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“Folders?” we both said in unison. He spun the folders and pushed them so they were in front of us.
“Go ahead. Open them.” He waved his hands, telling us to go on.
With one last look at each other, Tanner and I revealed a familiar black, white, and gray logo with a shield and sword.
“We’ve known that you’ve caught the eye of many over the years. All you need to do is sign these, and after your senior year, you’re both headed to Chicago. The Knights want you both.”
My head whipped up as I processed his words. I couldn’t even wrap my head around the details listed in this letter. Pressing my palms on the counter, I looked to the ground, trying to steady my breath.
“This for real, Coach?” Tanner’s voice was shaky.
“It is. You boys did it.”
I glanced up to find the blank expression that was on Coach’s face when he reentered the kitchen now replaced with tears of joy and pride.
Riley wrapped her arm around my shoulders from behind, and I spun to face her and pulled her into my arms, burying my face in her neck. Tanner was currently hugging his parents, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying in hushed tones. My eyes then met my parents’. My dad had his arm around Ma’s shoulder. She wiped the tears away with the bottom of her sleeve.
“Dude, we actually fucking did it,” I choked out, slinging my arm around Tanner as we stared down at the letters that had made all our dreams come true.
Moments later, Coach told us to look up and say cheese for a photo.
I grip the frame so tight that I nearly crush it. I set it back down before I do something like throw it against the wall.
Fuck, I miss my best friend. Thinking about the accident makes me so angry.
Why did he have to die?
Why did she have to not be able to dance again?
Why did I get to walk away?
Plopping down on the bed, I look around the room. Was this actually a good idea to come back here? Before I can talk myself into grabbing my stuff and racing out the door as fast as the Flash, there’s a knock on my bedroom door.
My father stands in the doorway with his arms crossed. Once again, he appears just in the nick of time to save me from running.
He looks around the room, and when his eyes lock on mine, he gives me a small smile. I wonder if he spent any time in here after I left. Ma had mentioned he wanted to pack it all up—was it because it was too much of a reminder of what a disappointment I was?
“Your mother has dinner ready.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
He silently nods and leaves. Wade Graham is a man of very few words, but he’s known for throwing plenty of witty one-liners from time to time, not to mention his specialty—dad jokes.
I cast one last look around the room and rise from the bed to head downstairs to join my parents for the first family meal in six years. I slap the baseball sign above the bedroom door as I exit, just like I did every time I walked out of this room growing up. Just because I don’t play ball anymore doesn’t mean I’m not still superstitious and a creature of habit.
Welcome home, Cooper.
Chapter 2
Cooper
Thebangingofpotsand pans startles me awake. I wake up facedown, halfway hanging off the bed. There is no way in hell I can continue to sleep on this. I stretch and let out a loud groan at the tightness of my muscles.
How the fuck did I sleep on this mattress when I was younger?Probably because I didn’t know any better.
Maybe today, I’ll go into town and upgrade this bed—I said maybe.
There’s another loud noise coming from the kitchen, and I wonder if Ma is doing this on purpose.
