Page 50 of The Perfect Steal

Opening up a message to Nate, I sent up a silent plea that he was okay.

Where are you? Are you all right?

I watched the screen until it turned black, trying to focus on Mrs. Rhodes and what she was saying. I’d just have to learn it for the both of us so I could let him know what was going on when he got back, if he wasn’t already.

I’m good.

Those two words helped me breathe a sigh of relief. But I was still curious what could cause him to miss.

My sister got really sick before we got on the plane, and we took her to the hospital near the Denver airport.

At least they hadn’t been in a car wreck, but I wondered why he hadn’t texted me to let me know.

I’m so sorry, Nate. Is she okay?

She will be. They said she had some kind of food poisoning. They gave her fluids, and we’re just waiting for her to be discharged so we can head back.

Food poisoning was the worst, but having it while not close to home was brutal.

Let me know if you need anything. I’m turning in our assignment, and I’ll figure out what we need to do for the next part.

I reread what I’d typed. Text messages could be so monotone, not giving off all the emotions that made me want to help in whatever way possible.

I’d have to think of something to help, even if it was something small. Because Nate was starting to matter to me more than I’d ever thought possible. I just hoped I wouldn’t get friend-zoned.

33

Nate

The past twenty-four hours had been brutal and almost a complete blur. Watching my sister in as much pain as she was, constantly throwing up, I could relate, thinking back to the dance and the three days after. But since Sarah was so small, she got dehydrated faster than a normal person.

We were on the plane home, and I sat by her, my mom on the other side. Her head was leaning on my mom’s shoulder, and she slept, something I wished I could do. My parents and I had tried to sleep on the chairs and small couch in her room, but it hadn’t been a restful sleep.

I reread the texts Brynn sent and smiled.

“What’s got you smiling over there?” my mom asked quietly, a soft smile of her own aimed at me.

“Just some texts.”

“From whom?”

I drew in a breath, debating whether or not to lie to her about it. I’d never talked to my mom about one particular girl, and I still wasn’t sure if Brynn liked me or not. But she’d cared about way more than just the assignment.

“Brynn Miller.”

“She seems like a nice girl. Your dad said something about her coming over while Sarah and I were gone.”

My dad had talked about me and Brynn. That was something new. I nodded. “Yeah, she’s pretty special. We have a lot in common, and she pushes me to be better.”

“So I’ve heard. Jeanine Riley gave me a call the other day with the report that your grades have improved significantly since you switched classes.”

“You know my school counselor?” I asked, somewhat irritated. Of course she knew her.

My mom grinned. “I went to school with her. We were good friends until I started dating your dad.”

I nodded, not sure what to say to that. I should’ve guessed as much, since most of the people in town didn’t move away after graduation. That had been my goal for the past two years, to move away, to get out. But now I was more curious about what Brynn would do, what college she’d want to go to. Not every high school relationship worked out, but I decided I needed to be upfront with her and tell her how I felt so I could actually think about the future more accurately.

“Do you like her?” my mom asked, running her fingers through Sarah’s light brown hair.

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