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e I leave.”
I pulled up my pants, grabbed my copy of the list from my wallet, and headed for her desk. With a thick, black marker, I scratched out the last item I was ever going to help her with.
I let the paper fall to the floor beside her, and when her eyes focused on it, more tears streamed down her face.
“Looks like I was able to help you out with one more item.”
I had hoped some other schmuck would bear the brunt of it. I’d had no intention of letting her anywhere near it, but I had just been kidding myself, because Everly Parker had just broken my heart.
Chapter 30
Everly
It’s been two weeks since Max left me sobbing in my room. As I stare at the bucket list—the copy that had “break someone’s heart” crossed off in thick black marker, I realize nothing has changed. I’m still sobbing. Still unable to concentrate. The fact that I have an exam in two hours isn’t helping my stress level.
When I had agreed to let Max help me with the bucket list, I’d never anticipated this feeling of loss. It was like someone died and had taken a piece of me with them. For the second time in just a few months, I was battling grief.
I thought Max would help me with the list, maybe eventually screw me, and then he’d be on his way. No harm, no foul. But he stuck—like he’d been superglued to my psyche, and I have no idea how I’m going to dissolve him. Maybe douse myself in rubbing alcohol?
I had crossed off all but three items on the list. I owed so many people an apology that it shouldn’t be hard to cross that one off. As for failing at something, well, I was doing that right now. Completing this list, for one, and in a couple hours, I could add my exam. For the last item, I had no idea how my grandmother expected me to change someone’s life in such a short period of time.
I’d had the time of my life. It wasn’t because I was close to graduating. It wasn’t because I was more interested in the law and starting my career. It was because Max swooped in, spun me around ten times, and turned my life upside down.
But I didn’t have time to think about that today. I showered and grabbed my bag. I didn’t even bother bringing my textbooks. If I didn’t know it by now, it was too late.
I walked across campus from the east parking lot, toward the building where my exam was being held.
Campus was less busy now that final exams were under way, but the tension was higher. More people bumped into each other because they weren’t paying attention. More people sipped on Red Bull and coffee. I even saw a girl sucking on a protein tube runners used during marathons. People didn’t have time to eat. I used to be like that. I used to survive on bananas, Twizzlers, and Mountain Dew.
But as I walked farther into campus, I realized my tension was gone. That constant tick in my head—the one that compartmentalized every aspect of my life—told me when to change activities, when to sleep, when to eat. Funny how it never told me to have fun. To relax. Not until Max had shown up.
I wasn’t nervous for my exam. Nor was I prepared. It was just a thing I needed to do.
Just before I walked up the steps to the front of the building, I heard my name. I turned and found my mother standing at the side of it, waving her hand in the air, trying to get my attention.
I rushed over. My anxiety level that had recently flat-lined was suddenly resuscitated. “What are you doing here?” I pulled her off to the side, out of sight. I didn’t want to be the girl who needed her mommy for support in order to take her exams. I was already younger than everyone else, I didn’t need to highlight it.
“I came to wish you well,” she said.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You mean you came to check up on me.”
My mother sighed. “This is your last exam of your last year. This will make or break you.”
Everything, according to Regina Parker, was going to make or break me.
“I am fully aware of that, Mother.”
“Are you sure? You look…” She reached out and pulled on a piece of my frizzed-out hair. I hadn’t bothered to dry it before I’d left the house. “…positively haggard.”
Like that mattered. Like my hair was going to pass this exam for me.
“Did you remember to review the case law I mentioned? Those principles will come in handy when trying to…” Her words trailed off.
Shit! I hadn’t bothered to look at that case study. I had completely forgotten. Probably because she had mentioned it while I was running around like an idiot with Max.
She frowned. “You didn’t look at the case study.”
I shook my head.
