Chapter 33
Eleven years ago
As Gray drove to work on Saturday, a fog of despair enclosed him, obscuring everything outside himself. He had finished high
school under a cloud of scrutiny, and though his final grades placed him as salutatorian, he was stripped of even that honor
because of his so-called cheating record.
His grandma went to the school and “gave them what for.” She insisted they offer him a different test. But her demands went
unheard. The decision had been made. There would be no Warner Scholarship. No free ride to college. And his reputation, such
as it was, sank to an all-new level.
Shelby tried to comfort him. Tried to encourage him. But his future seemed so bleak that her words just deflected off him.
Worse yet, he could tell Mr. Thatcher doubted his innocence. In recent weeks the man had begun warming up, chatting sports
and college courses with Gray when he was over at the house. Now there was a marked coolness to his demeanor.
But Gray couldn’t focus on that. He needed to reevaluate, make new plans. If he wanted a degree it would mean night school
or online courses while he worked at the hardware store. He would have to mooch off his grandma another eight years or so
and save every dime he made for school.
That would mean staying in Grandville long term. And he’d thought things were bad before the cheating incident. News spread far and wide. He was cast as desperate and greedy, trying to steal from Brendan Remington, the worthy athlete and scholar, what was rightfully his.
Graduation was yesterday but Gray hadn’t gone. He never wanted to see those people—students or faculty—again. His grandma
and Shelby tried to convince him to go, hold his head high. He’d done nothing wrong. But what good would that do?
And as it turned out, he didn’t have to worry about working at the hardware store anymore. When he got to work, Mr. Lang shoved
a copy of the Grandville Gazette in his face.
Gray zeroed in on the article’s headline: “Grandville Student Stripped of Warner Scholarship After Caught Cheating.”
Gray’s face filled with heat as Mr. Lang berated him. He didn’t need some low-life cheater working for him. Gray could steal
product or rip off the customers when he wasn’t looking—probably already had. Best he find someplace else to work, and good
luck with that.
As Gray stormed from the building, anger clawed him from the inside out. It was all so unfair. Why did bad things always happen
to him? He should’ve known better than to think he could have it all. When would he ever learn?
He got into his sweltering truck and punched the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. An idea had been whirling in his
head since he’d left the principal’s office that last day of school.
Just an errant thought.
An impulsive reaction.
But the notion lingered in the back of his mind this past week as he believed himself at rock bottom. But now he’d lost his
only source of income. Who else would hire him when the whole town believed he was some kind of cheater? A chip off the old
block. A bad seed. He had to get out of this town—and he wouldn’t wait years to do it.
Gray pointed the truck toward Huntersville and accelerated.
Shelby checked her phone. She’d texted Gray a couple hours ago about the newspaper article, but he was at work now and she likely wouldn’t hear from him until afterward. Since he was eighteen the article had included his name. He must be devastated.
The past week had been so awful. She’d kept a smile on her face through the graduation ceremony yesterday. Through the open
house her dad had planned for her. She mingled and hugged and chatted her way through it all, somehow pretending everything
was normal.
But deep inside she was so sad for Gray. So angry for him. Unbeknownst to him, she’d gone to the school this week and caught Mr. Donovan in his office. He’d always been friendly
and supportive. All the faculty were.
But it was clear within minutes he’d made up his mind about Gray. He patronized her with false sympathy, but she could tell
he thought she was stupid to believe in Gray. It was maddening.
On Thursday she’d gone to Brendan’s house—something Gray had been threatening to do all week, but Shelby talked him out of
it. A fight would surely ensue and that would only make things worse for him.
But Brendan or one of his friends was the likely culprit. Brendan was the one with something to gain from this false accusation.
When her ex-boyfriend came to the door, she asked if he knew anything about the advanced test they’d found in Gray’s locker.
But either he was an excellent liar or he was innocent—she couldn’t tell which. Either way, he wasn’t about to incriminate
himself or his friends with all that scholarship money on the line.
It was all so unfair. So hopeless. Gray seemed like a different person.
He was sad and moody and reclusive. She couldn’t blame him.
And now this article! She just wished there were something she could do.
Some way she could find out who’d put that test in his locker.
She would confront Devon and Drew later.
But for now, she had to be at the bookshop in twenty minutes.
When the store closed at six, Shelby still hadn’t heard from Gray. She called but it went to voicemail. Worried, she called
his grandmother and learned he hadn’t come home after work. “I’m sure he’s just blowing off a little steam, honey. He’s had
a rough week.”
Shelby called a few more times, leaving messages, then went to all his favorite spots. The fishing bank at Seaver’s Creek,
Ramsey Park, Davey’s BBQ. Finally she went home and waited to hear from him. But she went to bed that night without a word
from him.
She hardly slept. This was so unlike Gray. It was barely six when she got up and got dressed. She headed to his house. Maybe
he’d come home last night and just hadn’t called her. But Gray’s truck wasn’t in the driveway. His grandma was an early riser,
so Shelby knocked on the door.
The woman looked as if she’d had a rough night too. Her gray hair was tousled and her eyes were bloodshot. “Come in, honey.”
Something was unsettling in the tone of her voice. “He didn’t come home?”
“No. I went through his room late last night and some things were missing.”
Shelby frowned. “Maybe he just needed to get away for a couple days. I couldn’t blame him for it.”
“But why wouldn’t he have told us?”
Shelby’s phone vibrated with a call. She snatched it from her pocket and the name on the screen spiked her pulse. “It’s Gray!”
She answered. “Gray, where are you? We’ve been worried sick.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anybody.”
“I’m at your grandma’s house. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m in Columbia.”
Only an hour and a half away. “It’s so good to hear your voice. Why did you take off like that? I could’ve gone with you.
I can come today. I’ll let Gram know you need me and she’ll be fine without me for a—”
“You can’t come, Shelby.” A brief pause. “I’m at Fort Jackson.”
Fort Jackson? That was an Army base. What was he—? “ Gray. Don’t do something rash. I know you’re frustrated. All your plans have fallen through, and that article must’ve been a terrible
blow.”
“I had to get out of town, Shelby. I can’t take it anymore. And Mr. Lang fired me over that stupid article.”
“Oh, Gray. I’m so sorry. But we’ll get through this. We’ll figure it out.”
“I’ve already figured it out.”
His resolute tone invoked a sense of doom. “The Army ? No, Gray. You’ve never even mentioned enlisting before.”
“That’s because I thought I had a way to pay for college. But that’s gone now, and I know it might seem extreme, but it’s
the only solution I can think of. They’ll pay for my college.”
“In exchange for what? Your life ?” She couldn’t believe he was considering this! What if he never came home? The thought sent panic racing through her. She
clutched her chest.
“It’s only three years, Shelby.”
“Three years is forever!” And who was to say he’d ever return to her at all? “Come back. You’ll get another job. You can still
go to GU and we can still be together. I know it’s not what you wanted, what you deserved, but it’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
His grandma slipped quietly into the kitchen.
On the phone an unsettling quiet met her impassioned plea. A band tightened around her heart. A feeling of dread swept through
her like poison, spreading to every organ, every nerve, every cell.
“Shelby...” he said finally. “It’s too late.”
The finality in his voice had her shaking her head. “No, it’s not.” Her words trembled with uncertainty. Please, say it’s not true. He didn’t enlist without even talking to her about it. He didn’t just sign up for years in the Army after she’d turned down
her scholarship at Belmont this week in order to stay here with him!
“I’ve already enlisted. Basic training starts tomorrow.”
Everything inside went blank. Went numb, like after a blow when you knew the pain was coming but the nerves hadn’t yet informed
the brain. Then the blessed reprieve ended and the pain hit all at once. “ Tomorrow? You just left without a word and basic training starts tomorrow ?”
“It happened fast and I was afraid you’d try to talk me out of it. I’m sorry.”
A snort of laughter escaped as a sob. “Oh, you’re sorry ! Well, okay then. Everything’s fine.”
“Please understand, Shelby. I can’t stay in a town where I’m hated and looked down on. Where everyone only sees me as a murderer’s
son and now the guy who tried to steal from the town paragon.”
“It’s only been a week, Gray! People forget. People move on. If you’d just waited, some other juicy story would soon have
all the tongues wagging. But now you’re enlisted in the Army and you left me !”
“I didn’t leave you . I left Grandville.”
“Really? Because it feels like you left me , Gray!” She could almost feel steam shooting out the top of her head. “We’re supposed to be a couple ! And you made this colossal decision that affects both of us. You’ll be gone for three years, Gray! Three years! And sometimes
people die in the Army—did you think of that? Did you think of me at all before you abandoned me—?” Just like my mom. Her throat swelled at the thought. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her again.
She’d trusted him, just as she’d trusted her mom—and look how that worked out. She should’ve known better than to go falling in love. Giving someone the ability to hurt her. To leave her. Just like Gray was doing.
“I really am sorry. I didn’t... I should’ve—”
“That’s right, you should’ve. But you didn’t.” Her heart was a jackhammer in her chest. She boiled with anger—and yet a lump
the size of Texas swelled in her throat. Her eyes burned with tears that threatened to burst like a geyser. She didn’t want
to cry right now!
She’d never wanted to scream at anyone so badly in her life. She actually wished she could hit him! But what would that fix?
There was nothing she could do or say to change this. Nothing. He’d left her. And now she just had to live with it.
Like she’d done with her mother.
She envisioned those stupid postcards she’d tacked to her pegboard with hopeful little hands. She’d waited and waited for
Mom to come home. Waited for her to realize Shelby needed her. But all the hoping and wishing had been for naught. The postcards
were all she’d ever gotten.
And Gray knew all this. He knew how badly her mom’s abandonment had hurt her—she’d cried in his arms the night she told him
the full story. And now he was doing the same thing to her!
Her next words came out as cold as ice, as solid as steel. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
“Okay.” His voice softened. “I understand. I know this is a shock. I’ll call you later today. We’ll talk about it some more
and you’ll see that—”
“ No. I don’t want you to call me later. I don’t want you to call me at all.” Her heart gave a loud, hard crack as she punched
the Off button.