Page 85 of Swept for Forever
“Yeah, well, someone else called me that,” I said, and I knew my face gave me away.
His smile faded for half a second. “Guess I’ll start calling you that then.”
I shook my head. “Nah. Don’t.”
Jimmy cleared his throat. “So, you coming back to training?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“If it’s because of me and Julia?—”
“Oh, no. Not at all.” And I meant it. “I just need time. The pressure, all that. It’s a lot.”
He studied me, as if waiting for some sign that I wasn’t being honest.
“I’m happy for you,” I added. “Truly.”
“Truly?”
I nodded. Itwasreal. The revenge list I’d once kept in my head had faded. I didn’t need payback. Just telling him how I’d conquered that trail, alone and without him, had been enough. Maybe I had rubbed it in a little, but not to hurt him. Just to show I’d moved on. And maybe that was what being an adult looked like.
Jimmy then said, “Well. That’s, uh…good to hear. I’d better go.”
I waved him off, already thinking about the next time I’d wear myIBuffaloberry Hillshirt.
Back in my room, Lulu had dragged my oversized hair tie from under my pillow and was batting it around. I laughed.
My shoulders felt lighter. Maybe it was the Dom effect, or maybe it was just me finally moving on, but I meant what I said. I wished Jimmy and Julia the best.
We weren’t meant for each other. And holding on to old grudges wouldn’t do either of us any good.
“Right, Lulu?”
She gnawed on my hair tie, growling in triumph. I ruffled her head and she pounced, tackling me onto the bed in a tangle of laughter, hers and mine, in our own way.
I just wish Dom were here.
God, I really did wish that.
23
DOM
I was solidly on Autumn’s trail now.
In that poolside photo, what gave her away wasn’t her face but the blur in the corner. Half-obscured by sun flare and a crooked elbow was a word printed on a faded blue banner:Boise.
And it was enough.
The next morning, I was on the road before sunrise. I drove the entire stretch with the kind of tunnel vision that made me forget what music was. My only soundtrack was the snap of her name echoing through my skull.Autumn, Autumn, Autumn.
I found the pool.
The same one from the picture. It was indoor and local, with vending machines humming louder than the front desk.
I asked around.
I got a few shrugs and some dodged glances. One girl pretended she didn’t hear me, even though I was standing two feet from her.
