“Wins what?”
“I have no idea, but it’s for a good cause. They made like twenty grand last year for the children’s hospital. You chase the elitism down with a few cookies and know you’ve done something good. The only drawback is you’re going to have to wake up before nine because it starts at eight.”
“You have no idea what time I wake up.”
“Just that you’re never awake when I leave.”
“Because you use up all the hot water.”
“Are you ever going to let me live that down?” I ask.
“It felt like swimming in the Pacific Ocean.”
I chuckle.
“Bring Hannah. Ethan will be there.”
“I’ll ask her.”
“Even if she says no, you should come. Did I mention you get cookies?”
“I prefer savory,” she reminds me.
“No one dislikes cookies.”
“This is true.”
“We can hang out afterward.”
“I need to practice my speech.”
“You can practice on me.”
She yawns. “I’m sleep-deprived and slightly delirious because I couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t have the mental capacity to answer.”
“You should get some sleep,” I say, though I don’t want to end the call. I want to hear more about her week, more about her childhood—just more.
“Good luck Friday,” she says, her voice soft and gentle.
“I’ll talk to you soon.”
Chapter14
Hadley
“Do you see him?” Hannah asks from where she’s pretending to stretch beside me while scouring the crowds for Ethan. We’re in a crowd of orange shirts, everyone matching for the cookie run.
“Why don’t you just text him and ask if he’s here?”
“I don’t want to come across as needy,” she says. “God, it’s hot. I’m melting.” She pulls her shirt from her body, trying to circulate the air.
“You’re not being needy. You guys are supposed to be meeting.” I don’t mention that I’m sweating and miserable from the heat and worried about it getting warmer before we have to run two miles.
I scroll through my contacts, stopping on Nolan’s name. I texted him yesterday morning before the game, wishing him luck again. His only response was to like my message. I nearly texted him again last night after watching Camden win to congratulate him and ask if he was okay after taking a hit that had my chest feeling too tight while waiting for him to stand, but as the game concluded, the camera panned the cheerleaders, and I saw the same blonde from the party, Nolan’s number on her face, and I erased my congratulatory text.
Childish?
Probably.