Page 132 of Let You Love Me

LANE

The days that followthat Sunday afternoon I broke our friendship truce are a whirlwind. With only a month left in the semester, finals are approaching as well as projects and deadlines. Between our classes, my work, and his crazy football schedule, Teagan and I see each other every spare second we can manage, which isn’t easy considering we’re keeping our relationship a secret. It’s all look, don’t touch for the foreseeable future. It sucks, but the last thing I want to do is interfere with football or explain to Sophie what having a boyfriend means.

Now that I’ve lifted the lid on my tightly contained feelings, it hurts to feel like I’m stuffing them in a box again, but I know it’s for the best.

Also like I know we’re moving way too fast.

One second, I was standing on the edge of a cliff, armed with a parachute but afraid to jump, and the next, I’m in free fall.

Now all I can do is pray it doesn’t hurt when I hit the ground.

IfI hit the ground.

There’s always a chance this thing between us might actually work.

In the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from friends to meeting in my car before class and finding dark corners of the library whenever we have a spare moment. It’s like I’m sixteen again, all raging hormones and roaming hands.

My teeth sink into my lower lip as I remember him pushing me into the large-print section of the library just this morning where we made out like it was our dying breath.

My phone rings, jolting me from the memory.

I reach inside my messenger bag and fish it out only to see the number for campus day care flashing on the screen.

Panic fists at the base of my spine as I answer, pressing it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Lane, it’s Cindy.”

The director. Oh, shit.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, even though I know it’s not. She wouldn’t be calling if it were.

“First, I want to stress that Sophie is doing okay. She’s calm and watching a show on a tablet.”

I blink my eyes closed, trying to take solace in her words as I nod. “What happened?”

“She fell on the playground at recess, and I’m afraid she split her knee pretty badly. It’s a pretty deep wound. We’re holding a compress to it, but I’m afraid she’s going to need stitches. Unfortunately, we can’t leave with her because we’d be understaffed, which means if you can’t come and get her, we’ll have to call an ambulance.”

My stomach clenches, bile rising to the back of my throat as I tell myself Sophie’s all right.

She’ll be okay, and that’s all that matters.

I exhale, pinching the bridge of my nose as I try to figure out how I can be in two places at once. The last thing I want is for anambulance to transport her for what will likely be a frightening experience over a minor injury, but I can’t afford to miss my presentation either.

Shit.

“Just give me one minute, will you? No matter what, someone will be on the way,” I say.

“No problem,” Cindy says, her voice soft. “We’ll see you in a minute.”

I hang up and waste no time dialing my father. But he doesn’t answer.

I curse under my breath as I try him one more time, mind racing with my options. Missing my presentation on such short notice will be considered a no-show, and the professor made it perfectly clear anyone who ditched would be given an automatic failing grade.

Voicemail picks up for the second time, and I groan. “Where are you?” I shout, startling a passing student.

Worrying my lip with my teeth, I try my mom, but she’s a physical therapist’s assistant and when I get no answer from her either, I assume she’s in with a patient.

Gabby’s in class, so she’ll be no help.