“Good night,” I whisper. I stand outside the door until Gage is fully inside. Then, I turn to walk to my own cabin.
I love that Gage is part of my life again, too.
Chapter twenty-nine
Gage
I’mfeelingchagrinedasI watch for Olivia to come into the mess hall for breakfast the next morning. I’m not a man afraid to show my feelings, but I dumped a lot of heavy emotions on her last night.
I feel better about Maggie this morning, though I’m still wrung out. It’s always a swirl of mixed-up emotions when I see her. I love Maggie, and I’m excited to spend time with her, but I’m also nervous about trying to contain all the fears it brings up. It gets overwhelming, and I can’t always hold it all in. Despite the tornado of conflicting moods seeing Maggie causes for me, I never regret any of the time I spend with her.
I know that pattern of nervousness, excitement, and breakdown is typical, so I probably should have warned Olivia ahead of time. I literally cried on her shoulder while sharing my innermost fears. Plus, I almost told her I love her.
I mean, Iamin love with her, but I have a feeling saying so would ruin everything. I’m running out of time, though. There are only three weeks left of camp. Three weeks left until the expiration date Olivia originally set for this “fling.”
When she squeezes my shoulders in a hug from behind and then sits next to me on the bench, I flash one of the cheerful grins that aligns with what people expect from my normally buoyant personality.
Her eyes are deep with concern. “Are you doing okay this morning?” she asks quietly.
“I’m feeling much better,” I assure her.
“Promise?” She leans in and lays her hand on my arm, studying me.
“Promise.” I peck her lips. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with Duncan all week.”
Her expression brightens. “He’s a great kid. They both are. And theyadoreyou.”
I think about the kids at dinner last night and smile. “The feeling’s mutual.” I pause. “Andafter you finish breakfast, I’m looking forward to combing through job ads on the computer with you.”
Her mouth pops open. “We don’t have to do that this morning.”
“Don’t think I forgot. My cabin is ready for the campers, which means I’m free for the next”—I look at my phone screen—“two hours before they start arriving.”
We finish breakfast and walk to the main office to use the computer there. After thirty minutes of searching, we find two positions for Olivia to apply for. One is at a private K-12 school called Virtus Academy in South Austin, not too far from Olivia’s house. The other is at a charter middle and high school focused on science called the Brightline School, but it’s all the way up in North Austin, almost to Pflugerville. Both require a bachelor’s degree and some relevant experience, and neither expect applicants to have a state teaching license.
As we read through the postings and then the websites for the schools, Olivia grows more and more animated.
“So, these look good?” I ask her.
She beams. “They look great!” She throws her arms around my shoulders from her chair next to mine in front of the computer. Then her cheeks blush pink. “I feel like I can think about the future with hope now. I’ve … I’ve been feeling pretty defeated about how I’m kind of floundering in life since college ended, since soccer ended. I’ve been taking things one day at a time because any more than that and I’d get so panicked and demoralized.”
Is that why she hasn’t been willing to commit to anything more than a summer fling?
She keeps her eyes on mine. “Thank you, Gage. For your help. You found possibilities for me that I couldn’t see because I was so stuck in my own rut.”
I take her hands in mine. “Sometimes it takes someone with an outside perspective to see the answer that’s right there. That’s all I did. Thank you for trusting me enough to let me in.”
I press a kiss to each of her hands. “Now, what next?”
She raises her chin, thinking. “I have to revise my résumé for this kind of job, but once I do, I’ll apply for both.”
I look back at the computer screen. “Do you need any help with your résumé?” I know that kind of written work isn’t the easiest for her, but I don’t want to overstep either.
“No, you’ve helped enough already. I have to be able to dosomethingfor myself.” She laughs, but it’s laced with deprecation.
“I’m here if you change your mind.”
And I always will be.
