Chapter 12
Sadie
E ven after taking the long way home, Sadie still beat Charlie home. Her mother’s car was also absent from the driveway, and Sadie assumed she was showing a house or working late at the office. Her real estate business had been booming since they’d moved to the Cove.
Dropping her bag by the front door, Sadie kicked her shoes off and padded through the living room to the couch. Boyd, Charlie’s old tabby cat, was asleep on a nearby pillow as Sadie reached out to pet him. He purred softly, rolling onto his back so Sadie could rub his belly. She found his favorite spot as his purring increased.
“You’re so lucky you’re a cat, Boyd. Being a human sucks.”
Sadie had decided on her drive home from school that she was going to face the music. She would wait for Charlie and Delaney to get home and tell them everything that happened. There was no use in hiding it or lying about it. Especially not when Charlie clearly knew who was in the picture. All Sadie could do was hope her punishment wasn’t death.
Or worse, getting kicked off the softball team.
She had all but made herself sick to her stomach in anticipation when the front door opened.
Charlie walked in, followed closely by Delaney. Sadie could tell by the looks on their faces that Charlie had already told Delaney what had happened. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But she’d find out soon enough.
“Sadie,” Delaney sighed as she sat her bag and jacket by the door and walked into the living room.
While she knew Charlie was mad at her, Sadie had no clue what her mother’s reaction would be. Disappointment? For sure. Anger? Most likely. Sadie watched as Delaney carefully sat on the coffee table in front of her.
“Charlie told me what happened at school.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom.” Sadie felt hot tears running down her cheeks. “I know I shouldn’t have sent Trevor that picture. It was dumb—so dumb. And I wish I could go back and change it. I’ll never do that again. I swear. I’ll never be that dumb again.”
Delaney’s eyes softened as Sadie covered her face with her hands. She felt her mom move to the couch beside her and wrap an arm around Sadie’s back. Her mom kissed Sadie’s head, holding her close.
“Oh, Sadie. I know.”
“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what happened at prom.” She uncovered her face to look at Charlie. “Both of you. I was just so embarrassed when it happened that I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“You can always tell us anything, Sadie.” Charlie took a seat on the coffee table where Delaney had previously been. “We’re your parents. We’re here for you, through the good times and the bad.”
“I wish you had told me,” Delaney sadly sighed. “I knew something was wrong that night. I could tell it by your eyes.”
“I didn’t know how to tell you.” Sadie shifted in her seat so she could see both Charlie and Delaney. “Telling you meant I had to tell you I took that stupid picture in the first place. And that I’d sent it to Trevor.” She sarcastically laughed. “I can’t believe I ever even thought for a second that he liked me. I can see it all so clearly now. He was just asking me to prom to make Abigail Massey jealous. And he succeeded in that. I was so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid,” Delaney said firmly. “I mean, you were for sending that picture. But that’s teenage stupid. You’ll grow out of it. I hope,” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
“I will, I promise. I’ll never be that stupid ever again.”
Delaney chuckled. “Oh, honey, yes, you will. But that’s part of growing up—doing dumb things you cringe about later in life. It happens. And I wanted to lecture you about how you should never send nudes to anyone because you never know who will see them, but you’ve learned that lesson the hard way.”
“Believe me, I’d rather have had an hours-long lecture from you than ever learn it this way.” Sadie looked down at her hands in her lap. “Are you going to ground me?”
Both Charlie and Delaney were silent for a beat before Charlie cleared her throat.
“No.”
Sadie’s eyes shot up to Charlie.
“Your mom and I talked about it before we came home. We both feel you have learned your lesson, and there’s nothing to be gained from making you beat yourself up over it any more than you already have.”
She nervously waited for the but to come.
But I’m kicking you off the softball team.
But I’m giving your spot to Abigail.
But I’m telling the University of Tennessee to rescind your scholarship.
“But I will be requiring you and Abigail to meet with the school’s guidance counselor to discuss what happened.”
What? No. No way.
Sadie started to speak, but Charlie held up her hand.
“I know you and Abigail didn’t get along before this.”
“Because she thinks I stole her spot as pitcher.”
“Nevertheless,” Charlie continued, “I can’t have you two at each other’s throats. Not and have the team be the best I know it can be. So I need you two to work on your problems. If you think you can do that without the guidance counselor, cool. I support that. But I need you two to at least be civil.”
“I can’t help she hates me.” Sadie stood, looking down at Charlie. “You don’t know how hard it is to fit in at that school. Everyone has hated me since the moment I arrived, including Abigail. She hates me because I’m good at softball and my stepmom is the coach.”
Charlie stood, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know what it’s like to be the new kid at Moonflower Cove High School. I did it, too. And I had someone who hated me when I took their position on the softball team, but we worked through it.”
Sadie realized what Charlie was talking about and rolled her eyes as they all laughed. “I’m not waiting twenty years and then marrying Abigail. Ew. She’s so not my type.”
“No, your type is Ellie ,” Delaney’s singsong voice made Sadie’s head snap toward her. “What? I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. And believe me, I’ve never had anyone climb a trellis to check on me before.”
“I’d fall,” Charlie laughed as she sat on the arm of the couch beside Delaney.
“Ellie is my friend. ”
“So not everyone hates you at school then.”
Sadie knew what her mother was doing. She was trying to make her smile. Delaney was always the type of mom who would lecture you then take you out to ice cream to make sure you knew she still loved you. Which, of course, Sadie always knew.
“Can you ground me to my room, please?”
“Oh, come on, Sadie Bug. You know we just love to tease you.” Delaney took her hand, pulling her down to the couch beside her again. She took hold of Sadie’s hand as she looked into her eyes. “But, in all seriousness, I need you to know you can always tell us anything, okay? The good, the bad, and the ugly. Okay?”
Sadie nodded.
“Let me hear you say it.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you.” Smirking, Delaney framed Sadie’s face with her hands and kissed her forehead. “I love you, kid.”
“I love you too.”
After heading out to dinner at their favorite Mexican restaurant, Sadie was thankful to have the rest of the night alone. She needed time to process the fact that not only did Charlie want her and Abigail to work things out , but she and Delaney also seemed to know Sadie liked Ellie. How? It wasn’t like they were always around each other making googly eyes at each other.
Sighing, Sadie plopped down on the bed and pulled up her text thread with Ellie. The two rarely texted; in fact, the last message was from months ago when Sadie was carpooling to an event at Mason’s work with the Mackenzies. She held her phone over her head as she typed out a message.
Sooooo. Abigail posted that picture on my gym locker and Charlie found it.
She added an emoji of a skull for dramatic effect. And was delightfully giddy when she saw three gray dots bounce along her screen.
Shut up no she didn’t. That bitch. I hate her.
I have to learn to love her. Charlie wants us to work out our differences.
Sadie searched for the perfect emoji to add, choosing a side eye one that looked unamused.
That blows!!!! Ugh!!!! I’m so sorry.
For a few moments, Sadie was frozen with her thumbs poised over the keyboard. Anything she thought about typing sounded so dumb. But she didn’t want the conversation to end.
And apparently, neither did Ellie.
Aside from Abigail the witch, how was your day?
Sadie rolled over onto her stomach as she smiled.
It’s better now, she sent with a winking face before she could overthink it.
Good. Ellie’s response came back with a matching winking face. And three dots bounce along the screen again. What are you doing Wednesday night?
Nothing that I know of. Why?
Sadie’s heart was nearly beating out of her chest as she anxiously anticipated whatever Ellie’s next message might contain. She was so nervous she rolled off the bed and began pacing the floor. Of course, her anxiety was heightened by the fact Ellie seemingly kept typing, then deleting, then typing again.
“Come on,” Sadie whined as she nervously bounced from one foot to the other. Finally, her phone dinged.
Would you want to hang out tomorrow? We can grab dinner or see a movie or whatever. The play is Friday and I’d rather hang out with you than stress that I’ve forgotten every single one of my lines.
Sadie’s eyes honed in on two words: hang out.
Not that she was expecting Ellie to ask her out on a date. She wasn’t. Not exactly. But hanging out made it seem as if her place in the friend zone was solidified. Regardless, Sadie wasn’t going to say no.
I’d love to. You pick the time and place and I’m there.