Page 128 of Need You to Choose Me

What? “You knew?”

She nods. “Sebestian did too, honey. Why do you think he’d always find a way to get you away from him when he still played for Lindon? He didn’t want you entertaining it.”

What a giant turd. “So you both knew,” I murmur to myself.

Mom hums sympathetically. “I didn’t know anything happened. But for you to be in Pennsylvania with him…”

Clearly, a lot happened that she didn’t know about. “He means something to me, Mom. And Sebastian won’t talk to me now because of it, which isn’t fair. I didn’t ignore him when he brought hispregnant wifehome.”

“It’s hard for him,” she tells me, as if that’s supposed to make a difference. “You’re his little sister who he feels he needs to protect. I know you two are close, and that hasn’t changed. He just needs to get past this.”

What is there to get past? “Well tell him to get over it quicker because he’s being dumb. Now I don’t know if I should go to his game or not.”

“Of course you’re going,” she chides. “If there’s one thing I know about you two, it’s that you’re both stubborn to a fault. Whether you’re talking or not, you are still family who supports one another. So, you’ll go to his game and show that you’re cheering him on no matter the circumstances. The same as you would any other game.”

As I walk up the pathway leading to the entrance of Babcock Hall, I nibble on my lip. “I don’t like when he’s mad at me.”

“I don’t think he’s mad,” she replies. “I think he’s disappointed that you’re growing up and he can’t protect you anymore. Maybe he’s a little sad that he has to let somebody else take that role.”

Especially someone like Alex.

Doesn’t he know I’m not little anymore? “He doesn’t have to protect me. It doesn’t seem to matter what I say to get that through to him, either. It’s like when Dad left he felt like he had to take on that role.”

Mom makes a noise. “That’s my fault for not telling him otherwise. And it’s something I should have. Because you’re right, he did. But you know what? This is going to be perfect practice for him now that he’s going to be a father himself.”

She always finds way to my optimistic. “Can I ask you a question about Dad?”

There’s only a moment of hesitation. “Sure.”

“Did you forgive him for leaving?”

This time, the pause is longer. “I did. It took a while. But I don’t want to spend my life mad at somebody who isn’t worth my time. He gave me two wonderful children, and that’s enough to be grateful for.”

I find myself nodding along.

“But, Olive,” she adds, “that doesn’t mean you have to forgive him just because he’s your father. I know he’s said some hurtful things. And, if it makes you feel any better, he’s reached out to me asking if he should try making it up to you.”

He has? “What did you say?”

“I told him that anybody who has you in their life is so lucky,” she answers easily. “And if he wanted to apologize and make it up to you, it’d need to be genuine. I can’t make him do anything, and it wouldn’t be right if I did. If he wants to earn your trust, he’ll have to figure it out on his own. Asking me just tells me that he isn’t ready to pull his head out of his ass enough to see that.”

I stare down at the grass before hefting a long sigh. “He hasn’t reached out about making amends.”

I’m not sure why that hurts so much. “Then that’s on him. Like I said, you don’t need to forgive him. You don’t owe him anything. Focus on the people who make your life better. If that’sAlex, then I’m happy for you. And your brother will be too. I promise.”

I hope she’s right. “Thanks, Mom.”

“No more ghosting me,” she says firmly.

I smile. “No more ghosting.”

We hang up as I walk into my residence hall.

“Olive,” my RA, Cierra, calls out, waving at me as I walk toward the elevators. “Hold up. You had another package arrive today.”

Another package? Cierra comes out of the backroom with a white box with a yellow and black ribbon tied to the top. There’s only one person I know who’d send me something with those colors on them, and a smile instantly appears on my face as I happily grab it from her. “Thanks, CiCi!”

As I walk toward the elevator, she calls out, “Tell that boy he needs to send things to your school address if he’s going to keep giving you gifts!”

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