Page 112 of Facing the Line

She rolls her eyes. “Girl, I was trying to get you to see how much you love him and realize he’s what you want.”

Gasping, I smack her shoulder lightly. “You’re the worst!”

“I know.” She sticks her tongue out at me, not a bit remorseful.

I take a deep breath and express another fear. “What if I’m not good enough for him?”

“What?” Kendall’s eyes widen. “That’s not possible.”

“I rejected him when he told me he loved me.”

She puts her hand on mine. “And if he really loves you, that won’t be enough to scare him away.”

“But what if?—”

“Don’t you think Jonas should get to decide what he wants?”

“Well…” That makes a lot of sense. I don’t have an argument against her logic.

“Uh-huh.” She gloats a little, but I let her get away with it. It’s her reward for being such a great friend and speaking truth to me when I needed to hear it.

I square my shoulders. “There’s only one thing left to do. Figure out how to get Jonas back.”

Chapter

Forty-Nine

JONAS

Evan: You still volunteering today?

Jonas: Yeah.

Evan: Good. I’ll meet you there.

With a sigh, I climb out of my Jeep and stare at the Second Chance sign. Maybe some dopamine hits from dogs will help me find my equilibrium.

I listened to Hunter and Evan and have been taking better care of myself. I’m still working out but not being crazy about it. Still playing hockey and putting everything into it for the team, but out of love and not guilt. My body is adjusting, too. I’m not exhausted and sore all the time, and my appetite has returned. I’m lighter, better. Not happy, exactly, but not spiraling.

My heart aches, remembering the time I brought Hadley here, but I shake it off. I can’t let my memories taint everything. Maybe once it stops hurting so bad, we can be friends again. But right now, I need to do this for me.

I miss her. Part of me will probably always miss her. Love doesn’t go away; it just gets turned in a different direction. And right now, I’m going to direct it toward some puppies.

Squaring my shoulders, I enter the shelter. The yellow fluorescents buzz overhead and Bonnie, the sweet receptionist, smiles at me.

“Jonas.” Her eyes twinkle. “I was hoping you’d show up today.”

She pushes the visitor log towards me across the counter and I sign in. “Oh yeah? Any particular reason?”

“A droopy Basset Hound named Bilbo Baggins.”

“Is he a Tolkien fan?”

She shrugs, her short brown curls bouncing. “Not sure, but he does have furry feet and likes to eat a lot of meals. And he’s about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ll definitely say hi to him.”

“See if you can find him,” she says as I push open the door to head to the kennels. Find him? Where would he be hiding? I consider going back to ask her as the door closes. Oh well, I’ll figure it out.

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