had to change right now. Did I smell that badly of fried chicken tenders? I’d barely worked up a sweat at Joanna’s, but I took a quick shower anyway, like I always did when I got home. I’d kept my hair up in a bun, so I didn’t have to mess with drying it. Changing into the clothes, I discovered the bundle had included a pair of thick socks. I rolled them on, tugging them up my calf.