Page 46 of The Only Goal

Unless they’ve broken up. Is that why she’s so sad?

Hope sparks. Selfish, desperate hope.

Edging to the window, I open it all the way and call through the space between our houses.

“TT. What’s the matter?”

She keeps her face covered, but I see the way her shoulders ping. I know she’s heard me.

Resting my elbows on the frame, I lick my lips and try again. “Come on. You can talk to me.”

Her red-rimmed eyes appear—so glassy and puffy. My heart hurts watching her like this. “Can I?”

The question, said with such stony coldness, makes my stomach writhe. “Of course you can.”

She shakes her head, slashing tears off her face and sniffing.

“Please. I hate seeing you like this. What happened?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Come on. You can tell me anything.”

With a huff, she gets off the bed and walks to her window. For a second, I think she’s about to close the curtains on me, but instead she slides the window open and stares at me with this desolate frown. “I can’t tell you this.”

My lips pinch with frustration, and more than half a year’s worth of regret piles on me—hot and smothering. Before last summer, we had zero secrets between us. At least I think we did. Now she’s living this whole other life with Hudson and her friends, and I’m on the outside looking in. Watching her laugh and have fun while I stand in the cold, unable to interact with her because every time Hudson touches her, I want to break his fingers. And every time she smiles at him like he hung the moon, my own heart shatters into a thousand pieces.

Gripping the frame, I try one more time. “Did Hudson… hurt you or something? Did he dump you or?—”

“No,” she snaps, her frown deepening.

“Then why are you so sad?”

“I’m not sa…” Her voice peters out, her body slumping like she can’t bear this weight by herself. “I’m just… scared.”

The word jolts me, my protective instincts shifting into overdrive. “Of what?”

She bites her lips together and shakes her head.

“I’m coming over.” I move away from the window.

“No, don’t.” She holds out her hand, but I ignore it, grabbing my phone and shoving it into my pocket.

“If you’re scared, I’m gonna be there with you. I don’t care what the problem is. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“I don’t need you to sit with me.” Her voice squeaks, fresh tears spilling out of her eyes when I move back to the window.

“Tammy,” I whisper, and her shoulders start to shake.

“I can’t be here.” Her voice pitches. “I can’t do this.”

She’s not making sense, but I’ll do anything she wants me to right now. I have to help her. I have to stop those tears from falling. “Tell me what you need. I’ll do it.”

“I don’t know. I just…” She shakes her head, looking more lost than I’ve ever seen her. It’s so unnerving, I end up taking charge.

That’s not usually my role, but she’s falling apart right now.

“Put on a jacket, grab a flashlight, and meet me at your back gate. Let’s go to the treehouse, okay?”

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