Page 34 of Catch Me
Shit, I’d forgotten that I actually had an update for him today. Damn squirrel brain.
Instead of texting him, I hit call.
“Hey,” he answered on the second ring.
“Hey back.” I smiled at the stupidity of the whole thing.
He laughed lightly, which was a bit jarring. “Uh, what’s up?”
“Oh, you know, the usual.”
“What’s the usual?”
“Wake up, have too much caffeine, field thirsty Insta comments, and get abused by my dog.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Does it? Most people think my life is boring.”
“That’s dumb. Your life is dope.”
I hummed thoughtfully as I walked outside. “It’s good that you think that because you might be spending some time down here. They drafted a contract. I’ll have them email it to you so that you can e-sign it instead of making another trip.”
“Oh my god. Are you serious?”
“Deadly. I do know that they want you here for a few days a week for two or three weeks in December. Since it’s not just a photo shoot, they want to make sure you have time to do what you need to do and make adjustments and all that. It’s apparently been a bitch to get the guys scheduled and make sure we can have the field, which forced them to spread out the days. They’re gonna factor flights and lodging into what they pay you, but it’ll only be one flight, and since I know you have school, I’m more than happy to get you here and back as needed.”
“I can do a few weeks,” he interrupted. “Break starts the fifth, but all my finals get turned in online, so I don’t have to go that week.”
“Oh. That’s pretty perfect, huh? Don’t you want to go home, though?”
“I’ll go see my mom for Christmas. I was gonna spend most of it with my dad, but...I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup.”
“Okay,” I drawled. “Like I said, they’re including some estimated amount for a hotel stay, and I don’t know how much it’ll be, but if you want, you can pocket that extra money and stay here. Totally up to you.”
There was a long pause before he responded. “Why are you always so nice?”
“I don’t know. It’s a gift and a curse. There’ve been a lot of times I was treated poorly throughout my life, and I fought to get where I am. I often think about that, though: How different could things be if people just had that one moment where someone offered them a hand? One opportunity could change the trajectory of their whole life, and maybe it would’ve come at the perfect time, before they were about to give up and throw it all away.
“Whether I see someone’s potential or their pain, I think that if I have the power to step in, I’m doing them and myself a disservice if I choose to walk away. Sorry,” I laughed. “You didn’t ask for all of that.”
“It’s fine. I’ll drive there since it’s less than twelve hours and...I guess I’ll stay with you.”
“Great. We’ll work out the details after you sign the agreement.”
He ended the call without saying anything else. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a mistake to offer him a room. Three weeks was a long time, and he’d likely spend it being an asshole or shutting himself away, which was probably the better option.
I’d been in a weird place emotionally, and I was exercising more to work through my anger. Just talking to Pete on the phone earlier made me want to yell at him, even though he wasn’t the one who wanted me to censor myself. He was just the messenger.
I stopped hiding when I was fifteen. Before that, really, but I became unapologetic about it after I got home from Dumont. There’d never been a moment that I refrained from speaking my mind, especially when it came to issues as important as this one. I had no choice now, and it felt like I was betraying that frightened teenager who was so desperate for acceptance that his fear turned into an anger so deep that it stayed with me even now.
“Come on, Tessa. Let’s go for a run. Yeah, another one.”
*****
