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“Bullshit.”
He grins. “I’m right. If you’d played the game that night, I would have known the lie.”
“If you knew the lie, it would have been because you know me.”
“Mmhmm,” he hums.
“Or because I lied about something stupid, like my favorite ice cream flavor.”
Holden rolls his eyes. “I wasn’t in the mood for games.”
Slowly, the light moment fades.
His hold on me tightens. I make no attempt to pull away.
“They’re not us, Cas.”
I pull in a deep breath.
“I know more than your tells, flower. But your parents aren’t us. They made it really far. Just not all the way to the finish line. We will.”
“We don’t even know where we’ll each be living next year. After graduation, we could—”
“We’ve done long-distance before. If we have to, we’ll do it again.”
“By long-distance, you mean us not talking for the past eight weeks?”
He half-smiles. “Okay, it was a rough trial run.”
I snort. “As long as you realize there’s room for improvement.”
“There’s definitely room for improvement. But that doesn’t mean we’re doomed. It means we’re worth working on.”
I nod. “I know we are.”
“Thanks for texting me back.”
I manage a smile. “Anytime.”
He kisses me and then heads for his truck. I stare at the court for a few seconds longer, then climb into my car.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HOLDEN
Ishut my laptop and scrub at my face with one hand. My mind is spinning from the amount of medical jargon I just tried to absorb, my stomach tied into uncomfortable knots.
I haven’t mentioned my mom’s illness to anyone. I considered telling Cassia, but that was before I found out about her parents’ divorce. She’s got enough going on right now.
The easy option would be to do nothing. To continue with my life exactly as it is. It finally feels settled after the upheaval of the summer.
My senior year.
The beginning of the end of college.
Since arriving back on campus yesterday, it’s felt like I never left. I transferred the terrible packing job I managed—Sydney and Catherine had a good laugh watching me load the car in the condo’s parking lot—and am officially moved into the off-campus house I’m sharing with two teammates.
I should be thrilled to have Cassia nearby and a bedroom in a house where none of my few family members live. The car sex was hot, but it’s never happening again. I have bruises and mosquito bites in places I never thought I would. After being separated all summer, it feels like we have a lot to make up for.
