Dear Ava(43)

I let out a sigh. Everything is so muddled right now.

Her next words catch me by surprise. “I’ve always believed you.”

I don’t have to ask what she means.

Her face scrunches up. “I hung out with the Sharks freshman year. I’d just moved here from California, and no one warned me what dicks they can be.”

I’m instantly at attention. “You dated one of them?”

She stares down at her laundry, toying with the edges of the basket. “Ha. You could say that.”

Goose bumps rise on my arms at her quiet tone. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She starts, frowning. “God, no. Don’t mind me.” She pauses. “How’s Astley?”

I tell her she’s fine as far as I know, then, “It wasn’t Knox, was it?”

She opens her door and looks back at me. “It was nothing. I don’t ever think about them anymore. Good night.” And then she’s shutting her door.

She “dated” a Shark. Looks like Camilla needs her own dossier.

Later, I shower, put on a camisole and shorts, and crawl into bed. The flowers sit on my desk, their scent heavy and sweet.

My gaze falls to my apron on the floor, and I groan, getting up to move it to the hook on the back of the door.

Then I remember the tip that was left for me and pull it out of the pocket, open the envelope. It isn’t a tip.



Ava,

Surprise! I’m back in Nashville and I want to see you so bad. One of the guys under the bridge told me you work at this diner. Meet me there tomorrow after school. Please. I’ll come by every afternoon until I see you.

Mom



My hands shake and I fall back on my bed, numb. What the hell?

Two messages, both unwanted, on the same day. Crap. I tear the note into shreds and toss it in the trash.

What the heck does she want?

Tyler?

No way. She left us.

Like hell I’ll meet her. I fire off a text to Lou and let him know what’s going on, and he replies and tells me to take a few days off and lay low.

My phone pings with a text, and I snatch it up.

I can’t breathe, beautiful girl.

Give me a minute.

To catch up with you.

Wait for me.

It’s SA/Knox, and his words make me whimper. I clutch the phone, itching to reply, but in the end I set it down.





21





“Residents of Arlington Dorm! It’s football time at Camden Prep! Tonight’s game is against our biggest rival, Morganville Academy! Come on out and watch the game! Go Dragons!” Miss Henderson announces over the intercom on Friday afternoon. I hear her taking a deep breath. “Get to the stadium and scream your tits off!”

I burst out laughing.

Piper clamps a hand over her mouth. “Did she really just say that?”

“Balls, as Tyler would say. She did,” Wyatt murmurs from the desk where he’s checking out Tyler’s dragon drawing, which I picked up today when I saw him briefly at the group home.

“Football is king here,” I say.

“I’m glad you decided to go to the game, girl. You’re a badass, and you’re gonna show those assholes they can’t keep you down!” Piper calls out as she watches me rummage through my closet. She looks cute with her strawberry blonde hair pulled into schoolgirl pigtails and wearing a gray sweatshirt with a huge Camden dragon on the front. She even has a bright red C sticker on her cheek that clashes with her pink glasses.

“Yep.” Part of me dreads going, wondering how I’ll feel, but the other side wants to see Knox play, wants to see his face.

He came in late today and was waiting for me by my locker after lunch. He looked harried, and with his last text on my mind, I softened more.

Last period, the players and cheerleaders led a pep rally in the gym, and I watched him laugh and joke with Chance and some of the other players. He caught my eyes up in the stands and sent me a kiss on his fingers. After school when he walked me to my car, he mentioned the game, and I told him I’d think about it. Then, he kissed me, and all sane thoughts flew right out of my head…

Piper joins me at the closet when I pull out a pair of skinny jeans and a Camden Prep crop top. With the other hand, I hold up a denim sundress. “Which one?” I shake the two hangers at her. “Strappy flats with the dress or Converse with the jeans?”

Piper wrinkles her nose. “Hmmm—”

“Just wear what you always wear,” Wyatt says. “You’re pretty in anything.”

I grin. “First, I love you. And second, you’re right. Don’t want to overdo it. It’s just a game. Jeans and shirt for the win.”

Later, I feel the buzz of excitement in the air as we walk toward the stadium. I notice a familiar tall man at the bottom of the bleachers, watching the crowd. We’re several feet apart when our eyes connect. Wearing slacks and a button-down shirt, he looks as if he just came from work. A red Camden hat is on his head, the mahogany hair longer than standard for a businessman, the curls silky and dark brown. His expression seems anxious as he stares at me.

I elbow Piper. “Hey, isn’t that Knox and Dane’s dad?” I’ve seen pictures of him before in our school directory because he’s a board member.

She follows the direction of my nod. “Oh, yeah, that’s him. Good-looking for an old dude, right?”

“Mmmm.”

“Heads-up—Queen Bee and bitches arriving in three…two…one,” Wyatt mutters, and I look up to see a group of cheerleaders headed our way wearing cheer outfits, matching makeup, ponytails, and hair bows.

“Library is the other way, charity case,” Jolena snips out when she sees me. “No one wants you here.”

Great. Here we go.

I stop in front of her and hold my hand above her head. “I thought you had to be at least this tall to ride one of these football players, Jolena. But don’t worry, I won’t snitch on you.”

She startles and smacks my hand away then stalks off.

Wyatt laughs. “I bet Queen Bee will use that line on some other girl next week.”

“Nah, she’s too short,” I say. Then, “Dang, I can’t believe I wanted to be one of them.”

Piper pats my back. “Stick with us, girl.”

We reach Knox’s dad, and there’s no mistaking the resemblance up close. Same chiseled jawline, same patrician nose, those broad shoulders.

I don’t think he recognizes me, but then he steps in front of me, smiles faintly, and sticks out his hand. “Ava Harris, right? I’m Dane and Knox’s dad.”

I nod and clasp it in mine, swallowing down nervousness. “Mr. Grayson. Nice to meet you. These are my friends, Piper and Wyatt.”

He shakes their hands as well. “Call me Vance, please.” He looks at me. “It must be hard for you to come to a game. I’m glad you did. Would you like to sit with me?”

My eyes flare and I glance at Piper and Wyatt, but both of them have moved away, chatting with some other students. I see Jagger and Camilla in their midst. Yikes, I’m alone with a parental.

“I thought I’d sit with my friends,” I say rather lamely.

“I’d like to get to know you a bit, if you don’t mind.” He shifts his feet, fidgeting, and he’s so obviously uncomfortable…

I sigh. “Sure. Just let me tell my friends.” I dash over to Piper and tell her I’ll find them later then head back to Mr. Grayson.

He nods. “Let’s find some seats then—the stadium is filling up fast. Morganville brings a big crowd as well.”

We make our way to the top and talk about mundane things as the players come out on the field: the weather—it’s hot—and the expectations of the team this year—high. He points out a man wearing an Auburn hat a few rows over and tells me he’s a scout here to watch.

“This is Knox’s year for a championship,” he says with a proud smile.

I take it all in, nodding and smiling in the right places. He sits very still and rather tense, just like Knox, and good grief, why does he want to talk to me?

The first quarter starts and moves slowly, neither side scoring. I’m glad to see Dane playing, but it’s Knox who keeps my attention, the confident way he walks on the field, the way he handles the ball—until he throws an interception, a pass that Chance misses.

His dad groans as Morganville runs the ball back for a touchdown.

A timeout is called by the Dragons.

He watches them jog off to talk to their coach in the huddle. “Knox thinks highly of you,” he murmurs.

Okaaaay. Let’s do this.

There’s a long pause as the band plays a song just a few sections away.

“And I want you to know I’m sorry for what happened to you. Knox mentioned he told you about my wife.”

Oh.

He pauses as if I might say something, but I don’t.

A long exhalation comes from him. “Dane is dealing with some mental things right now, and I’m sure you already know he’s been using drugs.”

“Yes.”

He shoots me a wry smile. “When he was a baby, you should have seen the way he emulated Knox, trying to keep up with him, to swing as high, to climb the tree. And when he fell, Knox was the one who picked him up. My boys are like night and day.” His gaze lingers on Dane. “I haven’t been the best dad, especially lately, and it’s taken a pile of shit to get me back on track, but I want to do right by them. I want them to have everything.” He sighs. “That’s what a good parent does, right?”