Homecoming - Chapter 34 #2
“Come on, we don’t want to be late.” He put his hand out. But it wasn’t for me. It was for my son. Jacob jumped along beside Tanner as they walked over to a futuristic looking car.
The car doors rose up instead of out when he hit a button.
“Cool!” Jacob yelled as he climbed into the back seat.
“Only the best for my best friend’s friend,” Tanner said.
I laughed. “Do you drive Kennedy around in this thing too?”
“Who?” Tanner asked.
“Kennedy. Your best friend.”
“Right. No. No I do not.”
I just stared at him.
“Sorry,” he quickly added. “Kennedy and I are feuding at the moment, so it’s difficult for me to think of her as my best friend.”
“Yeah? Why?”
“She’s been making terrible decisions recently. I have her best interests in mind, but she’s being stubborn.”
I laughed. “That sounds like Kennedy.”
“I’ll be honest,” he said. “I’m used to getting my way. It’s not very often that I’m told no.”
I was getting that vibe from him. Hell, he was practically a stranger to me and I’d gone on a road trip with him.
And I’d let him give me a home to live in.
I’d tried to tell him no to all of it…but he’d gotten his way.
Huh. I’d thought I was a little stubborn too, but Tanner was very convincing.
And kind. I’d never met anyone more generous.
“After you m’lady,” Tanner said.
I laughed and climbed into the car. My father was wealthy. And I’d been surrounded by wealthy teenagers at Empire High. But I still don’t think I’d ever sat in such an expensive car.
Tanner sped off.
“Are you a little nervous to be going back to our old school?” I asked.
“Empire High?”
What other school would I be talking about? “Yeah.”
“Nope. It’s going to be an amazing day. Just you wait for it.”
“Right. The best day of Jacob’s life?”
“No,” Tanner said. “The best day of your life.”
I was so confused. This wasn’t a date. I’d made that perfectly clear to him the other night. So…what was happening today? And why was he so confident about it? “You’re a super positive person, aren’t you?”
Tanner laughed. “Yes. Like I said…I’m used to getting my way.”
“And what exactly are you trying to accomplish today?”
“It’s a surprise.”
Okay. “Were you popular in high school?”
“A lot of the times yes. A few times not so much. One time not at all. That was a mess. Fashion changes quite a bit, especially in different parts of the world, but I’ve really gotten the hang of it now.”
Did he get new friends every week or something?
And in new countries? “You do dress really well.” He did.
He looked like someone who’d graduated from Empire High.
Instead of wearing a t-shirt he was wearing a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
And his expensive watch glinted in the sun shining through the windshield.
He flashed me a smile. “Are you hitting on me, Brooklyn?”
“What? No. I…”
“I’m just messing with you. We’re going to be good friends, you and me.”
I believed him. Because I already felt like we were.
I looked out the window. It was weird being back in the city. How it felt like home and so foreign at the same time. Speaking of homes…I turned back to Tanner. “What’s in that room upstairs?”
“Which room? The master bedroom?”
“No, the one with the locked door.”
“Locked door? Oh! Oh. That’s just stuff that the guy who flipped the house left behind.”
“So like…paint and stuff?”
“Exactly! Paint and stuff. You nailed it.”
Okay.
He pulled into the small parking lot outside Empire High. Even though we weren’t early, there was still an empty spot. I couldn’t believe our luck. I’d figured we’d have to do street parking and walk two miles.
I stared at the school through the windshield. It looked almost exactly the same. Preserved in its tradition of old wealth. I remembered standing on those front steps, staring at a boy who I wished would love me back. I remembered kissing him there too. I remembered promising him forever.
I shook the thought away as I opened the door.
Jacob looked so excited, it was easy to focus on him instead of the school. I picked him up into my arms. Everything was easier when I was holding him close.
“Look, Mommy!” He pointed to the very top row of bleachers.
“It’s big, huh?”
“Sí. Do they have cuppycakes?”
I laughed. He’d just eaten breakfast. A normal one, thank goodness.
But he was used to being my little taste tester back at home.
Which meant sampling goodies pretty much every day.
“They might,” I said. “We can check out the concession stand.” I turned to go toward it, but Tanner stepped in front of me.
“We should probably find a seat first,” he said.
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find something. It’ll only take a minute.” I tried to sidestep him, but he got in my way again.
I laughed. “I’ll go left, you go right.” But we both went in the same direction. “Your left, not mine,” I said and finally stepped past him and almost ran straight into someone.
Oh my God.
It felt like my heart had jumped into my throat.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I just wanted to hug him. I hadn’t forgotten about him either.
He’d promised to wait a lifetime for me. And a piece of me believed him. Even though I’d told him not to wait.
It felt like I was back in time. Sitting in the bleachers laughing about jogging during gym class. Mostly him making me laugh.
He’d always made me smile. And I was always so grateful that he could.
“Felix?”