Page 107 of Keeping it Real

Sheridan lunged forward when the camera went black.

“He knew,” she whispered before practically shouting it.“He knew!”

“Are you calling us?”Finn asked from the side of the pool.“Is it time to get out?”

She checked the phone.They still had ten minutes left.

“Yes,” she lied.

If she hurried, she might be able to catch Alek.She leaped up from the chaise and tossed each boy his towel.

“He knew, and he forgave me,” she muttered.

The two boys exchanged a bewildered look as they toweled off.

“Who knew?”Gunner asked.

“I have to tell Alek,” she responded.

“You can tell Alek at the game,” Finn said.

“Oh my gosh, the game.”She paced around the pool deck.“I can’t distract him before the game.He hates that.”

She plopped back down on the chaise.

“And what if he can’t forgive me?”She buried her face in her hands.

“My dad gives my mom chocolate when she gets like this,” she heard Gunner say.“Hurry.Do you have any M&Ms left?”

A small hand holding two M&Ms suddenly appeared beneath her bowed head.She sobbed out a laugh before looking up at Finn.

“See.I told you.Works like a champ.”Gunner puffed out his chest.

Her laughter came more easily now.She took the chocolate candies and popped them into her mouth before she pulled both boys into a hug.

“You’ll never know if he’ll forgive you if you don’t take a chance and ask him.”

The words had come out of Finn’s mouth, but it was definitely Jamie’s voice she heard.

What was in that pill the doctor gave her last night?Whatever it was, it was making her delusional.

You are worthy of your own joy, Sheridan.Always choose happiness.

Delusional or not, she could feel her brother’s words empowering her.She’d let him down, yet he’d forgiven her.Perhaps Alek would, also.He and Finn were right.She’d never know if she didn’t try.

She jerked up from the chaise.“I’m choosing happiness.”

“Yay!”both boys cheered.

“What happens now?”Gunner asked once they’d done a little happy dance.

Sheridan grabbed both their hands and tugged them in the direction of the conference room the team had commandeered.“We go find Alek.”

They raced inside, nearly tripping over Lori in the hallway.

“Are they still in there?”Sheridan asked her.

“Uh, no.They were headed outside to the bus a minute ago.”

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