Overnight Sensation(97)

Georgia must sense that I’ve had enough. “Ladies, I have some gifts from our team, and I have tickets for tomorrow night’s game for everyone here. But we need to get Jason back to the hotel for a team meal.”

“I want to help you with your participation drive,” I tell Carrie. “Send Georgia the information, and we’ll see what we can do.”

“That would be amazing,” she says, wiping her eyes.

We take a couple of photos together, then Georgia does a great job of wrapping things up. Carrie and Anita leave first, and Georgia puts a blubbering Jolene into a taxi. I walk my family to their cars in the parking garage.

“See you tomorrow night, honey,” my mother says, squeezing me tightly. “You were a rock in there. I don’t know how you do it.”

Praise doesn’t help. My recent behavior hasn’t made me feel like anyone’s rock.

“Where’s Heidi, by the way?” my dad asks.

“Ah, about that,” I say with a sigh. “I don’t know if that’s going to work out.”

“Oh no,” my mother says. “Why?”

“It’s all me,” I admit. “I have been difficult, and she got fed up.”

“You, difficult?” My sister Jackie snorts.

Mom’s eyes grow sorrowful. “Maybe it’s not too late? I really liked her.”

“You never know,” I say. I feel so much relief at having survived the meeting that anything seems possible. “See you tomorrow!”

“Go Brooklyn!” my dad says as he starts the car.

After they pull out and drive away, I walk back over the pedestrian walkway toward the hospital. Georgia has texted me. Making a quick call. Be with you in five minutes. Find the taxi stand? It’s out in front somewhere.

Will do, I reply.

I head to hospital’s main entrance. Outside, there’s a bus shelter that might also serve as a taxi stand, so I wander towards the busy spot.

My subconscious snags on a young woman who’s facing away from me. And I immediately get this indescribable lift inside—like there’s suddenly more space in my chest. I take a second glance, and notice that her honeyed curls look a lot like Heidi’s.

That’s ridiculous, of course. There’s no reason why Heidi should be sitting on a bench waiting for the bus in Minneapolis. But just the suggestion of Heidi makes me so happy. That’s something I’m going to have to think about later.

Then she turns her head, and I’m astonished to see that it is actually Heidi Jo Pepper sitting on that bench in the brisk November wind. She dabs her eyes with a tissue.

She’s here. It’s really her. And she’s upset.

I’m running to her before I even realize it. When I reach the bench, I pluck her into my arms and wrap both arms tightly around her. She gasps but then quickly settles against my chest.

And somehow everything clicks into place.





Heidi


“What are you doing here?” Jason asks.

The question lacks finesse, but his hug is perfection. My poor little heart starts tap dancing to the tune of hope. A girl can be meticulous at prioritizing her wish list, but sometimes her heart scribbles out all the attainable things and scrawls JUST THIS FOREVER at the top of it.

And how do I even explain why I’m here?

“I had this idea that you needed a friend today, even if we can’t be together. But then I got here late and you had your family around you and didn’t need me.” I’m starting to babble, but I can’t stop. “But I also see now that I’m way out of my depth. And it’s okay because I get it now. I finally understand. I brought your sandwich, though, so you might want to eat it anyway.”

His lips are coasting over my cheekbone, causing goosebumps to break out all over my body. “You brought me a sandwich.”

“I thought you might need it.” And right then, I have a flash of insight. “Jason, did Lissa make the first sandwich for you?”

“She did. I should have told you that. I should have told you a lot of things. We need to talk,” he says.

“Okay.” I hate those words. But he’s still hugging me tightly. So at least I have that.

“I’m sorry I’ve been awful.”

“It’s all right. We can be friends. I meant that.”

“No, see, we can’t.”

My heart drops. “We can’t? Is it because we already had filthy, dirty, sex?”

“No.” He chuckles in my ear. “We can’t be just friends because you’re much more to me than that. Even if I’ve been too big of a punk to admit it. I’m still struggling, Heidi. November is always a rough month for me. But if you can give me another chance, I swear I’ll do a better job.”

“Of what, though?” I lean back and look him in the eye. “If you’re still in love with someone else, I’m not going to try to compete with that.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “See…” He sits down on the bench and takes my hand. I let him tug me down to sit beside him. “It’s like this—the part of me that’s still eighteen will always love an eighteen-year-old girl I once knew. And—this is the greater problem for me—I’ll always feel bad about not being there for her. But I’m not a teenager anymore.”