Chapter 20
PIPPA
My heart leaps in my chest, attempting to make a getaway, hollering, Take cover! Save yourself!
I gaze at my hands, looking for the prick of a thorn from an adversarial evil witch from a fairytale, but there isn’t one. I try to detect humor in Chase’s expression, but his eyes are bright, sincere, and as sparkly as ever.
“I’m sorry for what happened next. Or what you think happened,” he says, continuing his explanation of the sponge prank.
“What do you mean?” My voice is almost a whisper. My heart continues to knock against my ribs.
“You sat down with me,” Chase says.
I remember the jolt of shock at his request, followed by the surge of hope. It was like everything I’d hoped for during all my senior year daydreams was coming true. The words I’d written in my diary make me cringe now. I was so immature. Sometimes I still am.
Chase Collins has finally noticed me. We’ll soon be walking to classes together, meeting up to study, falling in love...
A bee buzzes and then lands on the trellis post, reminding me that the sting came next. It’s just as real at this moment in the garden as the sun fades, as it had originally been in the cafeteria at Hinnifin Hall.
I can almost hear the laughter, see Marlow’s vicious smile from across the table, and feel the burn of humiliation that I was unable to shake for days, weeks, months—even years—afterward. A pair of tears form in my eyes. I try to blink them away.
Chase’s gaze doesn’t leave mine, nor does it falter. “I’m sorry.”
The sky turns dusky and a gentle breeze blows, ruffling my hair. But for once, it isn’t him. Nor does he call me kiddo or Pippag Thomzeg.
He tucks a loose strand behind my ear and his rough hand brushes against my cheek in a pleasant way.
“I had a piece of cake,” he says, continuing the story like we have to see it through to the end if only to reconcile once and for all.
“Sponge cake,” I all but choke out.
“I offered you a bite.”
His hands drift to my upper arms, locking me in place because if he knows me at all, he’s aware I’m ready to bolt. It’s getting too intense. Risking removing one hand, he gently tilts my chin so I’m looking at him once more.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to say what I’d planned to. I’m sorry I didn’t rush after you. I’m sorry, I didn’t think of a different way to ask you what I’d been desperate to say for months.”
I tip my head as thoughts race around and around in a loop. “What do you mean?”
Chase bites his lip. “After I gave you that stupid piece of fake cake, my line was supposed to be, ‘I was hoping it would be a piece of cake to ask you to prom.’”
My pulse takes off so fast, I’m practically spinning. Chase’s hands remain on my arms, holding me in place.
“This is no excuse, but where I originally went to high school, we had a thing called a ‘Promposal.’ Guys would stage cheesy or elaborate scenes to ask a girl to prom. Usually, they involved puns that put Dad Jokes to shame.”
“I happen to like Dad Jokes.”
Chase’s lips bunch up with a grin. “But that one didn’t translate well.”
“I didn’t know. It’s just that I got pranked most of the year, and figured that was just another in a long string of...”
“I see that now. Also, the truth is, I chickened out. If anything, I should be embarrassed for being such a scared dweeb, but Freddie can be—”
“What does my brother have to do with this?” As soon as the question passes my lips, understanding looms like my twin on the rugby field. “Do you mean that he warned you against asking me out?”
“Not in so many words, but I did take a few extra hard hits at practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”
“Chemistry lab days.” A long moment passes as I piece everything together, as my heart catches up with the truth.
Chase shrugs those massive, strong shoulders as if to say, Yeah.
“Also, remember when I bumped into you? Well, it was on purpose, torn from the how-to-meet-girls playbook. I hate to admit this, but back home, I thought I was the golden boy. Top on my team. Had a girlfriend, loads of friends, and party invites. My father ripped me out of my perfect and comfortable life. In hindsight, it was the best thing that happened to me.”
I adjust my glasses. “You know what they say about twenty-twenty vision.”
“Before Hinnifin, I didn’t have to try to meet girls.”
“Oh, here he is. The cocky bad boy is back.”
He nudges me with his shoulder, sending those heart fluffies scattering like flower petals in the wind.
“Ha ha. But going abroad humbled me.”
I give him a long look.
“A little. The truth is, I didn’t know how to approach a girl like you.”
“A girl like me?”
“You were different.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Pippa, I think you know what I mean.”
“I’m not trying to be difficult or fish for compliments, but I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“And that’s why you’re different. You can see and speak the truth, no problem, except when it comes to yourself.” Chase taps the corner of my glasses. “But I see it. Always have. You’re a breath of fresh air. Free. Yourself.”
“So you bumped into me on purpose that day in the corridor?”
“Yep. Freddie must’ve gotten wind of my interest because he bumped into me during rugby.
And since the moment I made the connection that Phillip Frederick Thompson, my best friend, and Phillipa Grace Thompson were siblings, twins at that, I did everything in my power to remember it was a hands-off situation. ”
“The hair ruffling?” I ask.
He nods.
“The kiddo comments?”
“Yep.”
“Pippag Thomzeg?”
“I was getting desperate, I’d dubbed it Jerk Mode.”
My hands form fists and I’m ready to fume. “I’m going to give Freddie—”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” Chase winces.
“But don’t you see? Lack of communication got us here, discovering a misunderstanding of massive proportions ten years later. It’s always better to tell the truth.”
“This is Freddie we’re talking about.”
I let out a long-held breath, upset with my brother for thwarting my young love life. My first two fingers press against my lips before Chase links his around mine.
“No touching the wound. Speaking of, I hope my apology helps stitch up the past between us.”
I nod slowly as my thoughts rush. I’m thankful for the quiet peace of the garden because if Chase had told me this at the Smythe’s soiree or anywhere else, I may have imploded. “I appreciate it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re good?” Chase asks as if wanting to be doubly sure.
“Sure are. So Freddie scared you away, huh? Is that why you disappeared before prom?”
“No, I left because I got recruited for football, but in so many ways, your brother made it clear you weren’t a prom date option if I’d been able to attend. Plus, I didn’t want to lose my best friend. He was super protective of you.”
“No wonder I never got any school dance invitations.”
“I’m the youngest in the family and got shipped off to boarding school before I could defend my sisters, but I would’ve done the same.”
“So, you think of me as a sister?”
He shakes his head rapidly, definitively. “No. Not. At. All.”
“Oh. That wasn’t what I thought you were going to say. That was more than I expected. I thought you were going to confess that you and Marlow had been in cahoots to humiliate me.”
“Marlow?” he asks long and slow.
“Yeah, Marlow, who we saw at the soiree?”
He looks like he ate a wasp’s nest. “I wasn’t in cahoots with her or anyone. I mean, I enlisted Liam to help me steal a new sponge from the school kitchen because I thought it would be unsanitary to have a used sponge. But I never meant for you to bite into it.”
A laugh tickles my lips. “I legitimately thought it was cake.”
“I also had Kendrick Solomon help me make the frosting.” He lowers his head. “But the worst Promposal line in the world was all mine. I get full credit. I was hoping it would be a piece of cake to ask you to prom.” He buries his face in his hands. “Turned out, I ruined your day, maybe more.”
My expression cracks into laughter with relief, humor at the dumb pun, and hope that all is not lost. He was the guy I’d chosen and as it turns out, all those years ago, he’d chosen me too.
I peel Chase’s fingers away and our hands link and hold. His gaze slides to meet mine. Our laughter mingles as the sun dips below the horizon, but the sparkle in his eyes is enough to see by—to see the truth.
As we walk back to the manor, I say, “Chase, apology accepted. I can’t believe that this has been one big misunderstanding. Maybe my luck is—” But I don’t finish.
His fingers grip mine, lingering for another second. The heart fluffies have a field day.
He says, “I have a question. Can I ask what you were distracted by before you tripped in the dining hall? I had this whole plan in my head about how I was going to deliver the sponge cake to you and then Liam was going to bring the real cake and it would be this big deal.”
“What was I distracted by?” My stomach flutters. My heart pounds. I swallow back fear. He told me the truth. I owe him as much. I’ve never been able to do anything other than be honest, sometimes painfully so.
“I was distracted by you, Chase Collins and you owe me a piece of cake.” Ignoring my fat lip, I lift onto my toes and gently peck him on the cheek.