Page 57 of One Day

The pit in my stomach tightens for a moment as I shoulder my way into the cool winter air, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. “Yeah, I got his email during my meeting. I just haven’t had a chance to look at it.”

“What was your meeting about?”

Running my fingers through my hair, I run my hand down to squeeze the nape of my neck. “We were going over the list of internships my advisor sent me for the summer,” I tell her the truth, stomping the fear creeping up my ribs. “Just for some other options.”

“Oh, well, that’s great, Peach,” she says, and relief instantly floods my chest. “I’m glad you have so many options, but I’m glad you picked home.”

So much for relief.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I pause in my step. “Right, but it might not be set in stone yet. I still need to go over the email from Mr. Richards, you know? Make sure it’s the right fit for my future.”

“Why wouldn’t it be? You know, he mentioned that he’s looking to retire soon and sell his firm. Given how much you love working with him, he thought you might be interested in it.”

Fuck. “I don’t know, Mama. It’s…” I shake my head and try to shake out the nerves holding my heart in a vice grip. “It might not be the right place for me. I think I want to go into a private firm. I want—”

I’m cut off by something on her side of the phone, pulling her attention away from me once again. “Oh, sorry, Peach! Someone just came into the gallery and needs my help. We can keep talking about this later, yeah?”

“Mama, I…” I want to argue. I want to scream and get this off my chest, right here and now, before I can talk myself out of it. If I don’t do this now, I’m not sure I will.

“I’m sorry, Peach. I’ve got to go. I love you!”

I push the nerves down until I can exhale. “Love you, too.”

When the line goes dead, I slide my phone into my pocket and let out a string of curses. For a second, I thought I was going to finally rip the Band-Aid off like I should have weeks ago.

It shouldn’t be so difficult to be honest with the person who’s been a life raft my whole life, but here I am, struggling to breathe without her guiding hand. The longer I put this off, the harder it is to just face the truth. I feel like I’m on my own island and don’t know how to find my way off. I need to tell her. I just don’t know if I have it in me to break her heart.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

SONYA

“Earth to Sonya,” Bekah calls across the table, waving her hand over my laptop to grab my attention from the clouds. It seems more often than not these days that I’m daydreaming, and it’s all thanks to Walker, who I haven’t been able to stop myself from thinking about. Particularly the way I got to see a whole new side to him, one that’s a little more dominant and a lot more possessive. “You still with me, sunshine?”

“Sorry.” I rub my fingertips over my temple, leaning forward on the large wood table we’ve scattered our work across in the library. “I got distracted. What were you saying?”

“Walker?” she asks, not bothering to go back to whatever it was she was talking about. I’ve become so absorbed in my own head that I can’t even remember what we were talking about. “Still thinking about the bar, I take it?”

My cheeks warm at the memory, a hint of a smile playing on my lips. Of course, that was never going to stay our little secret. Especially since Dylan caught us trying to leave the women’s bathroom together. As his signature move, he knew exactly what we were doing. The fact my hair was a little wilder than usual didn’t help the fact, and he naturally made sure every single one of our friends was aware of exactly where we ran off to.

“That, and this app.”

I wave towards my computer and the open sitemap on the screen. For a moment, I thought maybe I should just do what Professor Andrews suggested, but when I sat down at my computer, finally letting myself do what my brain wanted, everything clicked into place. Maybe I’m giving up a huge opportunity, but then I let myself consider what I would be missing out on if I didn’t let my head lead me forward. The presentation is going to have university staff, and more specifically, Coach Shay. If I do this and do it right, maybe they’ll see the gap I do.

I could be making future student athletes' lives easier, and that seems just as valuable.

If only I could give it all my focus instead of drifting off on thoughts of grey eyes. Walker’s been on my mind twenty-four-seven, and no matter what I do to try to regain focus, I always seem to find myself in the same position. Shivers run down my spine at the replay of his voice, demanding I keep my eyes on his. My fingertips printed with the memory of his skin, the curl of his hair at the nape of his neck.

My eyes land on Bekah’s smug face, her lips pulled up like she knows something I don’t.

Swallowing, I straighten my spine and break the trail of silence I left between us. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You have it so bad.”

“I do not.” I roll my eyes and shuffle in my seat. “I’m just distracted, which is a problem when I only have a few more weeks to get this done. Can we go back to what you were talking about now? I’m in need of something else to talk about.”

“No, I think we should stay on the Walker topic.” She lifts her hand to rest under her chin, and I track the freckles cluttering her skin like tiny little constellations to avoid meeting what I already know is a knowing gaze.

“Bekah.”

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