Page 43 of My Heart to Keep
I didn’t care what the churchgoers thought. I cared about my girl. “Tell me you love me.”
“To the stars and back. I miss you so, so much. I want to see you.”
Butterflies swarmed in my stomach. I wished I could reach through the phone and touch her. “I have a scrimmage game next month. Can you come up? I’m sure you could spend the night in Emma’s room.”
“Oh my God! Really? I would love to.” Silence stretched over the line for a beat. “But I don’t know if my dad will let me. I’ll talk to my mom.”
My fingers were crossed that her dad would say yes. “At least for the game.” If I knew Mr. Thompson, he wouldn’t let Quinn spend the night, knowing she was with me.
“My dad might agree to a day trip, and I’ll ask Celia.”
“Cool. So who unleashed the pigs?”
“No clue. Daddy is furious.”
I propped up my pillow. “Did Sloane do it?” I couldn’t see Sloane bringing pigs into school. She was a lot of things, but not somebody I could see doing pranks.
“You know she’s not moving. Her stepbrother is going to Kensington. He’s creepy too.”
“Creepy?” I didn’t like the sound of that.
“One of those guys who thinks his shit doesn’t stink. The kicker is the principal wants me to tutor him. I haven’t decided yet. With my brothers at college, Daddy has no one to help him.”
“I wish I was there.”
“I know. I miss our quick trysts in the supply closet.” Sadness tinged her voice.
My heart broke. “I do too.”
She sniffled, which was another blow to my heart.
I closed my eyes, envisioning her next to me. “I love you. But we’ll be together soon. Holidays are coming up, and hopefully we’ll see each other next month.”
“The month will feel like years.”
The week or so I’d spent away from her already felt like eons.
“Quinn,” her mom called. “Dinner is ready.”
“I have to go.” She sounded like the world was ending. “I love you. Call me tomorrow.”
Just as the line went dead, Ethan burst into the room.
My heart plummeted at the wild look he was sporting. “What did Marcus do?”
Jasper barreled in behind Ethan, guilt swimming in his brown eyes. “Sorry.”
“Marcus isn’t on campus,” Ethan said. “He’s in Ashford.”
Several swear words blared in my head. “Does Mom know? Don’t answer that. If she knew, she would’ve called me, or one of us at least. How did he get there?” Mom had a car, but none of us did.
Jasper dropped onto Ethan’s bed, flicking his unkempt blond hair from his eyes. “Marcus heard Sloane wasn’t moving. He convinced a guy on the soccer team to give him a ride. They left after lunch since practice was cancelled.”
“Why didn’t you come tell us?” I asked Jasper.
“Really? What could you or Ethan do? Marcus is Marcus, bro. I can’t stop him, and I’m not going to try.”
Ethan began to pace. “I tried to call him, but he’s not answering.”
