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  “What did you tell your coach?” I asked, thinking about the sprints I would face tomorrow for skipping basketball practice today.

  “I told Colton and Lexy to tell our teachers and coaches we were sick,” he replied. “I guess we’ll see how they react tomorrow.”

  “It won’t be good.” I leaned my forehead into his chest. “I’ve never skipped school.”

  He laughed. “Never?”

  “No, never,” I stated in a serious tone. “It’s kind of hard to skip school when people watch your every move.”

  Ty pulled me in closer and sighed. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure there will be something new to gossip about tomorrow.”

  Shaking my head, I tried to make him understand. “No one will forget what happened Friday night. School is going to be hell for a while.”

  “I’ve been through my share of hell when it comes to gossip. I can handle it.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m only concerned about you.”

  Tilting his head to the right, he leaned forward until our lips met. We hadn’t kissed in three days.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

  Giving him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth, I leaned my head back into his chest. “I need some time to process everything that’s happened. I need some time apart for now.”

  “Bailey, don’t shut me out.” he attempted to argue.

  I could feel my eyes welling with tears, but I wasn’t ready to give myself to him again. I still had too many questions about his ex-teacher-girlfriend, and I couldn’t erase the dread of going to school tomorrow. Once he realized I wasn’t going to respond, he let out a long breath and wrapped his arms tightly around me. Kissing the top of my head, we both slowly drifted back to sleep.

  School was exactly as I predicted. It was obvious to everyone that we were no longer a couple; however, that only fueled the rumors. Ty’s new relationship status encouraged every single girl to look in his direction, even though he avoided any girl that made a pass at him. After three days of watching underclassman bat their eyelashes at my ex-boyfriend, I had reached my limit.

  Sitting in English class, I tried to erase the week’s events from my mind. As the classroom filled up, Ty took his seat next to me and Holden took his seat in front of me.

  Holden turned around and looked directly into my eyes. “Do you have plans this weekend?”

  My eyebrows immediately pulled in at his question. “Nothing specific, what’s up?”

  “I wondered if you wanted to go to the movies on Saturday,” he fidgeted in his chair.

  I could see Ty lean forward in his chair as I stared back at Holden. “Um, I’m not sure if this weekend is a good time, Holden.”

  “I just don’t want to see you hurt again, Bailey,” he said with sincere eyes. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here. You don’t have to fall for whatever he is telling you.”

  “She said no,” Ty said from beside me in a harsh tone, causing the entire class to turn in our direction.

  Closing my eyes and wishing I could disappear, I turned to Ty. “Stop,” I whispered. “I’ve sat back and watched every girl in this school flirt with you this week. Let this go.”

  I shifted back in my seat and looked at Holden. “Thanks, but maybe we could hang out as a group sometime. You should get a field party organized.”

  Holden turned his back to me, and I saw his shoulders slump. We had been friends since kindergarten, so I hated when he was upset, but I couldn’t go on a date with him now.

  Thankful that Ty kept his mouth shut, I was taken by surprise when Austin spoke up from across the room. He was always outspoken and never knew when to stop pushing peoples’ buttons.

  “Go out with me, Bailey!” Austin shouted from across the room. “You’ll forget all about your city boy once you’ve been with me.”

  “Shut up, Austin,” Lexy said as she took her seat behind me. “No one wants to go out with you, which is why you never have a girlfriend.”

  “We don’t have to go out,” he continued and winked in my direction. “I hear you don’t like to leave your bedroom much these days, which is perfectly fine with me.”

  My mouth dropped open, and I glared at him. “Shut the hell up, Austin.”

  “You wouldn’t be so mad if it weren’t true. Your city boy gets other girls. You might as well make the count even.” He licked his lips and blew a kiss in my direction.

  “You’re such an ass,” I scowled, sinking down into my chair.

  Turning forward in my seat, I tried to block out the high fives and hollers that were happening across the room. I prayed for the bell to ring so our teacher would end her conversation in the hallway and come into the classroom.

  Ty leaned closer to me and whispered, “I’m sorry, baby. I promise I will fix this.”

  I turned in my seat to face Ty. “Don’t call me baby.”

  ***

  After two weeks of rumors and whispering, I had disappeared into a state of silence.

  Going through the motions of school and basketball practice, I was exhausted enough to sleep as soon as I arrived home until I woke up for school the next morning.

  Food wasn’t appealing, and my cheekbones were beginning to stick out more than normal. Ty tried everything to stop the rumors, including standing on his truck one day during lunch and screaming out his love for me. It was wearing on both of us as we tried our best to ignore everyone.

  It was Saturday night, and Lexy had convinced me to leave my bedroom for the ultimate field party of the year. I knew she was exaggerating, but my room was beginning to suffocate me.

  Grateful for the distraction, I spent more time on my hair and makeup than I had in the past few weeks. Deciding on a green top, skinny jeans and brown boots, I nodded in approval at my appearance in the mirror. I noticed my tight jeans were no longer tight and made the conscious decision to eat more.

  Leaning against a column on our front porch, I was surprised when my grandfather walked around the side of the house and stood beside me.

  “How have you been, kiddo?” My grandpa was a quiet man, so it was always best to listen when he decided to talk.

  “I’m doing okay,” I shrugged. “What’s new with you?”

  My grandpa ignored my attempt at small talk. “I noticed that young man has stopped coming around. I’m not sure what happened, and honestly, I don’t want to know. There’s something about him though, Bailey. He’s a good one.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, wondering how my grandpa had come to this conclusion.

  “I’ve been alive a long time,” he laughed. “I could see it in his eyes. He loved you. The kind of love you wait your entire life for. The way I loved your grandma. You don’t see that often.”

  I stood in silence as my grandfather turned toward the door. “Some things are worth fighting for, kiddo. He’s one of them.”

  I sunk down against the column as my grandfather’s words sunk in. Maybe I should give Ty another chance. I had never taken my grandpa’s advice lightly, and his observation of Ty had my head spinning.

  I stood up when Lexy’s Mustang pulled into my driveway blaring the newest Katy Perry single.

  “Get ready to have fun!” Lexy shouted as I opened the passenger side door. “You look hot!”

  I rolled my eyes as I slid into the seat. “Thanks for getting me out of the house.”

  “You bet,” she replied as she turned the radio even louder.

  Ten minutes later, she parked her car on the edge of the field where she was sure it wouldn’t get stuck.

  “This is why I never drive to these things,” she whined as we avoided mud puddles on our way to the bonfire. “I need a truck.”

  “Why didn’t you ride with Colton?” I asked. “Is he not coming?”

  “He had other plans tonight,” she slowly answered, implying there was more she wanted to say.

  “Like what?” I questioned.

  “Who cares?” she shrugged. “It’s girls night.�
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  I narrowed my eyes, knowing there was something she wasn’t telling me. Deciding to let it go for now, I found a seat on Holden’s tailgate and accepted the first beer that was handed to me.

  Not really in a drinking mood, I held on to my one can for the next hour and attempted to lose myself in the stories being told around me. Laughing at Rich, I was distracted when Colton’s truck pulled into the field and Lexy ran to meet him at his door. Sometimes they acted so strange.

  Turning my attention back to Rich and the few people around me, I continued to listen and laugh as jokes were told.

  “Hey,” Lexy interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see the worried look on her face. “I didn’t know they were going to come here. Colton said they were staying at his house all night.”

  “Who?” I asked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “He…” she looked behind her. “He’s had a lot to drink, okay? Colton shouldn’t have brought him here. We can leave now if you want.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.” I pushed myself off of the tailgate. “Are you saying Ty is here?”

  “Yeah, and he wants to talk to you. I’ve never seen him this drunk.” She shook her head. “When he found out you were at this party, he started to walk here from Colton’s house. When Colton finally caught up with him, the only way he would get in the truck is if Colton drove here.”

  “Where is he?” I asked, unaffected by Lexy’s dramatics. “Is he coming over here?”

  “It would probably be better if you just come to Colton’s truck,” she sighed. “Ty is going to make an ass of himself, so maybe it shouldn’t be in front of everyone.”

  “Typical,” I huffed as I began to walk in the direction of Colton’s truck. “I’m finally having a good night, and he shows up drunk and acts like an idiot.”

  “Sorry, Bails,” I could hear the guilt in Lexy’s voice. “I can take you home whenever you are ready.”

  We walked the last forty feet in silence as I prepared myself for whatever Ty had planned. I expected anger, screaming, any sort of jealous rage. What I didn’t expect was what I saw when I opened the passenger side door of Colton’s truck.

  Ty sat there, shoulders slumped with his head in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably. I took a step back, taking in the entire scene and wondering if I had missed something. Why was he crying?

  I could hear Colton and Lexy walk away, giving us the privacy we apparently needed. I took this as my cue to try and console Ty.

  “Hey,” I whispered as I placed my hand on his forearm attempting to pull his hands down. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  I heard his breathing pause for a few seconds at the sound of my voice. “I’m not supposed to be here,” his voice cracked when he spoke. “Go back to your friends.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I sighed as the pain in Ty’s voice registered in my mind. “Why are you so upset? What happened?”

  Ty lifted his head and turned in the passenger seat so his legs were hanging out of the truck. I took this as my opportunity to get closer to him. Sliding between his thighs, I placed my hands on his cheeks and ran my thumbs underneath his eyes. He grabbed both of my hands with his and kissed my palms.

  “I didn’t mean to get this drunk,” he shook his head. “I’ve never cried like this, I swear. I just can’t stop thinking about how I ruined us. I miss you so much. It’s killing me.”

  “Don’t be such a baby,” I laughed as I ran my hands through his hair. “You can’t miss me if I’m standing right in front of you.”

  “It’s not the same, and you know it.” He ran his hands over his face in an attempt to wipe away any evidence of tears. “I ruined any chance I had with you. I sit at the football field for hours every night just hoping you will show up. Hoping you will change your mind about me.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning into his chest, I was unsure what to say. Part of me wanted to be with him and forget everything that had happened. Part of me was glad that he was hurting as bad as I was.

  “How much did you drink?” I asked, realizing his secrets were only coming out due to some liquid encouragement.

  “Too much Jack Daniels,” he slurred. “I thought it would help, but I think it made things worse.”

  “Whiskey usually doesn’t help anything,” I kissed the side of his head before leaning back. “Let’s go home and get you in bed.”

  “Will you stay with me?” he boldly asked. “I know I don’t deserve it. I probably won’t remember it. I still want you next to me.”

  “Let’s just get you home, okay?” I patiently waited as Ty moved back into the truck and lay down across the seat.

  Lexy and I followed Colton to Lexy’s house, knowing that Lexy’s mom would be the only parent who wouldn’t call the Nevels and tell them what had happened. After forcing Ty to drink two bottles of water, Colton managed to get him in the guest bedroom and into bed. I stood in the doorway, watching as Colton took care of his cousin.

  “I’ll sit in here with him and make sure he is okay for the next few hours.” I looked at Colton. “I’m not tired yet anyway.”

  “You know he loves you,” Colton stated as he walked past me toward Lexy’s room. “I’m not saying this whole mess is okay, but he was only trying to escape the pain of losing you for one night. I’ve never seen anyone break down like that. You both need to talk when he is sober.”

  “And Bails,” he turned around and faced me. “Sometimes a great love is worth fighting for. That’s all he’s trying to do. He’s fighting for you.”

  I stood in the hallway for several minutes, letting Colton’s words sink in. Ty’s deep, even breaths were drifting through the doorway, and I knew I wanted to give him another chance. My stubbornness was the only thing that had kept us apart this long. I would wait until he woke up in the morning, and we could talk about it.

  In this moment, I could relax and fall asleep next to the boy I loved.

  ***

  “I hate haunted houses,” Lexy whined as she climbed into Colton’s truck.

  “You hate them?” I exclaimed. “You’re dragging me to this thing and I don’t even have a hand to hold!”

  “Oh, I’m sure someone will volunteer if you’ll let them,” she laughed. “Or you can hold one of Colton’s hands. Just this once.”

  “Ladies, there’s enough Colton to go around,” Colton slammed the driver side door shut and pulled Lexy in for a kiss.

  “Please, you can walk by yourself. Bailey and I will hold hands,” she rolled her eyes.

  “You have some pretty wild ideas tonight, Lex,” he teased.

  “You both are twisted,” I said as I pulled the passenger door closed. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

  We drove the short distance to our first haunted house in awkward silence. Lexy had her arms folded over her chest while she waited on Colton to apologize. Of course, he wouldn’t bend to the proper level of groveling until I was out of the truck. Once we had parked in the nearly full parking lot, I opened the door to my escape and stood leaning against the tailgate.

  It had been exactly one week since Ty’s episode that involved whiskey and tears. He was gone when I woke up that Sunday morning. I never received the call or text that I expected, and school on Monday was unbearable since he wouldn’t make eye contact with me or acknowledge that I was sitting next to him in most of our classes.

  I finally broke down on Wednesday and sent him a text message asking if he was okay. His lack of response led me to believe he was perfectly fine and wanted nothing to do with me. Colton and Lexy seemed more confused than me about the entire situation.

  By the end of the week, my anger outweighed my curiosity. If Ty decided to talk to me at this point, I wasn’t sure how I would react.

  “Ready?” Lexy asked, pulling me back into the present as she linked her arm with mine. “This will be fun.”

  “You guys are so awkward,” I sighed and shook my head.

  “Love is
love, Bails,” Colton cooed.

  “Yeah, until one of you shows up drunk and crying,” I mumbled underneath my breath.

  Walking across the grass field toward the ticket booth, we were first stalked by a man dressed like Jason from Friday the 13th, then chased by a man with a chainsaw. I hated haunted houses more than anything and was beginning to question my decision to come. Deciding to bypass the unsanitary Porta Potty, we headed directly for the line.

  “Hey guys.” I turned to see Holden waving. “Come up here with us.”

  We hurried past groups of teenagers who were huddled together, waiting to go through the old country house. We joined Holden and Kara, despite the complaints from the girls behind us.

  “Now we can go through as a group,” Holden said as he pulled Kara closer to his side. “Kara was getting nervous.”

  “No, I wasn’t.” She playfully slapped at Holden as if he were a cat toy. “But I am glad you guys showed up. Who are you walking with Bailey?”

  “She’s with us,” Lexy replied before I could. “And Colton is way too excited about it.”

  “Awesome,” I murmured under my breath.

  “Oh, it won’t be too scary, right?” Holden tried to reassure everyone. “A few clowns, a few chain saws. It will be funny.”

  I winked at Holden, thankful for the distraction, and wondered why he would choose to date someone like Kara. It was obvious to everyone that he deserved better than the girl who would settle for anyone. I’m sure she gave him enough reasons to stick around though, despite her wandering eye.

  We laughed and attempted to tell ghost stories as the line progressed to the front door. We were finally at the front of the line, and could see the door open into cob webs and darkness.

  “You owe me for this,” I squeezed Lexy’s arm. “Especially if I pee my pants because a clown scares me.”

  Just as the woman dressed in a zombie costume pushed the door to close, there was a commotion outside.

  “Hold on, one more!” someone shouted and pulled the door back open.

  Ty pushed his way through the door and into our group seconds before the zombie woman shut the door and turned the lock.