Page 67 of One Day

"It was good. Way more causal than I was expecting," I share, holding my phone up to drink her in. "I'm feeling hopefully about it."

"That's fantastic, Cowboy. You'll be a great addition to their team."

I laugh. "I wouldn't get too far ahead of yourself. I've got to get the job first," I say, but I can't help the smile that fills my face knowing she believes in me.

"I'm not getting ahead of myself. As someone who's had the great pleasure of having you in their life. I know what they're missing out on and how impossible it will be to do that," she shares. "Have you thought about talking to your mom yet?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. I want to make sure—"

"That you have something in place first, I know," she says, effectively cutting me off. "What about Mr. Richards? Maybe instead of diving right in with your mom, you could start somewhere easier. Talk to him, tell him the truth and see what he says."

My throat tightens at the prospect of having to face him. His email has sat in my inbox, unopened. I thought if I let it sit there and didn't look, I could ignore it, but I should have known better. Now that Sonya knows the truth, she's going to push and unlike with Flynn, it's difficult for me to say no to her.

"Sunny, I don't know if I can."

"You can."

"You sound so sure," I say, running my fingers through my hair. "I don't think it's that simple. I lied to her and led her on."

"Okay, how about…if you don't do it, I won't have sex with you for a week."

My laugh fills the car. "Only a week?"

"I'm not completely insane," she says, grinning. "And a girl has needs."

"No, of course not," I say with a teasing smile. "I'll call him, okay?"

"Oh, yeah? That easy, huh?"

"What can I say? You found my weakness."

"Good," she says. "I'll keep that in mind for the future. Did you want to meet at Adam's? We can get pie to celebrate. My treat."

"Celebrate?"

She nods. "A pre-celebration. We'll celebrate again when you get the official offer."

"I have about a forty-five minute drive ahead of me, but yeah, that sounds good," I say, watching as her lips tug up into the kind smile she saves just for me.

"I'll be waiting. And Walker?"

I hum.

"I am so proud of you," she says, a glimmer in her gaze when our eyes meet. Her words of encouragement wrap around me tightly, warming me up.

Emotion gets clogged in my throat, and I wish a thank you was enough to express my gratitude for her. For every kind word, and every sweet smile, but instead I settle on, "I'll see you a bit? Don't miss me too much."

"I'll try my best, but no promises," she says before ending the call and leaving me in the silence of my car as I take a deep breath and scroll through my contacts until my thumb is hovering over Mr. Richards' name.

I've dragged this out for far too long, and I've hit the point where I have no choice but to face the fact that I made this bed for myself. Mr. Richards has done a lot for me over the years, and I owed him this conversation a lot sooner, but like the coward I've been all semester, I haven't found it in me to just be honest with him. And myself.

"Walker! How are you doing, kid?" Mr. Richards voice is eager and warm, exactly as I remember it. I expect it to put me at ease, hearing his voice and knowing he's always been my voice of reason, but it does the opposite. It tightens my muscles.

"Hey, Mr. Richards," I say, swallowing. "I've been good. I, uh, I actually just finished an interview for an internship in Rosenthal."

I can almost hear the smile in his voice when he says, "I figured there was a reason I hadn't heard from you yet. How'd it go?"

"You're not mad?"

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