Chapter 10
SARAH
I have Carter’s pinky promise on my mind as Anna drives me to the airport the following morning. That, and the text he sent me late last night, long after he went home.
At first, all that came through was a picture of Gordie, sitting next to a pair of what I assume are Carter’s shoes, the shoelaces clearly chewed in half. Then his message popped up.
Carter
Evidence of why you should be very concerned about living with Gordie. But also, I don’t want you to keep score, Sarah. You have my pinky promise. We’re doing this. No more talk about who owes who more.
I hearted his message and responded with a simple, Thanks, Carter.
“You okay over there?” Anna asks, and I drop my phone into my bag.
“Yep. All good. Just nervous.”
“You’re going to do great,” she says as she pulls up to the curb outside of my terminal. “And you have the schedule for when and what to post next?”
“I’ve got it,” I say. “Thanks for mapping it out for me.”
“How’s the post doing this morning?” she asks. “Have you checked?”
After Carter left last night, Anna helped me choose three of the photos we took.
I wasn’t sure about posting all three, but Anna suggested that posting multiple photos at once implies we’ve been seeing each other for a while.
I added a caption that read, Been spending time with someone special…
Then I tagged Carter’s profile and hit publish.
“Six thousand likes already,” I say. “And too many comments to read.”
“Perfect. It’s all happening according to plan!” She leans over and gives me an awkward hug, hindered both by her belly and the center console of her SUV. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Same,” I say. “Thanks for driving me.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’m standing at the Delta counter, trying to figure out why my ticket says I’m sitting in seat 2A.
“I don’t understand,” I say to the ticket agent. “I didn’t pay for first class. Did I just get lucky?”
She leans a little closer to her computer screen. “No, the upgrade was definitely paid for.” That’s all the explanation she offers before returning my boarding pass and passport. “Enjoy your flight.”
I walk toward the closest security checkpoint, still scratching my head over who would have possibly upgraded my flight. Miles or Anna, maybe, but they know how fiercely I value my independence. Just because my brother makes millions doesn’t mean I want him to spend any of it on me.
I step into line at the checkpoint, sighing as I look at the many, many weary travelers ahead of me.
We’re barely moving, so I pull out my phone to kill some time.
I still haven’t done the daily crossword puzzle, so I pull it up, but I’m only two clues in when my phone buzzes with a text from Carter.
Carter
Here’s the thing. If you really were my girlfriend, I’d make sure you flew first class anytime you traveled anywhere.
Sarah
It was you! I was just trying to figure it out.
Carter
I hope you aren’t mad. When I reached out to Anna for your flight info, she told me you like your independence. But if we’re keeping up appearances…
Sneaky Anna. She drove me all the way to the airport and didn’t tell me.
Sarah
I’m not mad. It was sweet of you.
Carter
Enjoy your flight. I hope you have a great time in New York.
I heart his message, then switch back to my crossword puzzle, but I can’t really focus.
I couldn’t help but feel like I disappointed him last night, so to have him do something so thoughtful feels like a really big deal.
He can call it keeping up appearances, but to me, it just feels like kindness.
I pull up our text thread one more time. It feels like I should thank him somehow. Or at least show him I’m as concerned with his well-being as he is with mine.
Sarah
Thanks. I hope your games go well this week. I’ll be checking scores!
I still wish I’d been able to tell him the truth about my panic attacks last night.
I feel like if anyone would understand, he would, though I’m not sure why I feel that way.
I don’t actually know that much about Carter.
He’s mentioned his mom briefly, but I don’t know anything else about his family or personal life.
It’s wild that I trust him as much as I do—but Miles certainly has something to do with that. As annoying as my brother can be sometimes, he’s a good judge of character. And he thought of Carter first when he hatched this entire plan. That has to mean something.
Finally through security, I settle in at my gate and pull up my Instagram post to look for any new reactions. There are hundreds of new likes and comments, but only one that Instagram has flagged as high priority, from a profile belonging to Kim Williamson. So excited for you both!
That has to be Carter’s mom.
I click over to her account just to be sure. She only has one post—a picture of her standing between Theo and Carter in their Jaguars uniforms. Even though all three of them have the same eyes, her expression reminds me more of Carter, the same kindness and warmth I don’t sense in Theo.
Back on my own profile, I heart her comment and follow her account—she already followed mine—then take a screenshot to send to Carter. He’s tagged in my post, but I have no idea if he pays attention to his social media—I’m guessing he doesn’t—and I think he’d like to see what his mom had to say.
Once the screenshot sends, I type out another message.
Sarah
Your mom is adorable. She just followed me on Instagram.
Carter
She’s pretty great.
Sarah
You have her eyes.
Carter
We have her eyes.
Sarah
Maybe, but it’s not quite the same. I see more of her in you.
Carter
Tell that to everyone who can’t tell me and Theo apart.
Sarah
Honestly, that baffles me. I could immediately tell you apart.
Carter
Good to know we can’t ever trick you by trading places.
Sarah
HAVE YOU ACTUALLY DONE THAT?!
Carter
I’ll neither confirm nor deny…
Sarah
Carter.
Carter
Fine. Yes. But only once. It was right after my dad died, and Theo had a chemistry final he had to pass or he wouldn’t graduate. He was in no position to take a test, so…
My heart squeezes painfully in my chest. Carter lost his dad? I had no idea.
Sarah
Okay. I rescind my judgment. That might be the only acceptable use of twin powers.
I didn’t know you lost your dad.
Carter
Yeah. We were seventeen. Car crash.
Sarah
I’m really sorry. I was nineteen when my mom died. Cancer.
Carter
Man. What a terrible thing to have in common.
Sarah
Yeah. The club no one ever wants to join…
But it’s nice having people who understand.
Carter
True.
Sarah
So, did Theo get an A on the test?
Carter
Nah. I landed him a solid C-minus. Didn’t want to draw too much attention.
Actually, you’re the only person I’ve ever told about that. Not even my mom knows. She would have been furious.
Sarah
Your secret is safe with me. I promise.
When he doesn’t respond, I switch back to Instagram and scroll through the pictures I posted one more time. Fans are already having fun speculating as to whether the Sarah Stone snuggled up with Carter Williamson is related to the Miles Stone who captains his hockey team.
At the end of this week, I’ll share a photo of the four of us, with a caption about hanging out with my brother and his wife, which should effectively end the speculation.
Then, after Carter and I go out after his game in New York, we’ll announce that we’re engaged.
We’ll have to take a new photo that night, featuring the ring that’s currently tucked into an inside pocket of my carry-on.
It’s one of Anna’s—a real diamond that I’m terrified of losing—but she insists the ring needs to look as real as the rest of our relationship.
It’s not anything like what I’d choose for myself—too gaudy, too showy, too heavy.
But I’m not about to complain when she’s loaning me something with so much value. I’m sure I’ll get used to wearing it.
I read through the rest of the comments on the post, hoping I haven’t missed any from people I actually know, but there are so many, it’s hard to wade through them all.
I’m a little surprised by how many are from women mourning the fact that one of hockey’s “favorite hotties” is off the market, but I have to laugh at all the responses pointing out that at least there’s another one who looks just like him.
The only Instagram account I have is the one I use for my art, so at first, I debated whether it was the right platform for “relationship news.” But my content is a pretty balanced combination of work and personal stuff, so ultimately, I decided it would be fine and my followers would likely enjoy hearing the news.
If nothing else, they’ll enjoy the view.
Carter looks amazing in every single shot.
A few moments later, the flight attendant calls for first-class boarding, and I stand, feeling weirdly aware, like people might be looking at me, wondering what someone like me is doing flying first class.
But as soon as I settle into my very comfortable seat, I stop caring what anyone else might think. I could definitely get used to this kind of travel.
In the seat next to me, a boy around eleven or twelve is wearing a Georgia Jaguars jersey. I lean back, wondering if there’s a player’s name on the back, but with the way he’s sitting, I can’t quite tell.
It’s not unusual to see team-branded gear or merchandise around Atlanta.
Even down in Savannah where I was getting my master’s degree.
The Georgia Jaguars franchise is less than ten years old, so the fact they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup championships last season really amplified the team’s local support.
Normally, I wouldn’t pay attention to player names, but now that I’m pretending to be engaged to one, I find myself curious, even a little hopeful that it will be Carter’s name I see printed across the boy’s jersey.