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Chapter 26
Love you.
Two little words. Not even three. But though she and Lincoln didn’t mention it again, those two words blossomed in Grace’s heart like a field of sunflowers, despite his rapid-fire backtracking.“That wasn’t what it sounded like.”
Hah. As if. Sorry, Mr. Macho Cowboy, but “love you” was like “will you have sex with me?” Not open to interpretation.
He wasn’t a man who tossed around phrases like that lightly or carelessly. Neither was she. And her reaction was incomprehensible—beneath the bright, blooming sunflowers, there was a muddle of shock, disbelief, confusion…and an undeniable, heartrendinghope.
She’d assumed that her self-admission of love for him would remain locked in her heart, especially with the unspoken agreement that their affair would end when he left Bliss Cove.
But now? Was it possible that it didn’t have to end? What would that even look like with his life all over the place and hers firmly rooted right here?
It wasn’t just a matter of inconvenience and potential relocation either. Their lives—where and how they lived—were the essence of who they were. For either of them to drastically change required a seismic shift that would disrupt…everything.
Which was the reason she couldn’t bring herself to confess her own love. Maybe he’d been right all those weeks ago. Maybe shewastoo scared to break out of her tidy life, especially after the turmoil of the past couple of years.
But that was yet another reason why she needed to honor what she’d told him at the start. She couldn’t createmoreturmoil.
She tried to put those two words out of her mind. Neither of them brought up the fact that he was leaving for New York in less than two weeks.
She went to school extra early on Monday morning, in the event that Todd Oliver showed up to talk to her. Lincoln said he’d stop at Java Works and be at her classroom in time for first period.
He was scheduled to visit other classrooms for the rest of the day to talk about writing—share the wealth, Erica had remarked—so it was the first time in weeks that Grace had been in her room alone. His absence was like a physical hole.
She got her room set up and was organizing her planner when Erica came in. They chatted about the weekend and the Todd Oliver situation, but the boy didn’t show up.
“I guess he’s not going to come.” Grace glanced at the clock, which showed only five minutes before the bell rang.
“Did he contact you over the weekend?” Erica stood and smoothed down her suit jacket.
“No.” Grace checked her messages again. “And honestly, I was a little wary about texting him to verify the appointment, so I didn’t. I’ll try and talk to him after class. Sorry to have wasted your time.”
“Not at all. Keep me posted on what’s going on.” Erica waved and headed toward the door. “Maybe he’s finally seeing the light.”
Grace wished she had that kind of optimism. Given that Lincoln had discovered more “troubling behavior,” she seriously doubted that Todd had planned to give her a bunch of completed assignments so he could skate his way into a last-minute passing grade.
She prepared what she’d say to him either during or after class, but it turned out he was absent, both on Monday and the following day. Grace checked in at the main office to see if he’d called in sick, but Carrie told her he’d been at school and attended all his other classes.
“Have you seen him?” she asked Lincoln right before lunch hour on Wednesday.
He shook his head. A frown darkened his face. “Have you talked to Katie?”
“No. Why?” Faint alarm rose in her. “Lincoln, what is going on?”
“Todd was supposed to tell you.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s been purposely failing your class. He wanted to be on academic probation so he wouldn’t have to play football next year. That’s what he was going to talk to you about. I told him you’d help him figure out what to do.”
She stared at him. “That’s what he told you?”
“Yes. That’s what he was supposed to tell you. He was doing Katie’s work instead of his own. He wanted to fail.”
“But…but why? Just so he wouldn’t have to play football?”
“You know Rick Oliver. You can imagine the pressure on that kid. No way would his father let him quit, so he tried to find another way.”
“Oh, no.” Grace pressed her hands to her temples. Her chest roiled with a combination of sorrow, anger, and outright pity. “I wish he’d told me months ago.”
“He was scared. But he knew you wouldn’t let him slide by, and the F would have gotten him out of football without him having to quit the team.”
