Page 57 of The Perfect Steal

“Son,” my dad said, tears in his eyes as he leaned against the driver-side door. “Is that really what you think of me? That I abandoned you?”

A mound formed in my throat, and I nodded, knowing that honesty might hurt right now, but it was needed to move into the future.

“I’m sorry. I never meant for that to happen. It was just hard because your schooling was our life for several years, and I had to find another way to feel fulfilled, like I was making a difference in some way, even if it wasn’t the same as before. Can we go get breakfast tomorrow, no phones allowed?”

I smiled, hoping this would be the start of a big change for us. “I’d love to, Dad.”

40

Brynn

I was sure that the day had already passed, as I’d slept through most of it. And yet my phone kept saying it was still December twenty-sixth and that it was only five pm. Why couldn’t time just pass so I wouldn’t have to think about this day for another 364 days?

A car engine sounded outside, but I didn’t move, didn’t think there would be anyone there to see me, especially today of all days.

Seconds later, the doorbell rang, and I exhaled, wondering if it was Mom coming back. She probably wouldn’t have rung the doorbell, though, if it were her.

I focused on the bunny in my arms, Chloe’s favorite stuffed animal that I’d saved in one of my drawers ever since her passing. Why did it have to hurt so much to love someone, even when they were gone? It was as if my mom had been gone since those final days in the hospital, with my dad soon following. He’d tried to be part of our lives every once in a while, but now with Nate avoiding me, it was as though John and I had been completely abandoned.

A knock sounded on my door, and I tried to decide if playing asleep would work in my favor.

“Brynn,” a shaky voice asked, causing my heart rate to pick up speed. Nate?

“Brynn, can I come in?”

Seconds ticked past, and I finally called out in a weak voice, “Come in.” Did I want to talk to him? Yes and no. The solution to that was finding out why he’d avoided texting me the past week and a half.

The door opened, but I didn’t turn, just kept staring at the opposite wall. Here I was, near tears again when he was around.

“Hey,” he said, coming around the bed and kneeling so he was more eye level. He ran a hand over my hair and cupped my cheek for a few seconds. “I’m so, so sorry, Brynn. I’ve been so selfish, and I hope you can forgive me.”

I noticed a small paper bag next to him, curious what he’d brought for me.

Without looking directly at him, I asked in a whisper, “Why didn’t you text me back?”

He frowned, looking as though the question cut him deeply. “I guess I’m so used to being worried about appearances. It’s been something I’ve had to deal with my whole life, even more now that my family is under the scrutiny of the town. The thought that I could lose my friends, and you, after everything we’ve been through…it was crippling. But after going over our last conversation, I realized I was selfish, and you were just trying to help me, pushing me since I haven’t pushed myself.”

I made a slight snort and nodded against the pillow.

“I know today is kind of a big day for you, and I’ve come to fulfill my promise. With John’s help, I have some things planned. We’re going to ride bikes and eat purple Laffy Taffys and Cheetos Puffs, as well as play board games as long as you want.”

I glanced up at the headboard, hoping to stop the surge of tears. Those had all been Chloe’s favorite things, and today, of all days, I needed a reminder of her goodness.

“But first, I want to tell you that these couple weeks without you have been the worst and longest days of my life. I need you, Brynn. I love hearing your laughter and how you aren’t afraid of being smart and being an athlete. And I love that you’ve always accepted me for me. Will you forgive me for being an idiot?”

Hope passed his face in spades, and I finally sat up, hoping my hair wasn’t too matted and my eyes too puffy. I reached out and placed my hands on either side of his face.

“I just wanted you to know that you are so much smarter than faking dumb to be one of the cool kids. There’s nothing wrong with being a star student and a star athlete.”

He nodded and glanced down, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I have one thing I need to ask you. Just give me a second.”

He handed the phone to me and pointed to an app near the bottom of the screen. When I clicked on it, it looked more like a dating app than something he should be showing me right now.

The main screen turned to a picture of me and then changed to a picture of me and him together. It looked like a picture of me talking to him after he’d been covered in whipped cream and pie.

I laughed, wondering what all this meant. It wasn’t like we’d taken a bunch of pictures together, except for the ones meant for the project.

“So, when we were working on coding together, you actually helped with the next part,” Nate said, his eyes shining.

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