“Something you want to tell me?” she said, smiling as she showed me a blue envelope.
I rushed across the floor, emotions swelling as I spotted the AU logo at the top. Welcome to the Family was written beneath the logo.
“I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even thought about checking my application,” I said, ripping the letter from inside.
Dear Claire,
Welcome to Auburn University!
“I got in,” I said, quiet at first. My eyes burned as I stared at my mom. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I got in!” I repeated, louder. “Mom, I got in! I got in!”
She hugged me and we jumped up and down.
“I got in!” I said again, handing her the letter and pulling out the rest of the information.
“You got in,” she repeated.
I patted my pocket, searching for my phone. I had to tell my dad. I had to tell Case. Adam. Adam, I needed to tell in person. He would be excited for me, but I needed to do it face-to-face.
I hit the home button on my phone. A text was waiting.
Seth: I got in
Anxiety washed over me like waves on a sandcastle, pulling my excitement out to sea and leaving the remnants destroyed in the sand.
“You okay?” my mom asked, reaching for the rest of the information.
“Yeah,” I lied. I forced a smile and cleared the text. “Going to call Dad on my way to Charlotte. I’ll text you when I get there.”
“You telling your brother, too?”
“Yeah, after the game.”
She hugged me again, her arms tight around me like she didn’t want to let go. “You’re going to do great,” she said, her voice shaky. “I’m going to miss you, and I’m going to call you every day, but I’m so incredibly proud of you. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Backpack on my shoulder and sunglasses on my head, I stepped into the afternoon and stared at the azure sky. If fate was up there, taunting me, I needed it to switch to my side.
I drove to Charlotte, begging the universe to let Seth’s Auburn acceptance be a lie. Maybe this was his way of getting my attention? I shook my head, knowing that wasn’t the truth. Seth was a jerk, but he never slacked on his grades. If he wanted to get into Auburn, he could’ve.
Everything about this made my stomach churn. I had to tell Adam. Now there wasn’t any other choice.
Dusk shot a mix of colors across the sky and reflected off the hospital’s large glass windows. I pulled into a parking space at the front and texted Adam before turning off the car.
Claire: I’m here. Good luck tonight!
He’d be too preoccupied with the game to see the text until later, but it eased my guilt. I couldn’t remedy the Seth situation in an instant, but at least this way I felt like I was focusing on Adam.
I crammed the phone in my pocket and crossed through the cars. When I found Wanda’s room, the smell of bland soup hung in the air. I scrunched my nose as she waved me in.
“Tell me you brought contraband,” she said, letting the too-thin mixture drip off her spoon. I shook my head, and she frowned. “If I give you a dollar, would you run to the vending machine and sneak me a Snickers?”
“The doctor has your sugar intake limited, but I’ll check for trail mix.”
“You’re my favorite,” she answered. “Don’t tell Adam or I’ll deny it.”
She shifted against the pillows while I took a seat on the couch and glanced at the television. An old Western was on the screen. She turned it off and smiled.
“Tell me about the outside world,” she said. “Any juicy gossip?”
“No juicy gossip,” I said, “but I come bearing gifts.” I dug into my backpack and pulled out a small electronic. Wanda’s brow furrowed until I turned it around.
“My lands,” she whispered.
“Electronic Scrabble,” I said, leaning so she could take the gift. “Didn’t think they were still around, but I found one online. Figured it would be a good distraction for when Adam and I are at school.”
Wanda lowered her glasses so they sat on the tip of her nose. The machine beeped to life, and she grinned. “I feel like a child on Christmas morning. Thank you, dear.”
“You’re welcome.”
She fiddled with the game for a minute, and I looked at my phone.
“How’s school?” she asked.
“Long,” I answered. “We have semester exams in a few weeks, so all the teachers are trying to cram information before then. Most days I feel like banging my head on the desk. Otherwise, it’s not that bad.”
“Adam doing okay in school?”
“He’s doing okay in the class we share,” I replied. “Can’t speak for his other classes, but he seems like he’s caught up.”
“Good.” She blew out an exhale and relaxed into the pillows. “I worry about him and how this affects his school. Your dad is doing such a wonderful job helping him with football and scholarships, but none of it matters if he doesn’t keep those grades up.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about him,” I said. “Adam’s pretty set on playing college football. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his chances.”
She nodded. “He was talking about Clemson and Alabama the other day, so I got the nurse to help me look them up. They looked like nice schools, but he said he’d bring me an information packet as soon as he picks. They still send those, don’t they, dear?”
“Depends on the school. Some send info, but others send instructions for how to find the information online.”
“Well, you’re a smart girl. Which would you pick?”
“Either is fine,” I said.
They weren’t the schools of my choice, but they were still good schools. If Adam was dead set on not going to Auburn, those were two football programs he’d do well in.
Goose bumps spread along my skin, brought by nerves and the frigid temperature of Wanda’s room. I raked a hand over my arm, seeing her brow tug together as she straightened in the bed.
“Are you two looking at the same schools?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” I said. “I’m going to Auburn.”
“That’s where you two went with your dad, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And remind me, where was it?”
“Alabama.”
She paused, mischief clear behind her green eyes.
“He’ll pick the best school for him,” I said. “If that’s Alabama, great. If it’s Clemson, great. Who knows, he might stay in North Carolina and surprise us all.”
“Do you want him to go to Alabama?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?”
There was a small knock on the door, and the doctor pushed it open. He glanced at Wanda, then me, then back. “Ready for respiratory therapy?” he asked, grabbing a plastic thing with a blue hose attached.
Wanda didn’t look thrilled. “Thought once was enough,” she said, scowling.
“Once was enough, three days ago,” he replied. “We upped your therapy to three times daily, remember?”
“I’m going on a food run,” I said, winking at her as I approached the door.
Wanda’s face softened momentarily, but hardened as she glared at the doctor again. I shut the door and stepped into the hall.
I found a vending machine near the lobby. Trail mix wasn’t an option, so I continued to the ground floor. The makeshift store near the cafeteria had a decent selection. I scanned the labels for the one with the least amount of sugar and headed to the register. My phone rang as the cashier scanned my stuff.
Seth.
I groaned and handed the worker a ten-dollar bill. I was cramming the change in my pocket when he called again.
My blood heated, and my hand clenched around the phone. We couldn’t do this forever, and he couldn’t take silence for a hint. I was done being patient.
“This has to stop,” I hissed into the phone, finding a chair as isolated as I could. “When I don’t answer you, it
’s because I don’t want to talk to you! Leave me alone.”
“I miss you,” he said, his deep voice curling around the words in a way that used to make me swoon.
Not anymore.
I shook my head. “No, you don’t get the right to miss me. You broke up with me. Now you get to move on and enjoy your freedom. Remember?”
“I can’t move on,” he said, sighing. “I made a mistake, Claire. I want to fix this before it’s too late.”
“It is too late. I have a boyfriend, Seth. Go find someone and be happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“Then you shouldn’t have broken my heart.” Anger swept through me. “You should’ve tried long distance. You should’ve tried something!”
“I was stupid.”
“Yeah, you were.” I turned the bag of trail mix in my free hand. “Whatever we were … it’s in the past,” I said. “Please let it go and move on. I did.”
“Do you love him?”
I hesitated as adrenaline tingled through me. When I moved to Pader, Adam was the last thing I wanted. I hadn’t expected any of this, but that didn’t change how I felt.
“Do you love him?” Seth repeated.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I do.”
Seth started to reply, but I hung up the phone before his words were all the way out. I needed nothing more from him. I, Claire Collins, was in love with Adam Meade. For now, that’s all I needed.
17
Thank You
“You need to be back by ten,” Case said, crossing his ankles atop the coffee table. “Ten-o-one and I’m ratting you out.”
“Don’t be jealous I have a date, and you’re stuck here.”
“Hook me up with Riley, and I’d have a date.”
“She’s not interested,” I said, opening the front door. “I’d have better luck hooking you up with a nun.”
“Dream crusher!”
I stepped outside as Adam shut his truck door. He closed the distance and kissed me without pause. For the first time in a while, we weren’t occupied with football or hospital visits. He was the only person who existed in my world, and I was the only one who existed in his.
“What are you doing the rest of the night?” he asked, his mouth quirking upward as he pulled his face away.
“Why? Are you trying to get me in trouble?”
His smile widened, and I glanced at the house. My parents were at the Booster Club meeting across town, and Case wouldn’t bug me unless it was an emergency. My options were open.
“I’m up for whatever,” I said, “but you’d better have me home before ten. My parents will blow a gasket if I miss curfew.”
“Noted.”
His feet crunched over loose gravel, and the passenger side door creaked open. I slid inside as our porch light turned on.
Two houses down, staked to the ground with spotlights on them, Riley’s yard held painted turkeys and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING sign. I glanced at the decorations as Adam hurried down the street, passing Tate’s Mustang parked outside.
“He’s accepting an offer from UNC,” Adam said, indicating the car.
“Really?”
Adam nodded, his eyes on the road. “He texted me earlier. Said your dad got the call this afternoon and talked to him about it. I’m happy for him. It’s a good program.”
“But Riley applied to the University of South Carolina,” I answered. “They decide to try long distance?”
“I think Tate’s hoping she’ll change her mind. Long distance rarely works, even for a couple as solid as them.”
Concerned, I glanced at Adam. Long distance was the only way we could stay together and go to separate colleges. If he didn’t think long distance was doable, we had a problem.
“You’re not into trying long distance?” I asked.
“Are you?”
I shrugged and looked at the sidewalk through the window. Orange leaves riffled in the breeze, swept away by darkness and a season they couldn’t control. Tension filled the truck as we rode the rest of the way in silence. When we reached his house, Adam pulled into the driveway and parked.
“What’s up?” he asked, his brow furrowed. “Why do you look like that?”
“I look like nothing,” I replied. I pushed open the truck’s door, but Adam caught up with me before I reached the yard.
“I know you better than that,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I repeated.
“Claire.” He blocked the sidewalk and towered over me like a statue in the dark. His jaw clenched as his eyes scanned my face. “I can’t read your mind,” he said, “and I don’t have the energy for this. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“You wouldn’t even try long distance, would you?” I asked, my words muffled by the sound of leaves scraping across the pavement.
“Do you really think it would work?”
“Maybe.”
He sighed and scratched his jaw. “I’ve never been in a position where I had to think about the possibility of long distance,” he said, “and it’s not something we need to worry about right now. I still have colleges to tour, and you might decide to change your mind. Who knows, maybe the decision will be made for you. Maybe it won’t even be an issue.”
I took a step back, trying to register what I hoped he hadn’t said. “I’m sorry,” I answered, holding up a hand to halt him. “Did you just imply that maybe I won’t get into Auburn?” He frowned, and I shook my head, feeling the sting of unspoken betrayal. If he didn’t think I could get in, he didn’t deserve to know I was accepted. “How dare you.”
“I wasn’t trying to make you mad,” he said, his tone turning sharp. “I just meant keep your options open. Get a backup plan in case something goes wrong.”
“In case I don’t get in?!” My fists balled at my sides. “That’s a real dick thing to say, Adam! How would you feel if I said maybe you wouldn’t get a football offer? Or, maybe you’ll tear up your knee and end your football career for good?”
“That’s not fair,” Adam answered, his tone softer than before. “I wasn’t saying you wouldn’t get in. I’m sure you will. You’re smart. You know that.” He pivoted and stalked to the front door, his footsteps echoing off the porch as he sifted through his keys. “I don’t even know how we got to this point. I told you about Tate and Riley, and somehow it turned into an argument between us. What am I missing? How did we get here?”
“Well, you started by attacking long-distance relationships. Then you pretty much said I may not get into Auburn. You’re at two strikes, and you’re working toward a third.”
“What do you want me to say?” He pushed open the door and stepped into the dark. The light in the entrance flickered on. “I already told you I wasn’t trying to piss you off with the Auburn thing. All I want is for you to keep your bases covered. If Auburn works out, great. If it doesn’t, have a backup plan. As far as long-distance relationships go, I won’t sugarcoat what I think of them. Nine out of ten times, they don’t work. You may not like it, but that’s how I feel.”
“I feel like you’re being a jerk,” I said.
“I feel like you’re being unreasonable.” He moved into the kitchen, ignoring me as I remained cross-armed in the entrance. “You want ice cream?” he asked, poking his head around the corner. “I bought some from the store yesterday.”
“You just ate.”
“And now I’m eating again. Come in here so I can stare at you while I scoop. If you want to stay mad at me, fine. Just do it with me here. I don’t want to miss out.”
I entered the kitchen. He smiled at me as I walked through the door.
“I hate it when you do that,” I said, scowling at him as he grabbed two bowls.
“Hate it when I do what?”
“That,” I said, motioning at him. “You go from pissed to happy in point five seconds. It isn’t fair.”
He grinned and placed the bowls on the counter. After scooping a decent helping into both, he returned the ice
cream to the freezer and licked the spoon before tossing it into the sink.
“Life isn’t fair,” he said, cornering me against the counter. “But we deal with it and move on. This is something we have to deal with, but we don’t have to deal with it right now. Let’s move on.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I said, looping my hands around his neck.
“Would it help if I said please?” His teeth scraped the space between my neck and my ear and I arched into him.
“I have to be home soon,” I answered, feeling his hand move along my spine. “I have a test in English tomorrow, and I still have to study.”
“What if I volunteered to help you?” he replied.
“Then maybe I’d take you up on your offer.” His mouth tugged upward, and he kissed me. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll definitely take you up on your offer.”
“Good answer.”
He kissed me again, this time rougher, and I tugged on the hair at the base of his neck. His hair had grown shaggy and was in desperate need of a cut, but the curls at the end made it easy to twine my fingers through the strands.
“We have to talk about this eventually,” I said, pausing.
“I know,” he agreed, “but not tonight.”
He pulled away, took our bowls, and headed to the living room. I followed, grabbing the remote from the coffee table as he took a spot on the couch.
“Been meaning to ask you,” I said, taking the bowl he handed my way, “you going to the hospital on Thanksgiving or do you plan on staying in town?”
“I’ll be there some of the day,” he answered, looking at me as he took a bite. “Why? You want to do something?”
“We can. My mom usually does dinner, and I’m free after that. Most of the family will be there—including, but not limited to, my hipster cousins and my uncle Phil. You can come if you want, but you’ll probably get a ton of questions about football. We usually watch a game or two. Phil thinks he’s an ESPN analyst. Sure he’ll bug you about prospects, stats, and everything in between.”
“Phil sounds like my kind of guy,” Adam answered, nodding. “I’ll head to Charlotte early that day so I can do lunch with my grandma beforehand.”
Surviving Adam Meade Page 15