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“You can see them really well from my house, too.”
“Yeah?”
“This is the part where I tell you I’d like to do this again, Charley. We can keep walking at night. Or we can have dinner together at a restaurant, or at my house. I haven’t cooked for you in years. Do you still like spaghetti?”
“Love it,” I say, wishing I could remember a time when she fixed it for me. It might make it easier to say yes. To clamp onto those memories and give in.
“But don’t feel like you have to say yes.”
For a moment, it feels like another thing I’ll have to keep from my dad. If he didn’t want them seeing me before, I doubt he’s changed his mind now. In a way, it kind of makes me want to do it more.
Look at what he made me miss out on. Now I’ll only have fleeting memories of my grandfather. But there’s still time with Molly.
This little part of me thinks I wouldn’t be having this conversation if it weren’t for Cade coming into my life. I would’ve been too scared to turn around when she called my name. I wouldn’t have taken a walk, just swept all my feelings under the rug like I was used to doing.
“I’d like that,” I tell her. “Any of that. All of it. Maybe.”
She brings her gloved hands to her mouth. “I have so much to pray about today. Thank you.”
21
Cade
The sun shines down like a welcome rain shower in the desert. The air still has a chill to it, but most of us have traded jackets in for sweatshirts. The braver guys are wearing T-shirts.
Charley has on a cute green heathered hoodie made out of sweater material. She’s been happier since her grandmother reached out. Yesterday, they went shopping together, and this is the result. Well, one of them.
I can tell she feels guilty for letting her grandmother spend money on her, but if I missed out on most of Charley’s life, I’d shower her with gifts, too. Actually, the woman sounds hilarious, and I can’t wait to meet her.
“Yo, this one,” Aidan says, pointing at me.
Charley chuckles, perched between my legs while I lie on the grass.
“Aw, come on.”
“No. This one decides he’s going to run a completely different route than what he’s supposed to and then asks me why the ball is nowhere near him. He even argued with Coach about it.”
“I had my routes mixed up.”
Kenna throws a few blades of grass at me. “It’s all those hearts in your eyes messing with your brain.”
“I know a thing or two about that,” West states, lifting his fist so I can bump mine into his.
“Are you kidding me?” Aidan complains. “No offense, Cade, but West doesn’t forget plays. Or argue with Coach. There’s a reason why there’s aCon his jersey. You two aren’t the same.”
I chuckle. He’s got a point. West isn’t the type to mess up anything football related.
“Listen, I had a plan. It was revolutionary. I’m just sad you guys can’t keep up with me. It’s truly heartbreaking.”
Aidan sits like he’s getting off the pulpit with that remark. Bailey leans against his shoulder, and he kisses the top of her head before saying, “There are all kinds of wrongs with that. I can’t remark on all of them.”
“Jealous.”
“Totally jealous,” Charley says, leaning into me. She can bust on me as much as the guys, but she keeps her lips sealed. “Are you guys ready for the next game?”
“Please,” I scoff, like it won’t even be a competition. “We’re all locked in.”
“No running weird plays that don’t exist?” she asks.