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Brody flicks his gaze to me, his expression uncertain. “So, uhm, I saw Holly Thompson at the hospital when I came to pick you up. Isn’t she the girl who used to tutor you?”
“Yeah, she is.”
“I might not remember correctly, but I thought you two were friends back then, no?”
“Yeah.”
He frowns. “It’s just weird because when I told her I was there to pick you up, her expression shifted from friendly to angry. I don’t know, man, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she hates you. Do you have any idea why that is? You didn’t do something stupid, did you?”
I scratch the back of my head, thinking back to how I told Holly I’d make it my business who she dates. To be honest, I always had a crush on Holly, but I never told her. Something I deeply regret now. “Yeah, about that… I may have made a few jokes. You know, tried to lighten the mood.”
Brody raises an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. “And?”
“And she didn’t take it too well,” I admit. “But come on, Brody, it’s not like I intended to upset her. It’s just… complicated.”
He sighs, shaking his head in exasperation. “So? You two used to be friends. You can’t just leave things like this with her over a silly joke. Especially if you’re gonna be stuck in this town for the next few weeks.”
I shrug. “I guess, but she made it very clear she doesn’t want me around. Trust me, I tried talking to her. She just hates me.”
Brody’s brow furrows as he processes my words. “Really? There’s got to be more to it than that. I know Holly a little, and she’s not the type to hold a grudge over a couple of jokes. Did something else happen between you two?”
I shift in my seat again. “Well, there was the whole prom thing. I’m not entirely sure, but I suspect that could’ve started the whole hating me issue.”
“The prom thing?” Brody asks. “What do you mean?”
“I kind of promised to take her to prom if she helped me with my grades.”
Brody frowns. “And did you?”
I shake my head, feeling a tornado of guilt at the memory. “No, I ended up going with Jennifer Rae instead.”
“That fake-blonde cheerleader who thought raisins grew on trees?” Brody lets out a low whistle. “Ouch. No wonder Holly’s pissed.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “But that was years ago. I thought she’d have moved on by now.”
“Are you fucking kidding me, brother? People don’t just forget about being stood up for prom,” Brody says with a shake of his head. “You’ve got to find a way to make it right with her.”
“But how? She made it pretty clear she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Actions speak louder than words, little bro,” Brody replies. “You’ve got to show her that you’re genuinely sorry and that you’re not the same guy you were in high school.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
He drives into the parking lot of Frosty Creek Haven and cuts the engine before turning to me with a look of confusion on his face. “What I don’t understand is why you would do such a thing. I mean, standing up a girl for prom? That’s a shit move, brother.”
“I had a crush on her, okay? I wanted to take her. But you know what high school is like. Everyone expected me, the captain of the hockey team, to take Jennifer, so I did. Back then, I cared more about being popular than about being a good guy.”
My brother sighs as if I’m a naughty toddler and he doesn’t know what to do with me. “I get it, high school can be a pressure cooker. But that doesn’t excuse you for being a dick to Holly.”
“If I had just taken her to the prom like I wanted to instead of doing what my friends expected from me, none of this would’ve happened.”
My brother’s expression softens a bit. “Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve… Listen, you can’t change the past. What you can do, is make things right, now. Come on, let’s get you inside so you can rest. You’ve got some serious groveling to do later.”
Thoughts of Holly disappear as soon as I limp into the lobby of Frosty Crest Haven. Cameras start flashing and several groups of people are talking excitedly. They all turn in my direction, and I realize that the news of my being here has gotten out. Shit.
Brody blocks the paparazzi with his giant posture, but it’s no use. Fans run towards me, pushing photographs to sign into my hands and asking for selfies with them.
I wince as I try to stay upright, but my ankle is starting to throb, and my wrist hurts too much to keep this up for long. I really need to lie down.
