Page 135 of Redeeming Heart

“Already beat you to it,” Jared said all smug. “It’s loaded and ready to travel with us through until the end when they win the regional championship or end up in the top 16 clubs who are moving on to Nationals.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

I always believe that tears are for fools in love and ones who believe in fairy tales.

I kept trying to rectify that I wasn’t one of those fools, but there was no excuse left to convince my heart and mind that I wasn’t in love because I was.

I am head over hills in love with Brandon Hills, but I was a coward because I couldn’t find the courage to tell him. I let him walk away—instead of chasing him down or even going over to his house to tell him that I love him.

Another week we went unspoken and there wasn’t any sign of him joining us on our next adventure.

“Are you sure you have everything you are going to need?” My dad asked when we reached the car with my bags.

“You have asked me since we left my room and for the 101st time, yes, I have everything I need,” I replied with slight sarcasm but he didn’t seem to notice as he was too worried about my bags.

“I had Meredith help me out just in case I miss something since I’m going to be away for a while.”

“You did?”

My father almost seemed awestruck that I asked Meredith to help me out.

I shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure I remembered everything.”

“You could have asked Jaylin and Camille,” He pointed out.

I didn’t disagree because I probably could have, but Camille had to return to work and Jaylin went to go see her father.

“They had things to do and I didn’t feel like bothering them, and besides Meredith was closer.”

“Do you know if they will be joining you later on?’

“I’m not going to force them to be there. They also have stuff going on in their lives.”

My dad didn’t seem to like my excuses as he gave an unsatisfied huff.

“Sasha, you are undervaluing yourself. You’ve also got important stuff going on in your life and your childhood friends would be classified as crazy for missing out on this important part.”

It was obvious that the girls would make it, but there was someone I wanted to make it. I wasn’t going to blame him if he doesn’t make it because I screwed things up for us.

“I also know your mom would have been so proud of you for making it all the way through to regionals and then have nationals coming up.”

I smiled at my father and shook my head in amusement. “Out of hundred teams we have to qualify at least 16thor better and the tournament hasn’t even started, yet.”

“I believe in you and you should as well because God gave you a gift and you can’t deny it. You could have chosen to become a famous soccer, basketball, or even ice hockey player, but you chose a path that is the lowest rated sport in the US because it’s your love and ambition for the game that made you keep following your dream.”

“That’s why God gave everyone a skill—it doesn’t matter how unpopular it is. It’s a passion that nobody can take away.”

He gave a curt nod while trying to keep the tears back because they were my mother’s words.

“She was right,” He agreed.

“She was right about a lot of stuff,” I noted.

It was as if she saw my future when she warned me about the future when it comes to love and my future as a hockey player. She always warned me that life was going to be difficult and uncertain, and most of all things in my life are going to happen that I will have no control over, and she was right.

Love found me when I thought I wasn’t ready.

“She would be disappointed in me for ruining the best thing that ever happened to me.”

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