Page 39 of The Perfect Steal

I just hoped that by the time I saw her again, she’d be happier.

23

Brynn

Nate had been so sweet coming to check on me. But there was no way he was going to be interested in me now, the girl who runs away and cries when something is off in her life. But with the way he spoke to me, the safety and support I hadn’t felt in a long time came rushing toward me, and I hoped he wasn’t just feeding me a line.

I wish I could say that I got up and marched downstairs, demanding an explanation from my mom about our missed appointment today, but I stewed a bit more, running through possible scenarios for this major conversation.

By the time I made it downstairs, John announced she’d gone somewhere else, taking away all the determination I’d built up.

“Hand me that bag of Cheetos,” I said, slumping next to John on the couch.

“That bad, huh?” he asked, complying with my request.

I bit down on a Cheeto and chewed, trying to form the words to describe it. Junk food wasn’t on my usual dietary list during the season, so this was a big tipping point.

“She asked me this morning to go get our nails done and go out for some food. I’ve been waiting all day for a text or a phone call from her. That was the least she could have done.”

Footsteps came from the other room. “That was some good film,” my dad said, walking toward us. “Where’s the guy? What did I miss?”

John started laughing, the loud, slap-your-knee kind, while I just rolled my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood to relay what had happened. Pitting my parents against each other would only drive the wedge between them deeper, and I didn’t want to deal with a divorce right now. I had enough on my plate.

“Nate had to go home. I’m sure you’ll see him again,” I said. “He’s on John’s baseball team.” Then again, my dad didn’t make it to too many baseball games, always trying to prepare for the next season.

“And Brynnlikeshim,” John said, curling up next to the other edge of the couch and out of reach of my fist.

"Well, you might want to keep your mouth shut, or you won’t survive to get your driver’s license,” my dad said, laughing. “What’s for dinner, you two?”

We both shrugged, and after a quick inspection of the food my mother bought, he said, “I’ll order some pizza.”

I tried not to internalize the reason my mother had stood me up. Tried not to think it was because she didn’t want to hang out with me, but the thought only sank deeper, and I leaned over, resting my head on John’s shoulder.

He patted me on the top of the head. “You’ll be fine. Maybe you should text Nate. Make sure he got home okay.”

I sat up, trying to decide if he was joking or being serious. His smile was genuine, and I leaned back down, pulling the phone from under the blanket I’d half stolen from John, and tapped out a message to Nate.

There might not be a future between the two of us now, but at least I could express my gratitude and see where things headed.

24

Nate

I’d only seen Brynn in the hall once on Monday, but I was too far away to talk to her or really see how things were going. In Life Skills, she’d been quiet, smiling at me, but the action didn’t reach her eyes. She’d thanked me for coming over and for texting back and forth on Sunday night, but I could tell she was a little hesitant around me.

I’d thought about it the whole way home from school, trying to figure out a way to cheer her up and help her smile go back to normal, back to the lunch we’d had when she’d tried the fry in the shake.

A knock sounded at the door later in the evening, and since my sister and parents were all gone, I answered it.

“Penny, Jake, what are you guys doing here?”

“You coming to the game?” Jake asked, reaching out for a high five.

“What game?” I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

“The basketball games. They’ve got the ladies’ games at the school tonight.”

“How come you guys are going?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe. I’d been planning on heading over a little later, but it would be fun to have some of my friends there.

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