Page 29 of The Save

"Yeah. You too."

"Maddie!" Crystal called out, but I was already on my way to the door.

I almost made it. I pushed through the excited fans and kept my head low. But as I reached for the door handle, a hand gripped my wrist, tugging me back. A jolt shot through my arm, and I sucked in a breath as I turned.

Chase stood in front of me with a huge grin on his face. He glanced down at where he touched me and dropped my arm, then cleared his throat. "You weren't even going to say hello?"

My eyes flitted to Melody, who scooted in to stand beside him, threading her arm through his. I forced a smile. "You seemed occupied."

Chase’s mouth quirked. “You remember Melody?”

I did indeed. I remembered her more than he did, if our post-washroom conversation was to be believed. “I doubt she remembers me.”

She laughed, throwing out a hand. “Of course I do! You’re Chase’s little sister.”

Everything inside me crumbled. “Hm. Yeah, we’re not?—”

“Were you at the game tonight?” She clung tighter to Chase’s arm. “I heard it was wild.”

I nodded, glancing briefly at Chase before avoiding his gaze like it was the last Timbit on a road trip. “It was . . . pretty incredible. You weren’t there?”

She sighed. “Nope. Couldn’t make it, but Chase met me after.”

After.It took me two point five seconds to do that math. The game ended around eight thirty, and it was now ten forty-two.

The numbers didn’t lie.

I forced a smile. “So nice to see you again. I hope you have a great night.” I spun on my heel and pushed through the door.

_____

I woke up with a pounding head and a numb left arm. Blinking, I rolled and cringed at the sensation of prickling needles under my skin as the blood re-entered my limb.What the hell was that sound?

A shrill ringing sounded from the other room, and I finally connected that it was the telephone. I checked my alarm clock to see it was seven fifty-five in the morning, then groaned into my pillow before rolling out of bed in nothing but an oversized tee and my boy-shorts underwear.

Tash was up later than I was the night before, and she was going to kill me if that phone call was for me. If it was for her? I’d smother her with a pillow.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I muttered, stumbling barefoot over a laundry pile and stubbing my toe on the baseboard as I entered the kitchen.

I picked up the receiver and croaked, “Hello?”

“Oh good, you’re alive.”

I pulled to release the cord so I could sit at the table, then immediately regretted it. The chair was freezing on my half-bare butt cheeks. “Hi, Mom.”

She huffed like she’d been holding her breath. “You haven’t called all week. I was about to send a Mountie to your apartment.”

“Sorry.” I yawned. “I’ve been so busy.”

“Maddie. I’m your mother. I’ve known you since before you could pronounce 'hypotenuse.' A five-minute call won’t collapse your GPA.”

That made me grin. She was right, as usual. “I was asked to be on a committee. To help with student athletes.”

“What? When?”

“It’s been the past two weeks. I was looking for something I could do to?—”

“Make your application more impressive. For the Rhodes?”

---