Page 130 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Thanks,” he says. “You know, you’re a good sister, Zo, even though you annoy me all the time.”

“I annoy you? You were born to drive me up the wall.”

“I was the perfect kid! You and your friends were always getting into trouble.”

I laugh. “That’s true.”

My phone dings with a text.

“It’s Grandpa,” I tell Brock. “He’s waiting for us at the car.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kade

It’s been less than a day since Zoey left, but I miss her like crazy. It’s Saturday afternoon and Zack and Ally are taking me to the cemetery to visit Dad. It’s far from Edenbury, so we’ve got a long trip ahead of us.

The only thing that keeps me calm is thinking about Zoey. How close we got before she left yesterday. How we almost kissed. If not for Ally interrupting us, would I have felt her lips on mine?

And when I told her I’ll miss her, I meant every single word. But it won’t be long before I’ll see her again and then we’ll go to the dance together. I thought about asking Zoey since I first heard about the dance. Dances are in no way in heck my thing, but everything’s changed since she entered my life.

I meet Ally and Zack in the kitchen after lunch. Both of them are coming with me to the cemetery because I guess they want to be there for me.

Ally prepared snacks for us, since we’ll be on the road for about two hours. We get in the car, Zack behind the wheel, Ally in the passenger seat, and me in the back. We chat for a bit, but for the most part we’re left to our thoughts. Today will be hard for me, and I listen to music to help relax.

The two hours pass quickly and we pull into the parking lot of the cemetery. Zack and Ally offer to go with me, but I’d rather go alone. I really appreciate them being here for me, though.

We all get out of the car and Ally wraps an arm around my shoulder. “We’ll be nearby. Just call or text if you need us.”

I nod as I swallow. “Thanks.”

Zack places his hand on my shoulder. “Take as long as you need.”

I thank them again, then make my way deep into the cemetery toward Dad’s grave. I’ve been here a few times and know where it’s located.

The place is empty, except for one or two people in the distance. Turning around, I spot Ally and Zack where I left them, in each other’s arms. They wave at me, letting me know, again, that they’re here for me. I nod another thanks.

At my father’s grave, I force a smile. “Hey, Dad. I was just with Mom a few days ago, and I know you were there, too. And I know you’re always with me. But now I’m here with you.”

I spend a few minutes updating him on what’s going on in my life. Even though I’m sure he heard this when I visited Mom, it’s still nice to talk directly to him.

“And I’ve finally come to terms with what happened,” I continue. “I mean, I’ll always have a hole in my heart where you and Mom belong, but I’m moving on. I’ll never forget what happened to you, though. I’ll make sure the guy who did it pays. Even if it takes me my whole life—I won’t let him get away with it.”

Like I told Zoey, it might be impossible to find him, but I won’t give up.

“I wish I could visit more often, but it’s so far from Edenbury,” I tell him. “But I’ll get my license one day and I’ll make sure to come more frequently.”

Winds blow around me and I know it’s Dad trying to communicate with me.

Sitting on the ground, I talk about the fun memories we had before he was taken from me. The football games we watched. The sports we played together. How we stayed up late one night watching scary movies. Mom didn’t approve. She said I’d be too scared. But I reassured her that I was old enough. The movies weren’t that scary, but for a ten-year-old, it was pretty intense. I couldn’t sleep for days. I’m still not a fan of scary movies.

“I wonder how things would be if you and Mom were still here,” I muse. “Would I have gone into sports? Maybe football?” Would Zoey and I have been rivals? I would be in a different school than her, since we didn’t live in Edenbury.

I don’t know if things happen for a reason, but I’ve got to believe that things will be okay.

“Dad, I want to thank you. You’ve been my role model. You showed me what it means to be a good person. A good man. I don’t know what will happen between me and Zoey. If whatever we feel for each other turns into something…or if I settle down with another girl one day. But if I’ll be a dad, I want to be an awesome dad like you were.” Tears fill my eyes. “I want to honor you and Mom by living by your example. Thanks for being the best parents a kid could ever ask for.”

Winds surround me again and I shut my eyes, letting the tears soak my cheeks.

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