Page 123 of Maybe We Can Fake It

That immediately activates my panic mode. I spring off my stool, sandwich forgotten as I rush to my office for my keys. “What happened? Did you call 911?”

“No, yeah, it’s okay. Just come.”

Running outside, I tell her, “I’m coming!”

“Thank you,” she says. And then she freaking hangs up on me.

Oh my god, why would she do that? I still don’t know what’s going on, and I want to call her back, but I also just want to get to her as quickly as possible, so I focus on driving. I debate if I should be heading straight to the hospital, but I’ll have to pass through the center of town to get to the highway anyway.

Fuck.Things were finally good between me and her grandparents. They said we were a family.

I don’t want to lose Grant now.

I’m scared.

I’m scared, and my mind is screaming at me to call Travis. Because Travis will help. He’s good in a crisis, and he’s good atcalming me down. He’ll make sure everything’s okay, I know he will.

So I call him as I drive. I don’t care if it’s weird or pathetic. I don’t have time to feel awkward about it. This is an emergency.

Except.

He doesn’t pick up.

It rings and rings, and then it goes to his very brief, surly voicemail.

I hang up, tossing my phone aside. It lands on the passenger seat, then slides to the floor. I can’t believe he didn’t answer for me.

That fucking hurts.But I push the pain down and keep driving. I’m going way over the speed limit, but there’s only like three cops in this town.

When I get near the green, I park on the side of the road and hop out of the car, not caring that my bumper is sticking out too far. As I run, my eyes are scanning the area for May and her grandparents. Damn it, there are so many people out here. Does nobody have anything better to do today?

I see Andrew. He kind of stands out with all his tattoos and his gauged ears. He’s with his friend Toby, but I don’t have time to wave to them.

“Dad!” May calls out, and I spot her right in front of the gazebo with Elise and Grant.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I ask as I reach them. I visually scan Grant, but he seems perfectly fine.

“Nothing,” May says.

I turn to her, my eyes narrowing. “Nothing?What the hell?”

She bites her lip, looking sheepish, then says, “Well, actually, there is something wrong.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve been sad,” she states matter-of-factly. And before I can argue, she holds up her hands. “You’re allowed to be sad,but I’d rather see you happy. And I’m not the only one. I think everyone in town would rather see you happy, so...”

“So?” I prompt, my fear slowly morphing into annoyance. Yes, I haven’t been doing a very good job at hiding how I’m feeling. But does she really need to bring this up in public?

“So just stand here,” she says.

“What? Why?”

Grabbing me by the shoulders, she turns me so I’m facing away from the gazebo. “Please, you’ll see. Stay there.”

As she walks backward a few steps, joining a handful of people standing off to the side of the pathway, I do what she instructs and stay where I am. Only because I’m too confused to move. I give Grant and Elise a questioning look, hoping they’ll explain what’s going on. But they only smile and walk away to sit on one of the benches.

I’m really getting frustrated now. Just last Saturday, I was standing out here when I got my heart broken, so believe me, I’d rather be anywhere else.

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