Page 256 of On His Team

Camden.

Another year.

Not this year again. That’s impossible. Benson will be gone. Stanley will be gone. Hawthorne changes. But Camden is still here. I am still here.

My first thought is my parents. My second is Gianna. I call her first.

She answers after two rings. “Oh, Laurens.”

“I got in.”

There’s a pause. “What?”

“Grad school.”

Then something bangs on her end of the call.

“G?”

She squeals, “You got in?”

I pull the phone away from my ear and smile. “Yeah.”

“Oh my God! Rowan!”

I can hear her moving around, then another voice farther away asking what happened.

“You got in.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re staying!”

That’s her first thought. Not congratulations. Not I knew you would. You’re staying. Like she thought maybe I wouldn’t.

I lean back against the wall and nod. “For another year.”

The line goes quiet.

I can hear her breathing.

Then, very softly, “Yeah.”

I close my eyes. There is so much inside that one word that I do not need her to explain it.

“G.”

She replies, “I’m not crying.”

I laugh.

“I’m not, Laurens. Don’t even ask, okay? I’m not.”

I stare at the ground, feeling warmth spread through my chest. “You sound like you are.”

“I’m happy,” she cries. “I’m really, really happy.”

A laugh gets out of me.