Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Paige
Three Weeks Later
The minute the car stops, I’m bolting out the door, not bothering to wait for the driver to open it for me, something my grandfather continues to laugh about. The second I’m out, I look up at my dorm and then the sky, sighing with a smile. It feels so good to be home.
Someone squeals, and I’d recognize the sound anywhere, my head snapping to the left and there they are. Payton, Ari, and Cameron are all running toward me, arms wide, and before I can even react, they’re tackling me into a group hug. We all spill into the grass, falling over and laughing hard.
“Hey, hey, watch out for the precious cargo!” Cam teases, as she pushes herself off me.
I pull back onto my knees, my eyes instantly going to Ari. “Holy crap!”
Ari beams, turning to the side to give a little pose.
I’m scooting forward instantly, my eyes snapping up to her. “Can I?”
She nods, her eyes a little watery.
“This is crazy! I can’t believe you’re showing. There was nothing here when I left!”
Ari gives a little scoff, laughing as her hand falls to her round belly. “Ohh, there was something there. But it was finally getting cold, and the hoodies were doing their job, so it was easier to hide.”
I laugh, wiping my eyes, realizing I might cry if I keep looking at her. “I wish I was there at Christmas, so I could have seen your mom’s and dad’s faces when you told them. God, I can’t even imagine Noah’s reaction when you guys first found out.”
“Yeah it was…” She breaks off, blinks rapidly, fanning her face with her hands as she tries to keep from tearing up, and choked laughs ring through all of us.
“I still need to call and congratulate him. I wanted to as soon as you texted the video of the cute little jerseys you made your parents, but the time zones are so messed up.”
“He’ll be happy to hear from you, but enough about me. You just got back from the vacation of all vacations!”
“Oh my god, yes!” Payton grabs my arm shaking me with excitement. “You have to tell us everything!”
“So many details. So many cool things, you guys. We have to go back at least once in our lives.”
“Yeah, maybe when we’re like fifty and retired,” Cam teases.
The girls grin, looking between each other with a sense of shared camaraderie.
The door closes softly behind me, and I turn around to find my grandpa standing there, his eyes scanning the area around us.
He’s looking out into the quad, his brows furrowed, and I notice the heavy lines that have settled over his forehead.
Something’s off. I turn back to scan the area to see what he’s looking at but there is nothing there.
I spin his way again, a little concerned.
He’s been on edge the past two days, acting a little strange and much quieter than he had been the entirety of the trip.
I figure he’s just itching to get back to work, the workaholic that he is.
He offers a tight smile as I walk to him, wrapping him in a hug. “I had the best time.”
“You sure? You did ask to come home a few days early,” he teases.
My cheeks heat and I shrug. “Thank you for changing the plans. I was just ready to get back.”
A heaviness takes over his expression and he gives me a little squeeze. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Call me when…” He pauses, and his shoulders seem to fall a little. “Just call me when you feel like it, okay? And I’ll see you soon?”
“I will.” I nod.
With that, he tells the girls goodbye and slides into the seat, the SUV pulling away.
“He okay?” Ari asks.
“Yeah, just missed his job, I think.”
“Ha! Said no one ever. Now. Come on.” Cam claps.
“Let’s get this stuff upstairs—Ari, don’t touch a single bag—and go get coffee.
” She pauses, turning to Ari again. “Decaf for you, honey bunny. Paige, I want to hear everything, in full detail because the only break stories I’ve got involve me and Brady in the barn, by the creek, the master shower with one of those little—”
“Okay, we get it.” Ari cuts her off, the four of us smiling.
“Hey, we’ve got to get in everything while we still have all her attention,” Cam teases.
“Girl, you have no idea how weird it’s been to not have you and Chase around,” Payton adds. “Everything just makes more sense when it’s all of us. Mason is a lot more codependent than I realized.” She chuckles, pushing her braids over her shoulder.
My head snaps up. “Wait, Chase wasn’t with you?”
“He was but when we went to the beach, he decided to stay home to spend some more time with his dad.” A small frown forms on Payton’s brow, and she cuts a quick glance at the others before she looks back. “You didn’t know?”
Did I? I try to think. “I don’t remember him mentioning it.
” I shrug, rolling my larger suitcase behind me and shoving it through the open door.
“I’m sure he did it, and honestly, I think that’s exactly what he needed.
These last few months were stressful for him.
” I wait to see if they mention football at all, hoping he told them over break, but when no one’s comments I continue, “But anyway, like I said, the time zones were so messed up, it made talking to anyone super hard.”
“Uh, yeah, you woke us up with pictures in the group thread the first few nights, remember?”
I chuckle, stepping into the elevator. “See? It took me like five days to figure it all out. I usually waited until the end of the day my time to text him, and by the time he would see it, I’d be in the middle of a tour or excursion with my phone off or asleep by the time he could reply.
It was a mess.” The elevator dings on my floor, and we step out, moving toward my room. “I can’t wait to surprise him.”
“He doesn’t know you’re home early?” Ari’s eyes widen.
“Nope.” I grin, the idea of sneaking up on him getting more exciting by the minute. “He’s not expecting me until Saturday.”
“Girl, he’s going to kick his own ass when he realizes you’re here and he’s not.”
My head yanks her way. “What do you mean?”
Ari winces. “He told Mase not to expect him when we got here. From what Mase said, he’s not going to be here until classes begin Monday morning.”
Monday? It’s only Wednesday now.
My shoulders fall and I can’t help the disappointment that creeps in. “Oh.”
“He would have been here if he knew you were coming back early,” Payton assures me.
“But he did tell you he wouldn’t be here until classes started, right, not when you were originally supposed to be home?” Cam frowns.
“I’m sure he messaged me,” I say as I pull out my phone to see if he’s tried to call, then my eyes widen. “Ohhh.” I wince, looking at the girls.
“What?” they all fire off at the same time.
“It died last night, but the flight was at like seven a.m., so I figured I’d wait until we got on the plane, and then I fell asleep. It’s been off for pretty much an entire day.”
“Uh-oh,” Ari singsongs.
“Yeah, I bet I have a message waiting.”
“Girl, you probably have fifteen messages from him. Any minute now, he’s going to blow up all our phones and the group chat, checking to see if we’ve heard from you.” Cameron grins. “He’s going to hit the road the second he realizes you’re home.”
“Don’t tell him! I don’t want to stress him out. I’ll call him as soon as I get back, that way I can tease him a little. Maybe I can even connect with his dad and go surprise him at home, even if it’s only for a day or two.”
“Aw, that would be so cute!” Ari gushes.
I smile, shoving my door open.
We roll the suitcases in, and then we’re out the door.
“Yes!” Cameron squeals. “Coffee, here we come!”
We don’t stay gone all that long but I’m exhausted when I get back to my building, and I’m surprised when I see a familiar SUV parked against the curb, my grandpa leaning against the back door, his eyes closed.
I pick up the pace, worry settling into my stomach and call his name when I know I’m close enough that he’ll hear. “Grandpa?” I call out, jogging the last few feet. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
His expression is crestfallen, and he reaches out, touching my cheek.
“You’re scaring me.”
His lips twitch lightly, and he lets his arm fall to his side. “Sweetheart, I’ve gone back and forth with this, but you deserve to know. I don’t want you to be blindsided, and it seems he didn’t do as I asked and end this kindly. He took the coward’s way.”
“What are you talking about?”
He sighs. “There’s something I have to tell you, and you’re not going to like what it is.”
“What it is?”
“It’s about Chase.”
My heart falls to my feet, and I reach out, clutching his bicep. “Tell me.”
He opens his mouth, and with every word he speaks, he breaks me a little more.