Page 39 of The Perfect Play

Mr. Davis chuckled. “Not a bit. I met my wife in high school, and we started dating a few weeks later. We went through a lot in those first few years and then again once we got married. But I wouldn’t change it for the world, even knowing how things would turn out between us. She gave me two of the greatest gifts ever, and I’m grateful for that.”

“You didn’t regret it when she left?” I winced, wishing I could’ve softened the blow a little bit.

A sad smile took over, and he said, “Nope. Well, maybe the first few days, but there are things I never could’ve given her, and if she felt she needed those things above her family, I wasn’t going to stand in her way. As long as I have those kids under my roof to love, I will forever be grateful for that.”

We sat in silence for several moments as I tossed around the ideas he’d given me. It was a completely different outlook to the one my father had offered up the week before. As if sensing my hesitation, he spoke again.

“You two have been through more in the past five years than most adults, and even though you had a falling out for a while, I think you’re both stronger for it. You know how much you need the other one. Just keep moving forward, Jake. She’ll come around.”

“Thank you, sir.” My voice came out gruff, but I felt the words resonate with me. Penny was the person in life I couldn’t lose. It had just taken way longer than it should have for me to realize that.

He patted my back. “Get some sleep. You’re going to need it to come up with a plan to win her back.”

I waved good night and headed to my house, glancing up at the window in the hopes that I’d at least see her silhouette.

More determined than before, I had to come up with a plan to convince her how much I really did care.

Chapter 30

Penny

Iwoke up feeling like I’d been hit by a train, every muscle sore from an awkward night of sleep. I’d had so many dreams about what had happened the night before, and I wanted to just forget about it and move on, go back to the goals I’d set at the beginning of the year.

Checking my phone, I realized I had a shift at the diner I’d forgotten about, meaning I had to hurry or I’d be late.

After throwing on my uniform, I ran out the door, trying to pull my hair into a ponytail. I turned the key in the ignition and heard the one sound I didn’t want to hear when I was in a hurry. Theclick-clickof the engine as it wouldn’t start. I tried it again, using every trick I could think of to get it working.

A tap came at the window, and I jumped, hitting my elbow on the console next to me. The awful feeling of hitting a nerve rippled through my forearm, and I bit my tongue to keep from shouting out.

“What do you want?” I asked Jake after rolling down the window a crack.

“I’m heading to the diner. I can take you if you want.”

Shaking my head, I said, “I’d rather eat dirt.” I sounded just like when we’d started talking more, and part of me was sorry our relationship had turned back to this.

“Penny, it wasn’t me at the party last night. I promise. You can ask Dax and Colt. You have to believe me. Did you get my texts last night? I tried to explain—”

“I deleted them, and I don’t have to believe anything,” I said, leaning forward to try the ignition again. It made the same sound, and I dropped my head to the steering wheel. Why couldn’t it just work when I needed it to?

“What if I don’t talk the entire way to the diner? Will you let me give you a ride?”

I lifted my head but avoided looking at him. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I opened the door. “Not a peep,” I said, pointing a finger at him.

The drive over was awkward, but at that point, I was too hurt to care about it. I’d deleted his number sometime during the night, and the text messages that had come in went into the trash as well. Reading them would have brought more tears, and I’d spilled more in one night than I had in a long time. My wounds felt raw already without his excuses, like they’d been clawed out by a vicious animal.

Once he parked the Jeep, I jumped out, running in to make it only a minute or two late. Jake was right behind me, grabbing an apron from the rack just after I had.

“You have to understand I wouldn’t do that to you, Penny. I know you asked for time to think it over, and I’ve been a jerk. I’m so sorry—”

“That’s enough!” I raised my hands, trying to catch my breath before I spoke again. “Just leave me alone for now, please. I need to get to work.” I didn’t even acknowledge Lou, walking out onto the dining floor, trying to regain some semblance of calm.

Seeing Claudia, I walked over to her. “Where do you need me?”

“Thank goodness you made it. I was beginning to think this would be the shift that killed me in the end.” She directed me to my assigned booths, and I got to work, making sure to focus on the customer’s words, even if my mind drifted every few seconds to the boy carrying a gray bin and a washcloth.

Each time I saw him, the image of him kissing a girl popped up, squashing any emotion I felt for him. I was just another dumb girl who’d fallen for his charms.

As much as I wanted to believe he was telling the truth, I needed to move on. To make it through my junior year and then get some kind of scholarship. Anything to get me away from this town and Jake White.

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