Page 61 of It's Always Been You
“Uh-oh,”AdamsingsongsasI hobble down Grandma’s porch steps. He’s gotten out of his car to greet me at the door like this is a real date—despite the fact that half the congregation of New Life Church is squished into his idling Honda Civic like clowns stuffed inside a clown car. “Are you sure you’re up for tonight?” he wonders, helping me down the last step. “I totally understand if you want to reschedule.”
I wave him off. Yes, I could cancel our plans, but I’ll have to agree to hang out with him at some point, and I’d rather not have that obligation hanging over my head. “I’m fine, honestly,” I insist as he guides me toward the passenger side door. “It was just a little fall.” One that has resulted in a bruise roughly the size of Africa. No big deal.
When Adam opens the car door for me, guilt needles my conscience. This might not be a date, but Brandon was right. Adam must still have feelings for me. I had that same hunch.
A freckle-faced kid who looks just shy of eighteen pokes his head into the front as I settle into the seat. “Hi. I’m Davy.” He gestures to the two other kids sitting next to him. “This is Matty, my little brother, and that’s Mitch. It’s nice to meet you.” He extends his hand, and I reach back to give it a shake.
“I’m only five minutes younger than him,” Matty grumbles. “But he likes to rub it in my face every chance he gets.”
I laugh. “I’m Evie.”
“We know,” Davy says. He lowers his voice and ducks his head as Adam closes the car door, following him with his eyes as he rounds the car. “You’re the infamous runaway bride. The one Adam still stalks on social media.”
“Um . . .”
Thankfully, Adam hops inside the car, ending that dumpster fire of a conversation. “Are we ready?” he asks cheerily, looking between the four of us.
“Ready!” Davy shouts, offering two thumbs up as he sits back.
As if I didn’t feel awful enough about tonight, Adam is practically bouncing with excitement as he backs out of the driveway. “So Phil and Abi said they’re gonna meet us there. I think they’re bringing some new girl, Penelope.” He turns to me, his hands tight around the wheel like he’s nervous. “Excited to meet some new people?”
I swallow. I can feel the amount of effort he’s putting into making small talk, and it pulls on my heartstrings. “So excited,” I lie, forcing a smile.
Really, I would love nothing more than to relax and enjoy a game of mini golf with Adam and his friends, but it’s hard to focus on anything but the constant ache in my lower back. At some point, I’m going to have to bite the bullet and go to the doctor. I can’t continue living like this. But . . . I’m secretly terrified that a doctor is only going to confirm my worst fear—that there’s nothing they can do about a hole in my spine, and that I’m going to have to learn to live with chronic pain. I’ve been a caregiver long enough to see that happen to one too many people.
But being told there’s nothing they can do about it can’t be worse than living with chronic pain and not knowing if there’s a solution, right?
The two-mile drive to the pedestrian mall outside of town is as awkward as I expected it to be. Apart from some small talk about work that Davy, Matty, and Mitch can’t partake in because they don’t have jobs, the journey to Putt-Putt Palace is uncomfortably quiet.
When we pull into the parking lot, a tall, dark-haired man flags us down. Adam pulls up next to his red pick-up truck and rolls the window down.
“Did you get my text?” the man asks, leaning into the car. He gives me a one-fingered wave, then smiles at the boys.
Adam shakes his head and fishes his phone out of his back pocket.
The man gestures toward the dilapidated, unlit sign hanging above the boarded-up entrance of what was formerly Putt-Putt Palace.“It closed down last spring, apparently.”
My mood soars. That’s two hours of my life I just got back.
The boys in the backseat moan and cross their arms, wiggling like restless puppies.
“Sorry, boys,” the man, who I’m assuming is Phil, laughs. He turns to us. “Did you just wanna head to McDonald’s and grab a bite, then catch an early movie? Or we could head back to mine and Abi’s place and play some board games?”
“I could go for some nugs,” Mitch mumbles, staring at his phone in his lap.
“McD’s it is.”
At McDonald’s, a petite blonde woman that I recognize from Bill’s Baked Goods sidles up to me as we get in line. “Hey, I’m Abi. And this is Penelope.” She gestures to the tall, dark-haired beauty standing next to her. “She just moved to town and has been coming to our Bible study these past few weeks, so you’re not the only newcomer.” Penelope offers a shy smile, then glances behind us before quickly looking down at her feet, her cheeks flushing with color over something. I glance back and realize Adam is staring at her.
Interesting.
Abi smiles at me, and it’s the kind of smile that puts an outsider like me at ease. She points at the tall, dark-haired man. “And that’s my husband, Phil.” She tilts her head suddenly. “And you must be Evie—New Life Church’s infamous runaway bride.”
I sigh. Does the whole town know?
“I won’t ever live that down, will I?”
“Probably not,” she agrees, laughing softly. “But I’m proud of you.”
