Stacy’s head cocks to the side. “Oh, no I didn’t.”
This is going well. Wyatt could have warned me what I was in for.
The Blue Band takes the field, and it makes having a conversation difficult, so we watch the show on the field instead. Stacy tries to yell over the music, and Kinsley rolls her eyes at her. “I have to go back to my seat, but I’ll meet you back at the dorm after the game. You remember which room’s mine, right?”
I almost gag, but Carson nods his head, and returns the kiss she gives him. “Bye, pooky,” she says, with a wave of her fingers.
Once she’s gone, Becca breaks out into a fit of hysterics. “Pooky? You’ve known her for a week and she already has a pet name for you? And a stupid one.”
Carson shrugs his shoulders, not seeming to care. “It’s not that bad. We’re not serious. Just hanging out.”
“You mean screwing,” she clarifies.
He shifts in his seat, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her. “I didn’t say that.”
“Well, I’m sure you are, but whatever. She seems special,” Becca says with hesitation, biting her lip to control her laughter. If she’s planning on being with Wyatt officially, there’s a good chance she’ll be seeing a lot more of Stacy in the near future. I almost feel bad for her—almost.
Kinsley’s stayed quiet during the whole exchange. I’m glad Carson’s trying to move on, but if he’s trying to find someone like Kinsley, he’ll have to look a whole lot harder. Then again, maybe Stacy’s simply a distraction. Lord knows I’ve had a couple of those when I was trying to get over the fact that I couldn’t be with Sunny.
“I have to pee.”
I laugh at my girl. The game didn’t even start yet. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I’m good. I’ll be right back.”
“Wait,” Becca says, “I’m coming with you.”
I’ll never understand why girls have to travel in packs, but I stand up and move into the aisle anyway, letting the girls out of the row of seats.
They’re gone for almost fifteen minutes, and I’m checking my watch every five seconds. Sitting here with Carson is more than a little awkward. Finally, Becca’s jogging up the stairs, only Kinsley’s not with her.
“Rhett,” she says, completely out of breath.
I stand up, gripping her arms in my hands. “What happened? Where is she?”
“She was fine and then she starting having a panic attack.”
“Take me to her,” is all I say. She turns around, and goes down the same way she came up. We wind through rows of people, and push through crowds near the concession stands. “Where is she, Becca?”
And then I see her. My Sunny’s crouched in the corner, just outside the bathroom with her head resting on her arms. I run to her, automatically pulling her shaking body into my arms. “I’ve got you, you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry. I’m ruining the game.”
“No, you’re not. What happened?”
She sniffles and wipes her tears away with the back of her hand. Her whole body is still shaking. “I thought I saw him. I was so sure it was him—that he came back to see Wyatt play.”
“Your dad?”
“Yes,” she chokes out. “But he isn’t coming back.”
I hold her in my arms, rocking back and forth against the cold concrete wall. The roar of the crowd filters through the cracks as the team takes the field. I thought bringing her here was a good idea—that she’d get to see her brother play and be happy. I never expected this to happen.
“Come on, let’s go back to the campground.”
“No! I can’t leave. I want to see Wyatt.”
“Sunny, you’re shaking.”
“I just need a minute. It will stop.” She works on her breathing, and eventually she stops clutching her chest. “I’m not so dizzy anymore.”
“You’re sure? Do you want me to get you a drink?”
“No,” she says before pausing. “I promise I’m not crazy.”
“Look at me, Sunny.” I wait for her to turn her head, not wanting her to ever feel an ounce of shame for the way she feels. When she does, I continue, “You’re the strongest girl I know. Don’t ever apologize for having a weak moment. You’re human, and I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We sit in silence for a few more minutes, and then she says, “When we get back, I want it to be like last night. I want to be in the tent with you where everything’s easy.”
“Okay.” I’d promise her the world if it made her happy.
“I love you, Rhett.”
I lean forward and press a kiss to her lips. “Always.”
FREAKING OUT AT the football game wasn’t in the plans. Yet there I was, hunched over and about to pass out all because I swore I saw my father. Maybe I thought I saw him because I was hoping he would be there for Wyatt. That just for today, he would pick his kids over his grief. We’ve been hurting, too. We’re the ones who lost our parents, but we’re the ones expected to move on like the past couple years of our lives weren’t complete shit.
I shouldn’t say that, the time I’ve been with Rhett, has been amazing. Which is why I’m determined to spend the last few hours of Fall Fest with the people I consider my family now—pretending like the past doesn’t exist. I may never move on from it, but it doesn’t have to suffocate me to the point I lose control of my body anymore.
After the game, we came back here and took a nap. Once Wyatt showed up with Becca, we met them at their site and then walked around Fall Fest. We caught a couple good bands, played some games, and ate enough sugar to keep us up all night. By the end of the night, I was so tired, all I wanted was my boyfriend and my pillow. But Rhett made sure I was taken care of before I fell asleep, just like he promised.
We have a little more time to spend together today before we all have to go our separate ways again. It’ll be weird not sleeping next to Rhett, and I’ll even miss our cozy little tent.
“Whatcha thinking about, Sunny?”
We’re still naked from last night, but even that’s gotten a little easier for me. I’m trying not to be so self-conscious. “Last night.”
“Last night was fun,” he says, with a knowing grin. I finally understand what all the fuss is about.
“And how much I’ll miss our tent.”
He thinks for a second, and then lightning strikes. “We can camp in the barn sometime. I’m moving Dawn over to her new stall soon.”
“That would be fun.”
Rhett leans in to kiss me, and we’re so wrapped up in each other, we don’t notice the zipper of our tent opening. “Whoa,” we hear before pulling apart.
I pull the blanket over myself, and crouch down under the sleeping bag. “Who was that?” I whisper.
“I’m not sure, hold on.”
He pulls his sweats on, and grabs his shirt, but I already know who it is—and I’m mortified. “Don’t go out there, Rhett.”
“Why not?”
“You’re going to end up with a black eye if you do. It was Becca and Wyatt, I hear them arguing. What do we do?”
“We can’t stay in here forever. Eventually, we have to face them.”
He’s right, we can’t sit in here all day. Plus, I really have to go to the bathroom. “We get out, and pretend like nothing ever happened. If we don’t mention it, they won’t either.”
“Sunny, you’re adorable, but I don’t see that being the way this plays out.”
“Shit,” I mumble, as I chew on my fingernails. “Okay, let’s just go.”
Once I’m dressed, Rhett unzips the tent, and we file out—a dark cloud of shame hanging low over our heads. Within seconds, my plan to ignore the obvious is shot to shit. Wyatt grabs my arm, and hauls me over toward the trees.
“Be careful with her,” Rhett warns, as Wyatt drags me off, a little too roughly.