Page 116 of Absorbed

There were pictures of flowers, hearts, smiley faces and rainbows, and one of a stick figure in red shorts with a gold medal that said, “You’re my hero!”

“Those belly flop kids keep coming in, asking about you,” Desiree said. “Chad gave one $5 for managing a perfect backflop last night.”

“It was epic.” Chad beamed. “Never saw a kid so confidently do a backward swan dive like that and never break.”

Jessie’s grin faded. “Bob said The Plunge is shutting down for good?”

“Maybe not,” Tiffany said. “They might just renovate it.”

“It hasn’t been the same without you.” Melissa’s words eeked out, releasing a flood of her tears. “I’m so sorry, Jessie!”

Stacey bit her lip and put an arm around Melissa.

“It’s not your fault.” Jessie’s nostrils flexed and his eyes welled up.

Chad looked around at the girls who had all started to weep. “We just hate that this happened to you, Jess. But…you’ll be back on your board before you know it.”

Jessie focused his gaze on the ceiling, and over a minute passed as tears fell silently down his cheeks.

Melissa’s crying intensified. Desiree took her hand and led her out to the hall.

“We should let Jessie rest,” Tiffany said, wiping her own tears away.

Chad nodded in agreement, and Tiffany went back to close the blinds again.

Stacey squeezed Jessie’s foot, then turned to follow them.

“Stace…wait,” Jessie breathed out. “Can we…talk?”

Stacey nodded at Tiffany and Chad. They pulled the door closed behind them. She moved to Jessie’s side. She perched carefully on the edge of his bed, and took hold of his left hand, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Jessie took slow breaths with his eyes closed. Stacey assumed he was trying to get his tears to stop. Sitting in the silence alone with him made her uncomfortable.

“I, um, grabbed your guitar when I got my stuff from The Plunge this morning,” she rambled, wiping her nose between her fingers. “I have it in my car. Want me to drop it by your apart—”

“Keep it,” Jessie said.

“No way! I can just drop it off with your brother or something.”

“I can’t play anymore. I want you to have it. You love music. You should learn to play. Give my board to Chad.”

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her skin above the scoop neck of her tank top. “This is all my fault,” she said quietly.

Jessie furrowed his brow, confused.

“You were guarding because of me. I should have been in that chair.” She wiped at the damp splashes on her collarbone, the motion doing nothing to slow the pounding of her heart.

“No, you couldn’t be in the tower because of me.” Jessie closed his eyes. “That was my fault. Are you…okay?”

Stacey bit her lip and shrugged.

“I mean, are you…pregnant?”

A lump formed in Stacey’s throat. She swallowed hard and shook her head.

“Thank God.” He closed his eyes again. For a moment they both let the relief wash over them.

Stacey wiped her face with the back of her hand. Jessie stared intensely at her.

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