“You shouldn’t have stopped.”
“I shouldn’t have left you,” I argue.
That ice that formed over her eyes melts as she swallows, silently daring me to say it again or expand upon the claim. “I don’t think it’s even sprained. I just twisted it. It’s not swollen. Look.”
I do and she’s right, it’s not swollen or discolored, at least, not yet. “We’ll walk it,” I concede. “But if you start limping, I’m carrying you over the finish line.”
She scoffs but then seems to recognize I’m not joking and sobers. “I’m fine. I swear.”
I extend a hand. “We’re walking,” I repeat.
She frowns, something near a grimace as we continue, following the crowds that are still mostly running. The fastest people have already left, including everyone from the football team except for Ethan, Colin, and Pops who’s helping pass water out.
“So you’re planning to return to Vegas after graduation?”
Hadley nods. “What about you? Do you want to return to Indiana?”
“That depends on what happens.”
“With football?”
I nod.
“Do you want to go pro?”
“That’s the dream, right?”
“Is it your dream?” She stares at me and doesn’t look away when I glance back at her.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
She doesn’t sound incredulous like some, still, her eyes sharpen, waiting for an answer I can’t provide. I don’t know what the future will bring. Hell, I don’t know what spring will bring. “Have you picked a topic for your next speech or is it stilltop-secret?”
“What do you want to do if you don’t go pro?”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me why you came to Camden.”
Hadley’s eyes narrow. I laugh, setting my attention to her feet, trying to weigh the balance in her hips and knees to see how she’s doing. “It must be a good story,” I say.
She shrugs. “Maybe I just like teasing you.”
“I can think of a dozen ways I’d rather you tease me.”
Surprise flares in her eyes, but before her reaction can settle, she moves to allow someone to pass between us.
I close the gap she permitted. “How’s your ankle feeling?”
“Fine.”
“My next speech will be on how to be a better public speaker. I thought they might appreciate the irony. I’m hoping to pick your brain a little.”
I nod, grinning at her humor. “Pick away.”
The sidewalk gets increasingly crowded, the speed walkers and joggers catching up with us. Someone recognizes me, and another asks for my picture. Hadley grins, offering to take the picture.
By the time we make it back to campus, the yard is filled with people who have completed the race. The bell that marks each person’s completion is ringing continuously as I search for the team, hoping to see Palmer with the victory cookie plaque in his hand.