Page 40 of This Kind of Forever

HALLIE

TWELVE YEARS AGO

Grow up,Hallie.Stop being a wimp.

No matter how many times I tell myself to stop being afraid, it doesn’t work. My brain won’t let go of the memories. It was nine years ago now when that tree smashed into our house, but it feels sorecentevery time a branch scrapes against my window.

I squeeze my eyes shut as another bout of thunder rolls in. The wind is howling, and I can hear the trees swaying. Panic grips me. Pops is fast asleep down the hall, just like everyone else in this town. With nothing to distract me, I’m left sitting here in the lamplight, waiting for the storm to pass.

On my nightstand, my phone buzzes. For one, shining moment, I forget about the roaring wind. And when I see Gabe’s name on my screen, my heart trips over itself.

Gabriel

you awake?

I stare at the words, thinking of a response. A whole five minutes goes by before I work up the courage to text back.

Yes. :( What’s up?

Lame. That is literally the lamest thing I could have said.Ugh. Gabe is going to?—

Gabriel

can I call you?

To this, I don’t waste a second saying yes. My heart is firmly in my throat now. Then my phone buzzes in my hand again, and I hit the button to accept.

“Hello?” I whisper. It’s unnecessary—it would take a lot more than me talking at a normal volume to wake Pops from a dead sleep.

“Hi,” Gabe says. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I can’t help but laugh. “Um, a teacher?” At least, that’s the program I plan to apply to university for.

Gabe groans on the other end of the line. “Everyone else has things figured out, and I don’t.”

I roll onto my side, curling one hand beneath my chin as the other holds my phone to my ear. “That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it? Clara wants to take over Dockside, you want to be a teacher. Connor’s basically already signed on to the fire department. Luke was the same when he was our age.”

“What about those career aptitude tests we took at school last year? What did yours say?”

“Some bullshit like a lawyer or a dentist. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Gabriel!”

He laughs, and my heart flutters. It’s one of my favourite sounds. “I don’t think those tests are accurate anyway. Or maybe they are. Who knows. I was a little distracted that term.”

“Oh, yeah? And what was this distraction that kept you from your studies?”

“There was this girl who sat in the chair beside me,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Maybe you know her. Blonde hair that falls halfway down her back, bright blue eyes. She’s always blushing, and her nose crinkles in the cutest way when she’s confused.”

My cheeks grow hot, and my heart begins to thump wildly. Dangerously. I feel like I’m always on the verge of cardiac arrest around Gabe. But what a way to go.

Poor girl. She was only sixteen, but her heart couldn’t handle such a big crush.

“Hmm, I don’t know. She sounds kinda boring.”

“No way. She always steals my attention.”