I looked down at my feet, fighting off the disappointment. This whole trip might’ve been a waste of time. Collin didn’t want to come back. He’d made himself perfectly clear. This was his new life.
With a grim smile, I looked back up at him one last time. My eyes scanned his face, trying to memorize every little detail. The arch of his nose, the height of his cheekbones, the way his lips curved, the exact brown of his eyes. I seared it into my brain as if this were the last time I were ever going to see him again.
“I’d better get back to school before they notice we’re gone,” I said, backing away slowly. My heart had had enough for one day. Any longer in Collin’s presence and it was going to shatter.
His frown deepened and he rubbed a hand over his chin. “Yeah, you should go.”
I started back toward the parking lot when the sound of him saying my name made me freeze.
“Audrey, I—”
“Collin?” A tall man came walking around the corner of a crushed bus, his dark gaze taking in the two of us. “What are you doing out here? Mrs. Rink needs a status on her Cavalier.”
“Dad.” Collin came up beside me, his shoulder bumping mine. “I was just taking a short break. This is Audrey, from school. She stopped by to say hi.”
His eyebrows raised as he took in my appearance. Extending a hand, he held it out for me to shake. “Hi, Audrey. I’m Tom.”
I shook his hand and stared up into his face, immediately seeing the resemblance to his son. He and Collin seemed to share the same bone structure and square shape of their jaw. He had grizzled wavy hair and a short trimmed beard. With his broad shoulders and big hands, he looked like a guy who could’ve also dominated on the football field. While his eyes were a bit lighter brown than his son’s, they had the same warmth when he smiled.
He wasn’t at all what I’d expected. To be honest, I’d been picturing Collin’s dad as a sort of fairytale monster. The kind that stole kids out of their beds at night. Not this man, with the kind and wearied gaze that made me think he’d lived a hard life.
“It’s nice to finally meet one of Collin’s friends,” he said. “I was beginning to worry he’d made them all up.”
“He has lots of friends, Mr. Preston,” I said, glancing at Collin. “Friends who love him. They’re all waiting for him at school, hoping he’ll come back.”
Collin’s gaze met mine and he looked away.
Mr. Preston shifted his stance, rubbing his hands on his flannel shirt. “Well, I’m sure that’s true, but Collin has decided to come work at the station with his old man, full-time.”
“I know.” I smiled sadly up at Mr. Preston. “But Collin is so talented. I’ve never met anyone like him. You should hear him sing. Or watch him play football. He’s amazing. I just hope you don’t let him forget that.”
Mr. Preston stared at me, his expression darkening in thought, while Collin watched the ground. I said my goodbyes to both of them and began walking away, eager to put as much space between us as possible.
My time here was finished. Either Collin showed up on Friday or he didn’t. I couldn’t control him. But there was one thing that was more clear to me now than ever: even after all I’d been through, my heart still wanted what it couldn’t have.
Maybe some things really couldn’t change.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was almost time to begin. I peered out from behind the make-shift stage set up on the edge of the football field and my stomach did a flip. The Rock Valley High stadium had never been so full. Every seat was taken and some folks had even spread out along the grass in their lawn chairs. The concession stand lines went clear back to the other side of the stands and wrapped around the stadium. News station cameras had been set up on the track that wrapped around the field.
The centennial performance was about to start and then our boys would play their final district game that would qualify them for state. Tensions were high. I could feel it in my bones.
“Are we almost ready?” I asked, turning to face Trina. She had a makeup brush between her teeth and had just finished spreading some sort of sparkly goop all over my cheeks.
“Almost.” Her words came out muffled. “One more thing.”
Spinning to grab a small black mask off the ground, she pulled it over my head and placed it into position. Stepping back, she clapped her hands and grinned. “Audrey, you look fabulous. You’re going to rock this thing.”
I gritted my teeth and made a nervous face. “Is Mandy still in position?”
We peered around the stage to see the cheerleaders warming up on the track. In the middle of them stood Rascal the Bandit, his furry ears flopping as he waved at a few kids calling his name. It was strange to be over here, watching my mascot without me in it. In order to make this plan work, someone had to take over my job so that no one ruined our plans. Mandy had been a trooper. She’d only complained once about smelling like wet dog. Other than that, she’d gladly pretended to be me.
“There’s Principle Styles,” Trina said, pointing to a man in a gray suit marching onto the field. “The performance is just about to begin.”
That was my cue to hide. Trina ran off just as the cheerleaders came running towards us to ready themselves for their big dance number. Black curtains hung around the entire stage base, making the perfect place to hide. I crouched behind them, my thighs burning, as Principle Styles quieted the crowd and began to thank everyone for coming. Savannah was barking orders at the younger squad members, tension high in her voice. I shook my head and held in a laugh. She had no idea she was in for a shock of a lifetime.
It seemed like Principle Styles was settling in for a long introduction, so I crept toward