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“She was here?” Dad asked.
“Yes, she dropped off his swimming gear,” Mom said, the two of them looking at each other with wide-eyed bemusement.
“Uh, I’ve got homework to do,” I muttered, my head lowered, my feet in motion.
But Dad wasn’t that easy to get by. He seized my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. There was a moment as our eyes connected, his gaze regretful and his vulnerability raw. I was seeing my father in a different light. The hard taskmaster was a facade for a man who struggled with his own insecurities.
Like we all do.
“See you in the morning?” It was asked with a hint of uncertainty, an expectation that moving forward things would be different.
“See you in the morning,” I said, because even with everything that had happened, it was impossible to break habits of a lifetime in a single day.
As usual, I would be up at the crack of dawn for my morning run.
Chapter 16
Sierra
On Monday morning itwas like the pep rally had started early. Covington Prep had been converted into a full on Chargers camp, flags, posters and banners lining every wall. If anyone hadn’t known we were in the state championship final, they did now.
I was at school earlier than usual, making my way to the cafeteria. Cullen had messaged me last night while I’d been lying on my bed reading a book that Millie had recommended in her book review column. Prince Anderlee was Millie’s favorite book boyfriend, a dragon slayer who was described as having wavy, dark hair, but I was envisioning him as Cullen, with his tousled blond locks. Prince Anderlee and Cullen shared all those swoon-worthy qualities—strong, handsome, courageous, inspirational, and hopefully victorious. Though, whether the Chargers won the final, in my eyes, Cullen had already proved himself a champion.
Cullen’s message had sent my heart spiraling out of control:Hey Sierra, would it be ok if I called you?My thumbs fumbled as I typed back:Yes sir, and had to correct it toYes sure.
My heartbeat ramped up another level when the chiming ringtone alerted me to a video call. There was not even a second to check my face was free of crumbs from my bedtime snack—one of Mrs. Mercer’s cookies.
“Hi,” I said in a teeny tiny shaky voice.
“Hey, hi. Whatcha doing?”
And just like that, my nerves dissipated. Cullen laughed when I told him about the book Millie had lent me, Prince Anderlee being the original dragon slayer. He was sitting at his desk, and I could see part of a poster on his white walls, the wordsWork for itbehind his head.
“So, what are you doing?” I asked.
“AP bio,” he said, panning in to show me a page of notes he was writing.
