“Did you tell them that?”
“They don’t believe me. They thought running away with Adam without telling them meant I must’ve relapsed. They thought it was an impulsive thing to do, just to defy them.”
Kelly sits at my side, perking to life as if an actual light bulb has been lit above her head. “Come with me back to camp! There’s an opening for another counselor! You can get away from your parents and make a little more money so we can get a place together this fall like we planned!”
“Kel, I can’t just leave. It’ll be like you said, they’ll try to get a court order to make me stay.” And that could easily lead to another commitment in a mental ward, even though I’d continue to insist I’m okay. I couldn’t deal with everyone treating me like I’m insane again.
“So let them. You can prove to the court that you’re not sick. You’d pass all the tests.
Anyone can see you’re mentally stable. No offense, but your mom has her head too far up her ass to see the truth half the time. She’s really controlling, Jewels. You’re never going to get ahead if you’re grounded like a teenager for the rest of the summer. You’re always saying you have no idea what you want to major in, so who cares if they cut off your funds? Spend a few years working and then get your shit together so you can finish with whatever you eventually decide on. Nothing is holding you back to stay here.
You can start over wherever you choose.”
I stare back at her, wide eyed. “Do you comprehend the level of shit I’d be under if I were to take your advice? We’re talking forehead deep, at least.”
“I’d say you better start looking for a snorkel to wade through it.” As a smile crosses Kelly’s face, I realize she’s laid out the path I’ve wanted to take, but was too afraid to venture onto.
Maybe there are risks in a life without Adam still worth taking.
Despite my resolve to execute Kelly’s plan, my parents’ threat for a court order never comes to light. I basically have Theo to thank for unexpectedly showing up on our doorstep a few days later with the pickup we left in DC. With his irresistible charm that must come with being a producer, he’s able to convince my parents I was healthy while living in New York, and the “manic episode” was just the lie I claimed it to be in order to bring Adam back for medical care.
After the drama with my parents subsides, I take Theo out for dinner downtown before he checks into his hotel for an early morning flight. He’s every bit a gentleman, opening doors and leading me around the way Adam always does, a big grin implanted on his face the entire time.
“You realize that we’re doing this as friends,” I warn when he pushes my chair back to the table. “I mean, I owe you for driving all the way here, but under no circumstances will there be any sexual favors exchanged.”
“Damn! Foiled again!” He chuckles as he sits in the chair across from me. “Do you want to know the real reason I drove your truck across the country?” His eyes are bright with an untold truth.
I clap my hands together, feigning the kind of excitement I’ve decided I may never feel again. At least as long as Adam refuses to talk to me. “Your friend decided to cast me for an upcoming porn flick?”
“Adam called me.”
My shoulders collapse. “Oh.”
“He’s having the surgery, Jewels.” He reaches across the table to squeeze my hands, suddenly stony-faced. “He checks into Mayo tomorrow.”
“Wow.” I take a deep breath. “That’s...great.” My dad agreed to drive me up to the camp Kelly’s family manages after Theo flies out in the morning. Rochester, however, is in a completely opposite direction, assuming Adam would let me visit.
“He said you should bring the truck back to him.”
“Oh.” I nod, my eyes drawing down. “Makes sense. His cousin probably wants it back.”
“No, bonehead, Adam wants you to come see him before the surgery.” When I look up, a giant grin has spread back across Theo’s sexy lips. “You may be smoking hot, but you sure can be dense sometimes.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling. “You drove it thousands of miles just so I could take it across the border to see him? You do realize going into Minnesota is not like crossing into Mexico, right?”
“No, I drove it thousands of miles to deliver an important message for a good friend.
It’s like you said that night the three of us fell asleep in my backyard. Some people come into your life when you least expect it, sometimes for reasons we’ll never understand. As much as I’d like to think you and I met because we were going to be a thing, it seems I had a bigger purpose to serve.”