Page 68 of The Summer of ’98

“I’ll be there.”

I gave her the flight details and we ended the call. I was immensely grateful to have such a good friend who was willing to show up, no questions asked. Telling Momma the truth over the phone wasn’t right—as much as I wanted to take the easy way out, I needed to tell her in person and if I let her know that I was coming home early, she would have pressed to know why. This gave me a little more time to prepare for how I would break the news.

It was warm outside; the rain had stopped overnight and the sun was peeping out from behind early-morning clouds that had been dipped in orange ink and left to dry in the sun. It was a gorgeous morning and I wished I could have been in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. Leroy was leaning against the trunk of the car, arms folded, gaze distant. The sunlight kissed the top of his head and gave him a halo. The thought of missing him made me ache.

We made eye contact just as Cass came running up the footpath with her curls in a bun and her overalls barely buttoned up. “Ellie!” She waved me down and seemed relieved to see that I hadn’t left yet. She stopped in front of me and gave Leroy a brief wave.

“I’ll wait in the car,” he said, and Cass gripped my elbow and pulled me a little farther from the vehicle.

“What happened?”

“Noah didn’t fill you in?”

“Well, he did,” she said. “But like, I need more intimate details. Share? Are you coming back?”

I shook my head with a sad smile. “I won’t be allowed to once Momma finds out. But it is what it is.”

“Bitch, I’m gonna miss you,” she pouted.

“I’ll miss you too.”

“I’m coming to visit in Waco, okay?”

“I would love that, Cass.”

“Come on, babe,” Leroy called from the car. “As much as I don’t want you to leave, you’re going to miss the flight.”

When I turned back to Cass, she was giving him a sympathetic look. I could tell she knew how he felt about the situation. Still, she gave me a warm smile and pulled me in for a hug before I left. During the drive out of town, I couldn’t help but watch the views that passed us with sad regret. I’d come to fit in so well in such a short time. I’d made friends and memories that I would keep forever. It was a town that felt just right. I felt like I belonged here, more than at my actual home. I’d never been so sad to leave a place before. And it was for more reasons than just Leroy.

My flight was boarding, and I glanced at the woman who was checking the boarding passes. “Call me when you land?” Leroy said, quiet, defeated, as he had been since we’d left the house. It was obvious that both of us wanted nothing more than to turn back time and do things differently. Whenever I thought about how the rest of this summer should have gone, it winded me. It’s hard to accept how wrong a plan can go in the blink of an eye.

“Of course, I will.”

His jaw clenched as he stared down at me, a strand of hair falling onto his forehead. “Els,” he said, his voice hitching. “There is nothing . . . nothing I wouldn’t do for you. You need me, call me, and I’ll be in Waco in a few hours. You can call me in the middle of the night, whenever. I promise I’ll answer. I’ll be there.”

He was going out of focus, blurring at the moistening of my eyes. “I know,” I inhaled a shaken breath. “I know, Leroy.”

It wasn’t possible to keep a lone tear from falling down my cheek and he took my head in his hands, swiping it with his thumb before he pressed his lips against mine. I took a moment to absorb it all. The feel of his fingertips. The feel of his love. I was sure I couldn’t be soothed in such a way by anyone else on earth. He was one of a kind and no part of me wanted to lose him.

“I love you, Leroy,” I sobbed, our eyes still fixed on one another.

“I love you too, Ellie.”

Amber was waiting for me in the airport lounge, just as she’d promised she would be. Her sweet, familiar face was a comfort that I needed after the longest two hours that I’d ever endured. But much to my surprise, she wasn’t alone. It was a nice distraction to see that Eric stood beside her, his arm around her waist. Amber had her hair in locs—she’d been wanting them done for a while, but the school wouldn’t allow it. She’d graduated now, so she could do what she wanted.

Eric stood a head taller, his golden-brown skin a few shades darker, no doubt thanks to the Texan sun. They made a gorgeous couple and by the time I reached them, I’d had time to realize this must have happened after I had connected with them by phone last week.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Eric swept me into a bear hug before I could utter a hello. “What’d he do? Do I need to head home and throw down with that mofo?”

I laughed into his shoulder and shook my head when he set me down. “We haven’t broken up.”

Amber touched a hand to my arm, concern all over her face. “What happened then, chick?”

“It’s just complicated,” I told her, staring at the ground. It was hard to lie to Amber. She knew me too well. “I don’t want to get into it right now.”

“That’s okay,” Eric gave me a light jab in the shoulder, and I smiled, grateful for their acceptance of my silence. My attention moved between them as we started heading for the exit, me pulling my suitcase behind me.

“So, when did this happen? I thought you were off to college, Eric?”

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