I’m not surprised. Adrenaline is soaring through me, so I feel no pain, but I will tomorrow. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want her to worry, and she needs to go now. No delays.

I give her my best no-cares-in-the-world smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. You need to get home before your dad.” I intertwine my fingers with hers and start to pull her toward my car.

“Whooaaa. Where are you going?” Blythe cuts in front of us as she places a hand on my chest.

“Ashley’s dad is here, and I need to get her home before he gets there.”

“Hold on, lover boy. Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to bring her home?”

I stop for a second. I didn’t think about that, but she’s right.

Ash starts to frantically look around. “Well, have you seen Casey?” I see the regret on her face as the question leaves her lips.

“Stop. I’ll take you,” Blythe says, her southern drawl breaking through. She’s on edge; it’s always thicker when she’s angry or nervous. “I’ve got Brian’s keys. Todd, I’ll meet you guys back here or text me where to meet you if you leave before I get back.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Great. Let’s go, Ash.” She grabs Ashley’s hand and then turns back and gives me a sweet smile. “Oh, and Todd, don’t call me ma’am again.”

“Yes, sir.” I salute her with a smile.

“You’re hilarious,” she shouts as she slides into the driver’s side of Brian’s car.

I want to be in that car, and I hate that I can’t. When I tap the hood as they backup, Blythe stops, and I stick my head through the passenger’s side window to give Ashley one last kiss.

“I love you.” I whisper then I give Blythe a smile and mouth, “Thank you.”

“Love you, too,” Blythe says with a wink.

“Take care of that eye,” Ashley shouts back as I stand there, watching their taillights disappear into the distance.

“Um … Where’s my car?” I hear Brian’s voice from behind me.

“Blythe needed to give Ash a ride home. Hope that’s okay,” I tell him, turning to find all of the guys on our team walking toward the parking lot. “So it’s done?”

“Done. We killed those rich pricks!” Brian shouts back louder than necessary since he’s now right in front of me.

“Hey, you wish, Johnson!” I hear someone yell from across the parking lot.

“You want to go again?” Mark shouts back, stepping forward.

His actions are met with silence, so I guess that answers that.

“Where’s Ryan?” I ask, noticing he’s the only one still not here.

Brian nods his head in the direction of the field. “With his dad.” Then his eyes get wide, and his eyebrows rise with silent questioning.

I shake my head with disbelief, but internally, I’m relieved that his dad is still here so Ash will make it home before he does. Hopefully her mom is asleep. It’s doubtful, but I can hope.

Then my eyes land on Casey walking toward the parking lot with Ryan and Mr. Taylor, and my heart starts to race.

I glare at him, but Ryan intercepts my look and gives me the tiniest of headshakes, telling me Casey is cool and didn’t say anything. With that small gesture from Ryan, I know Casey is sticking to our story, at least for now. I don’t know what Ryan said or did to keep Casey in line, but whatever it is, I’m incredibly grateful.

Chapter 15: Something New

ASHLEY

“Can we talk?”

I hear the question I have been dreading. I try to avoid his gaze, just as I’ve been doing at practice all week. There is very little evidence of the fight left on Casey’s face from the night of our date, except a few healing bruises are a reminder.

“Ashley.” I feel his hand on my shoulder, and my heart sinks because I know I can’t avoid him any longer. “Please.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I nod my head. Here goes nothing.

He leads the way to our usual meeting place that we shared this summer. Our team is using the indoor pool now, but our lockers are still in the break house. The familiar orange shag rug feels like an old friend as we sit cross-leg and fall right back into our regular routine. I focus on the rug’s loops while I pull at them, anything to avoid Casey’s green eyes.

“So you’ve been avoiding me,” he says with a warm smile that says so much more than his words.

Although I can’t help returning his smile, there wasn’t really a question, so I don’t say anything.

“I get it, Ashley. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for everything these past few months.”

My eyes instantly lock with his. This is not where I thought this conversation was going to go.

“I just—I’ve never been told no before, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I knew if you gave me the chance, I could change your mind.” As his hand reaches out and touches my knee, my gut reaction is to pull away, but the touch is so caring and gentle; it’s different. Casey is different. “And then, when I thought you guys broke up, I knew that was my chance.” He shakes his head, his gaze shifting to the carpet for a second and then quickly meeting mine again. “I kind of lost sight of you and your feelings, and it just became a game I needed to win. I couldn’t take no for an answer. I couldn’t accept it. I mean, you know I have some parental issues.” He smiles, and it fills his entire face. “I guess my issues are worse than I thought.”

A small chuckle escapes his lips. “I needed to get what I wanted, and I lost sight of what you wanted. I’m sorry for that. In turn, I’m afraid I’ve destroyed a good friendship. Have I?” This is the first question he asked; the first time he left a pause for my response.

I see the pain in his eyes along with genuine concern, and my heart fills with regret. Not for anything I did, but for how Casey had to grow up. As much as I hate my parents right now, I can’t imagine a life with them absent.

I reach for his hand, feeling the need to touch him. “Casey, you didn’t lose me as a friend, but you never had me as a girlfriend. There was never a chance. I mean, last summer, I thought maybe there could be, but I told you then my heart belongs to someone else, and nothing will really ever change that, not you, not my parents, not Ryan.”

Casey’s eyes shift at the mention of my brother’s name, and he smiles.

“What?”

“Well, Ryan is actually the person who made that pretty clear for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“In addition to his fist connecting with my face, he kind of knocked some sense into me between punches.”

“How?” I try to hide my shock. My brother has never been a supporter of my relationship with his best friend, at least not openly.

“Let’s just say he’s a good brother, a better one than I am; that’s for sure.”

I lean in closer, needing to touch him again, but as a friend, to comfort him. I know he still carries a lot of pain for what happened to his sister. I also know I can’t fix that.

“That’s not true, Casey, and you know it.” I wish he could hear my words.

His smile meets mine. “Thanks, Ashley Taylor, for everything. Sorry I was a little crazy these past few months. I guess it runs in my family.”

At that, we both laugh, and I know we’ll be fine. It will never be the same between us, but that’s a good thing.

***

Meet me at Francis’s truck in the SL.

I can’t help laughing out loud. The Francis thing never gets old.

It’s Todd’s last day of school before he leaves for winter break. It’s been three weeks since the fight at the field—aka, my date with Casey.

Things with Casey have been good since our talk. He finally seems to understand Todd isn’t going anywhere. Maybe he believes in true love after all, even if it’s not with him.

I am also officially grounded forever. My parents are still suspicious since RTS called my house and told them they could find me with Todd the night of the fight. My dad never told me he went to the field, but Ryan told me everything, or at least, I thought he did. I’m not so sure now after my conversation with Casey. Either way, my parents still think Todd and I are broken up, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be allowed back out of the house until I’m thirty.