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He nods thoughtfully. “It’ll do you some good to get out and start meeting new people.”
“Dad, we live in Freedom Valley,” I add dryly. Even after being gone, not much has changed. Most people still know everyone here. Besides, there’s only one person I want to see. And she probably still hates me.
He takes another pull of his beer. “I’m telling you that you need to get out and meet women.”
I roll my eyes at that. “Nobody wants someone who likes to stay home, watch football, and not make ridiculous small talk.”
“Callie would,” he says. “She’s back, you know.”
Way to just jump right into that, Dad.
Luckily, his phone rings so I don’t get a chance to respond. He pulls it from his pocket to answer, “Sam’s Auto Body.” I use the opportunity to finish as he takes his call, relieved to avoid the conversation.
I already knew she was back. But she was off-limits. Callie used to be the brightest, happiest person I ever knew. When I returned, I wanted to be a man she’d be proud of. She always believed in me and encouraged me, and I wanted to prove her right. I still feel like I’m working on that. I wanted to have my cabin ready, have a job as a coach, and be someone she could be proud of so she’d forgive me for what I did. I always thought I’d see her again when I had it together and could beg her for a second chance. And in my dreams, she said yes, and we would be together. But now that it’s happening, I’m starting to panic. What if she hates me?
Dad listens to the call, and his eyes meet mine and narrow, letting me know we’re not done with our conversation. “Yeah. What’s the address? We’ll get out there. Thanks.” He ends the call and slides the phone back into his pocket.
“Well, you’re in luck. We have a tow at the hospital. Ramie, one of the nurses, called it in. You best be getting out there since you like the quiet night shift and all.” He smirks like he knows something I don’t.
“Got it,” I grumble, grabbing the keys as I head out.
three
Callie
Then
“Did you see her shoes?I mean, who wears neon green Converse shoes? They look like booger shoes. And what’s up with the weird boxes drawn on them? It looks so dumb,” someone taunts from the seat behind me. I know everyone can hear what she’s saying about me.
I slide farther down in my seat and tune out Kayla making fun of me. Okay, yes, my shoes have the periodic table drawn on them, but so what? What’s it to her? I happen to like science. I’ve always been the odd kid who loves school. I’ve never had many friends, but it’s not that I don’t want them. I just have a hard time making them as an extreme and unapologetic nerd. Not very many people want to be friends with me unless they’re copying my homework or mocking me.
Kayla snickers again and leans forward to look down at me. She laughs louder as she leans back and blurts, “She saw me.”
I roll my eyes and ignore her. I hate middle school. I open my book and begin to read, wishing we were there already. I hate field trips. But the science museum is the only trip I’ve been excited about. I’ve looked forward to this for months, so I’m not letting anyone ruin this for me.
The bus halts in front of the museum, and our teacher makes a few announcements. When we stand to get off the bus, Kayla slides out quickly behind me and bumps into me. “Hurry up, nerd,” she mocks, kicking the back of my shoes.
I hop off the bus quickly and move over to the side of the line. Keeping my gaze down, I try to avoid the stares and snickers from the kids mocking me. I concentrate on my shoes and try to ignore the laughter.
Two big Nikes come to a stop in front of me. I look up to see the kindest brown eyes staring back at me. His gaze drops down to my shoes. He turns and says loudly, “Green Converse, huh? Cool.” He smiles at me, and I can tell it’s sincere by the way it reaches his eyes. He takes my hand and tugs me along toward his group of friends. “Come on, green shoes. You’re with us now.”
I look back in dismay at what just happened, and Kayla’s jaw has dropped, her mouth hanging open in disbelief as she stares back at us.
And I can’t blame her. Because SJ Reid, the cutest and coolest guy in school, just told me my shoes were cool and pulled me along with him and his cool friends. Oh. My. God.
And if you had told me that SJ would become my very best friend from this day forward, I never would have believed you. But he was.
now
“Okay, three zero five is done, and all the other patients are up to date. I’m finally heading out. I’ve been here too long,” I call over to one of my favorite nurses Ramie. She’s charting on her own computer near the pit in the busy and understaffed emergency room that has become my second home.
“You look exhausted.” She looks over at me with concern in her eyes.
“Gee, thanks.” She’s not wrong. Tired has been taken to a whole new level today. What little sleep I would have gotten this week has been filled with thoughts of SJ and lingering questions about him being back. After the game the other night, I made a beeline to my car. Once Goldie made her rounds of endless goodbyes, I got her home and crashed. She chatted the whole way home, but I avoided the elephant in the room, too tired to take on that subject. SJ at the game. I know she was dying to bring it up, but I didn’t want to discuss it and kept changing the subject. That’s what I’ve always done whenever she brings him up. It’s the only way I can protect myself from the hurt. Just don’t think about it. Bury myself in school and now work and press on. It’s the only way I could survive it all.
“You know what I mean.” Ramie gives me a look. “You takeeveryavailable shift and never take a day off. You’ve been here for what. . . how many days straight?”
I don’t correct her because it’s true. I’ve slept in the on-call room and worked far too many hours. The hospital isn’t exactly running up to par these days. We need an overhaul of the administration. We’re short nurses, and they still haven’t offered me a full-time contract yet. All the board needs to do is meet, vote, etc. I still take every shift. This is what I’ve worked for, what I love. That and the many zeros on my high six-figure student loans to go away.
