Chapter 11 #2
She gives me a look, but she must see something in my gaze because her expression softens. “Okay. What if he decides he wants to talk to you?” she asks. “Would you let him?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t be rude,” I say. “I would talk to him.” I don’t know why the distinction matters, but it does. I can’t actively seek him out—that’s far too risky. Spending a night in his apartment and then hoping he would text made it abundantly clear I am not immune to his charms.
But if he happens to find me, that’s different. Safer, somehow. I don’t usually like leaving things to fate, but in this case, it feels more important that I not be the instrument of my own demise.
“Okay, so we’re just going to leave it up to him, then,” Mia says. “We’re walking, we’re chill, you’re gorgeous. And if he finds you, then he finds you.”
“Right. Good. And if he doesn’t?”
“Then it doesn’t matter because…” Her words trail off, like she’s waiting for me to fill in the blank.
“Because I’m leaving Atlanta in October,” I say.
“Right. You totally are.”
“And because he’s a total player.”
“Mm,” Mia says, her face quirking to the side like she disagrees with me. “I did my own research, and I think that’s just a rumor.”
“You researched?”
“Of course I did. You’re my best friend. You think I’m not going to vet the guy you’ve been cyberstalking for the past week?”
Her loyalty makes my heart squeeze in my chest. “Okay, but rumor or not, it would still be dumb to put any energy into this.”
“Girl, I hear you,” Mia says. “I’m not pressuring you into anything. I’m just following your lead.” She loops her arm through mine. “Why don’t we just walk and see what happens?”
“Ugh,” I grumble, still dragging my feet. “Because I’m so good at that?”
“You are desperately bad at it,” she says. “But it’s part of your charm. Now let’s walk. Your butt looks amazing in those shorts. Time to show it off.”
As soon as we’re back on the track, Mia launches into a detailed account of the latest celebrity lawsuit she’s been following.
She consumes celebrity gossip as regularly as she consumes kale, things that both baffle me and charm me at the same time, so it isn’t an unusual topic for her.
But this time, I can tell she’s distracting me on purpose.
After celebrity gossip, she shifts gears and talks about Dr. Rivera’s research—his actual research and not just how cute he looks doing it—then gives me a thorough update on her many nieces and nephews.
After six laps, we round the bend approaching the Jaguars tent, and I spot Lexie standing at the edge, blond ponytail swinging as she smiles up at Theo.
Mia reaches over and grips my arm. “We’re just gonna keep walking,” she says. “Also, you should look at me and laugh as we pass by because I’m funny and amazing and the best best friend you’ve ever had in your whole entire life.”
“You are the best,” I say, smiling wide. “But you’re going to have to say something funny if you actually want me to laugh.”
“Umm, my nephew just started calling cucumbers cute numbers.”
It works. I absolutely laugh. “Okay, that’s adorable.”
“Isn’t it?” She glances to the side as we pass by the tent. “Okay, don’t look, but he’s definitely looking at you.”
“Becca!” Theo calls.
“See? Told you,” Mia says.
I turn and pause as Theo jogs up behind us. “Hey,” he says, and I smile.
“Hi.” I look over at Mia. “You remember my friend, Mia.”
Theo shakes her hand. “I don’t think we were introduced. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Mia says. “Becca told me what you did for the kid at the hospital. That was cool of you.”
We start walking again, and Theo falls in step beside us. “He’s a great kid,” he says. He looks over at me. “How’s he doing? Have you heard?”
“He’s home from the hospital,” I say. “And doing much better.”
“That’s awesome. I’m glad to hear it.”
“Were you not just talking to Lexie?” I ask. “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you. She has a picture that his mom just emailed over and everything.”
“Um,” Theo says, his pitch rising awkwardly. “She seemed like she had other things on her mind.”
Mia snorts, and Theo lifts his eyebrows.
“What was that for?” he asks.
“She’s only in it for the playoff jacket,” Mia says.
“Mia,” I scold, but she only shrugs.
“What? I would want someone to tell me if I were him.”
Theo chuckles. “I appreciate the heads up.” He nudges me with his elbow. “So how have you been? Everything okay post-breakup?”
“Better than okay,” I say. “Thanks for asking.”
“Of course. I was going to say I could fly out to California and punch the guy if it would make you feel better, but I’m happy to save the frequent flyer miles if you’re truly feeling good.”
“I appreciate the offer,” I say, letting out a chuckle. “But I’m good. No punching necessary.”
“Good. Great,” Theo says, a nervous energy to his voice that wasn’t there before. He clears his throat and glances over at me. “So, I actually brought you something.”
“You did?”
He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out an envelope.
“So, I don’t want this to feel weird. But right before we graduated, I had a bunch of pictures printed.
The plan was to make an album for you that, I guess, sort of highlighted our relationship?
But then my dad…” He pauses and clears his throat.
“Anyway, it obviously didn’t happen like I planned.
But I hung on to the photos, and I went through them the other day and thought you might like to have a few.
They aren’t of us,” he quickly says. “I pulled out the ones of you and your family. Mostly from the 5k we all did together, and then a few from a football game and the corn maze we took your sisters to for Halloween.”
He hands over the envelope, yellowed and worn around the edges, and my steps slow to a stop.
He kept the pictures … for eight years? Didn’t just keep them. Moved them. From Texas to North Carolina to Georgia.
There are people all over the track, and my stopping is clearly impacting the flow of traffic, people moving around us, passing us on either side.
“Here,” Theo says gently, touching my elbow. He guides me off the track onto the grassy edge of the football field.
“I’ll keep walking,” Mia calls. “I’m not sure we have any other team members out here. Are you good?”
I nod. “I’m good. I’ll catch up in a sec.”
“Sorry,” Theo says. “I should have waited until your break.”
“No, it’s fine,” I say, looking over at him. “But aren’t you supposed to be walking too?”
“Nah. Not yet. Not until later.”
I slowly open the envelope and pull out the pictures. The first one is my mom and me at the starting line of our 5k, wearing the Bradley family t-shirts Theo ordered for the event. We’re smiling wide, arms around each other, and it makes my heart ache the tiniest bit.