Page 54 of The Forever After Bet

She blows out a breath. “I believe you, but that’s not what it looked like from here.”

I set my bags down and take Hannah’s hand. “I’m sorry. She knows how to unnerve me. I won’t let anything like that happen again, I promise.”

“Okay,” Hannah says, turning Bree’s note over and over in her hands. “How did she know this? I mean, she got it all wrong, but she was close. Killer peace leader, that doesn’t even make any sense.”

“Hold on.” I pull my basketball bag from over my head and unzip it, pulling out my red away jersey. I turn it inside out and show Hannah her note that’s pinned there. “The signature has a smudge because when I opened your note…” I rub the back of my neck, embarrassed. “A tear fell on the note, smudging it.”

Hannah’s lip pouts. She glances around the bus. We’re sitting toward the back, and our friends surround us. She leans in, kissing me. “Thank you for telling me that. I was so nervous when I shoved it in your locker.”

I brush her curls behind her ear. “After I got this note, I knew we needed to talk and figure things out.” I sit back, putting my arm around Hannah. She pulls out all the notes girls left in my locker, and we open them.

23. Basketball Charm

“Oh, my heck!” I sit up, looking at the note in my hand. I turn it over, but nothing’s written on the back.

“Who’s it from?” Ford asks.

“You’ll never believe it. It’s from Melissa Ellis.” I laugh.

“No, it’s not.”

I hand Ford the note. “Be the reason someone smiles today. It’s a nice quote. I wonder why she wrote me a note?”

“Why did all the other girls write you notes? Her reason is the same.”

“If Bree found out, she’d freak out,” Ford says.

I put all the notes back in my backpack and lean against Ford, looking out the window. Is this how it’s always going to be with Ford? Even when we’re in college? Girls fawning over him and offering themselves to him. I tip my head back, looking at him.

“Is everything okay?” He leans down, kissing the corner of my mouth.

“Yes. I was just realizing how lucky I am to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one. All the girls who wrote those notes. They don’t know me. They only know about me. They like me because I’m good at football and have a nice smile. You see the person behind all of that; the real me, and that makes all the difference.”

“Thank you for saying that.” I lay my head on his shoulder.

“How was PE today?” Ford asks.

“It was good. Coach Eskelson had a yoga instructor who owns a studio downtown come and teach us. It was fun. Mainly because I’m more flexible than any of the other kids, and it was funny to watch them try to make the poses.” I laugh.

“Nice. When is your dance recital again?”

“It’s in two weeks, on Saturday the sixteenth. It starts at six. Are you going to come?” I ask.

“Heck, yes, I am. You’re dancing, right?”

“Um, yes, but I’m not performing my competition piece. The recital is for the classes Micah, Sophie, and I teach. It’s kind of like a Christmas play, only with dancing. My class is dressing up as elves.”

“Are you dressing up as an elf?”

“Yep.”

“I cannot wait!”

“I’m excited for my girls to show off what they’ve been working on for the last four months.”

When we get to Eagle High School, Ford and I wait until everyone is off the bus. I stand in the aisle with him, skimming my hands inside his vest. “You’re all set with your good luck kiss. Plus a few others.” I tilt my head, smirking.

---