Page 57 of The Forever Formula
Steph took her phone back. “I promised not to bethatmom, but it turns out I can’t help it.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“We have to have you over for dinner soon. So, who else in town have you caught up with? The Harts, I assume?” She cocked an eyebrow at me.
What a loaded question that was. “I saw them. All but Jameson, since he moved a few hours away.”
Stephanie nodded. “Yes, near Denver, last I heard. What about Noah? He got even cuter, didn’t he?”
She was prying, and for good reason. She’d known how fast and hard I’d fallen for Noah the summer before I left for college.
“He did,” I said carefully, holding back as much as I could. I didn’t want to scratch those scabs today if I could help it.
Stephanie lifted a brow. “He’s single.”
Okay, so this topic wasn’t going to drop easily.
Sighing, I said, “We had a date.”
Her eyes went wide, a contented smile on her face. “I love it.”
I shook my head. “I think we might have already fizzled out, to be honest.”
I hated admitting it, but I couldn’t hide from the truth forever. Noah had effectively ghosted me. If that was how he wanted it, I was going to respect it.
• • •
It was Friday night, which from May to September meant the best place to be was the downtown festival. But now that it was October, everyone was focused on one thing tonight: high school football.
Small towns like mine loved their football, and the Kodiak Canyon Cubs had the stands packed. I might not have gone if it wasn’t for Stephanie reminding me how much we used to love the walking tacos from the snack stand.
So, Friday night, I bundled up in the old KCHS hoodie I found in the closet of my childhood bedroom, threw on my wool jacket, layered some leggings under my jeans—because the metal stands made my butt freeze—and headed out.
I was late, and the parking lot was already packed. Hoofing it from the grass overflow lot, I finally shuffled my way through the bleachers.
It was such a weird feeling being back. How long would this intense nostalgia last? Every inch of this school reminded me of something or someone. Things I hadn’t thought about in years were suddenly at the forefront of my mind.
“Rachel!”
I spun around as a voice shouted my name.
Natalie, Dottie, Austen, and Noah were all sitting together. All of them waved me over except Noah. He managed to pretend to be so absorbed in the game that even a nudge to the ribs from Austen had no effect.
Dottie moved over and patted the spot between her and Natalie. I was grateful, because it meant the space was already warm.
“Good to see everyone,” I said, giving Dottie and Natalie a little side hug before waving down the row to the Hart men.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Natalie said.
“I didn’t either, to be honest. I ran into an old friend, and she reminded me about how much fun the games could be. I figured I couldn’t stay cooped up in the cabin all weekend.”
Natalie nodded and patted my hand. I knew she was probably wondering if Noah and I had worked our issues out.
“There’s tailgating before the games too. Food trucks, that sort of thing,” Austen said.
I was surprised Austen was talking to me, to be honest.
Was I still offended by his suggestion that I couldn’t hack it? Hell yes. But I knew our years growing up together meant that we shared a certain level of tough-love honesty between us. Plus, it had been a while since the fight, and I was crushing my winter preparations, so I no longer gave a damn what he thought.
