Page 30 of The Significance of Moving On

At halftime she leaves to use the restroom and comes back with two bags of skittles and a bottle of water. Tally offers me a drink of the water.

Third quarter, we’re 3rdand 10. The quarterback golden boy, hands off the ball to the running back. And it’s at this precise moment when I see who exactly I’m up against. This isn’t just some football game. He isn’t just the running back. I’m staring down the enemy. He’s a winner. A god in this house tonight. Mackey. #43. “He’s on the football team?”

Tally knows exactly what I’m asking. She nods.

“And homecoming court.” Princely running backs don’t wait until a week before the dance to score a date, which means he had to have asked a hell of a lot earlier and she said yes probably when we weren’t getting along. But she cried about it. And the kiss. It doesn’t matter that we can’t work. That kiss meant something. Now I feel like an idiot for even being here.

My whole body tenses. He just became real. What was once a name is now a real person. Yeah, he’ll be coming to pick her up tomorrow. But the Able Mackey in my head has freckles, pimples and loves to play chess. Chess, not football. This kid, his face gets plastered all over local news.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to watch the game with you.” Tally pulls at my elbow trying to get me to look at her. “Please, say something, Casey.Please.”

What is wrong with me? I can’t even look at her much less speak to her. She hangs on with a death grip; her fingers pinch into my arm. It’s cold and she’s shivering. But one has nothing to do with the other. I can’t see past the red in front of my eyes and throw down the empty popcorn bucket in an irrational temper tantrum. A few of the un-popped kernels scatter around our feet. I pry her fingers off and step around her.

“Where are you going?” Her voice strains, like she’s doing everything in her power not to break down around all of her classmates.

“They’re about to win. The running back will need a pretty girl on his arm to celebrate.”

She flinches like I’ve slapped her, and I guess maybe I have. I guess maybe I meant to. She hasn’t actually done anything wrong here. I don’t know why I feel like I have to take my, my insecurities out on her. But I do. I have. And I walk away.

I hate myself and I hate my brother Luke more than I’ve hated him since he died. If that day had never happened, I’d walk back over to that girl and kiss her until her toes curled, legs went limp and I had to hold her up to keep kissing her.

She could have any kind of relationship she wants with the running back. He probably has a scholarship lined up to some major university. He’s better for her, the better choice. I have to let her go. Instead of taking the black tarred path that runs the length of the field outside the fence that separates us from the players, going toward the concession stand, I turn sharply to go hide out behind the bathrooms. There’s a strong possibility that I might puke at any second.

“Casey? Casey Davenport?” The voice seems familiar and after a quick scan of the area, I find the face the voice is attached to.

“Spencer? What are you doing here?”

“My brother plays for the opposing team. He’s their quarterback. Thought you were going to call.” I consider her, hands are shoved deep inside the pockets of her blue or black fleece jacket—it’s too dark to tell from where she’s standing. The temperature has dipped enough for me to watch the white puffs of air escape her mouth like she’s puffing an electronic cigarette. She’s just as pretty now as she was at the bar.

“Been working a lot. I finally got a night off. Got tomorrow off, too.”

“Work,huh? If you didn’t want to go—”

“Ihavebeen working. Seven days a week for the past month. I know it’s short notice, and I’m not implying you don’t have anything better to do tomorrow…”

“You’re rambling.”

“Yes I am. But I’m also asking you out for tomorrow evening. If you’d like to go.”

“I’d like to go.”

Chapter Fifteen

I can see Tally in the curve of Spencer’s hips, even though Tal is smaller. I can see her in the smile Spencer shoots my way, although Tal’s reaches higher on her face, crinkling at her eyes. And then—shit—then I see Tally. Literally, I see her alive and in the most exquisitely elegant flesh with Able Mackey holding the door for her, and then taking her arm. And she looks from top to toe stunning, which I’d already established at the house this evening by making a huge ass of myself instead of apologizing for my behavior at the game like I’d intended.

Isn’t this what I wanted? For her to move forward with her life? Didn’t I fucking insist on it when I made this date with Spencer? God, I’m such a fool. No wonder this place sounded good to me. She must have mentioned it. I’m sure of it, otherwise how could I be here now with this perfectly lovely woman who is trying like mad to hold my attention but when she glances over toward the object of my gaze, she laughs softly, pushing up from her chair.

“Where you going?”

“Home.”

“No. What? No. Please stay.”

“Listen, you seem like a nice guy and I like being here with you tonight, but you sure aren’t here with me tonight. Go be with your girl.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“Then you sir, are stupider than you look, because she’s not on her date either.”

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