Page 95 of Remember Us This Way

I’ve given him a few updates here and there and told him that Shannan’s been causing trouble, but I haven’t explained the depth of it. If he knew the truth, he’d drop everything to race back here and try to make things better. But I need to learn how to stand on my own two feet. There was a time I thought I had learned how to stand on my own, but it turns out, I was just pretending. I’ve never felt strong on my own, but I think I’m getting there.

Over the past four weeks, Noah’s only been able to come home once, and it’s killing him. He feels like he’s letting me down, but he’s been so incredibly busy adjusting to college life. Staying on top of his schoolwork and meeting the required training schedule for football is a full-time job. He’s starting to settle into his new schedule though, and the second he does, I don’t doubt that he’ll be sneaking in through my bedroom window just like he used to. There’s no denying it though, every second he’s been gone, my chest has ached for him. The way I miss him . . . It’s breaking me.

It’s been a big week with too many assignments already building up, but nobody claimed getting through senior year was supposed to be easy. On top of everything else, I still can’t seem to find energy, and my world has slowly been spiraling out of control.

I was almost home on Friday afternoon when I got a call from Hazel that she’d missed her bus. I had to turn right around to go get her, and after a silent and broody drive home, she’s stomping up the sidewalk in front of our house before I can even put the Range Rover in park. She’s not exactly having the best day, and for some reason, I think it has something to do with a boy. It’s always got something to do with a boy.

Striding through the door that Hazel left wide open, I pull it closed behind me just as my phone chimes with an incoming text.

I glance down to dig it out of my pocket and find a text from Hope. Before I check the message, I haul my ass up the stairs and drop into my bed with a long sigh.

Hope: Sooooooo…I know I demanded that we go to that party at Laura’s place, but would I be a total ass if I bailed? My mom may or may not have found a joint hidden in the bottom of my bag, and I may or may not be grounded.

I gape at the phone, unable to believe what I’m reading, but I’m also kinda thrilled about not having to go to a party tonight. I just want to crash.

Zoey: A joint? WTH!!!! And to think…I thought you were a sweet, innocent person when you’ve really just been waiting for your opportunity to corrupt me!

Hope: I mean, maybe there might have been a small reason why my parents had me transferred out of St. Michael's.

Zoey: I’m flabbergasted!!!!

Hope: So, I take it that you don’t want to sneak out and smoke it in the park tomorrow night?

Zoey: F L A B B E R G A S T E D!!!!!!

Zoey: And also, I’m 100% there! Love a good corruption story! But if that shit makes me puke, you’re responsible for everything that happens after that.

Hope: Your big scary boyfriend is gonna kill me.

Zoey: They’re the risks you take when you live on the wild side, girl! Get used to it. Besides, he’s all kinds of sexy when he’s angry and defending my honor. It’ll be the best fun I ever had!

Hope sends me back the vomit emoji, and I laugh as I sprawl out over my bed, stretching my arms wide on either side of me as I just stare at the ceiling. Before I know it, I close my eyes and fall into a deep, exhausted sleep.

I hear Mom getting home, and I peel my eyes open, surprised to find my room cloaked in darkness. A loud yawn rips from my chest, and I sit up, feeling like the living dead. I must have napped for a few hours at least, definitely not my usual Friday afternoon activity, but I needed it all the same.

Mom starts fussing around with pots and pans and the sound flows right up the stairs and assaults my ears in the worst way. Then just when I go to get up and trudge downstairs, my phone rings from somewhere on my bed. Feeling certain that it’s Noah, I quickly scramble to find it.

Noah’s name lights the screen, and a wide smile stretches across my face as I quickly hit accept, scooching up my bed and bringing my blanket right up to my chin. “Well, hey there, stranger.”

“Were you sleeping? Did I wake you?”

“No,” I grumble before I’m hit with another yawn. “Sorry to disappoint, but Mom had that honor.”

“Damn, and to think I didn’t get to be the one to ruin your granny nap.”

I laugh and snuggle deeper against my pillow, closing my eyes and just listening to the sound of his soothing tone. “What are you doing?” I ask, picturing him as though he were right here in front of me. “Is there some big start of the season party tonight?”

“It’s college,” he says with a laugh. “Of course there’s a big party tonight.”

I roll my eyes. I should have seen that one coming. “And?” I prompt.

“And what?”

“Are you going?”

“Maybe,” he says, his tone deepening. “But I’d prefer to be in that bed with you.”

I scoff, sitting up. “I’m not in bed,” I argue, not wanting to sound lazy when I should be living some kind of extravagant life. “Not anymore at least. Hope and I were going to go to a party. Rumor has it, it’ll be the best one of the year.”

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