Page 100 of The Prospect

“I’m sososorry.” I sob softly into his chest. “I should have told you about how I felt for Green from the start. I shouldn’t have let things carry on the way they were. I shouldn’t have…”

“Shhh.” He soothes me, rubbing up and down my spine. “I got you. It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“It’s not okay, though.” I force myself to peel back, but his arms continue to engulf me in his frame. “I hurt you. I… How can you just forgive me so easily?”

“It’s not necessarily easy, Hazel,” he admits. “But…” He wipes away my tears. “I know your heart, and I know you never intended for this to happen. For things to end up this way.”

“I liked you, Hart.” I’m not afraid to admit that.

“And I liked you too.” He tries to smile, but there’s a frown beneath that’s hard not to notice. “But it was never me, Hazel. Don’t lie and act like it was. I know that you’ve always loved Green. He’s your person. He’s the one.”

“But what about your person?” I protest. “The one meant for you?”

“I’ll find her.” He says with a shrug. “She’s out there. I…I’m certain of it.” His eyes are shifty, leading me to the conclusion I suspected after our conversation at the restaurant.

“You know she’s out there, Hart,” I tell him. “You know that because you already know who she is.”

“Hazel, I?—”

I pull him back into a hug, cutting him off as I murmur into his chest. “You should try again with her, Hart.Sofia…” Saying her name out loud loosens his frame. “You should. You need to.”

“You know I already did, Hazel,” Hart responds, chin back on top of my head. “But by now…” I can feel the vibration of his voice. “It’s too late.”

I pull back suddenly, wiping away my tears as I look him straight in the eyes. “If this whole thing has taught me anything, Christopher Hart.” I lean in to plant a final kiss to his cheek. “It's never too late.”

THIRTY

G R E E N

15 YEARS AGO - Age 9

“You’re back late. Everything okay?”Mum steps away from the stovetop to peer down the hallway at me as I close the front door. “Did something happen at school?”

“No, nothing, Mum.” I shrug off my backpack and kick my shoes off to the side. “Just a normal day. Anyway, I’ve got some homework to do so give me a shout when supper is ready?—”

“Not so fast.” Mum’s voice commands me to stop in place before I can make a beeline toward the staircase. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on,” I tell her, but she’s not convinced.

“Daniel…” She does that mum thing where she draws out my name and narrows her stare, waiting for me to cave.

“What?” I respond with. “Nothing happened.” My shifty eyes aren’t quite pleading my case here.

“Nothing, huh?” She folds her arms across her chest, expecting—anticipating—more out of me than that. “Well, that’s not what Ms. Murray had to say when she gave me a ring this afternoon.”

Shoot.

“I can explain…” This time, I attempt to plead my case before Mum has the chance to drill into me. “We were walking through the hallways when?—”

“Save it.” Mum raises her hand up. “Ms. Murray already told me everything.”

Her legs guide her back into the kitchen, and quickly, I follow her.

“Everything?” I nervously gulp, curious how much detail Ms. Murray opted to go in.

“Yep.” Mum’s short with her words as she reaches for some salt to season the soup. “Everything.”

It’s stressing me out how calm she is. Either she’s really mad, or somehow, by some miracle, she’s not mad at all.

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