“I’ll keep it between us.”

“Thank you,” she said, relieved.

“Julianne? Is there anything in there about me? I mean that I should know.”

She hesitated. “Yes.”

“Can I read them?”

“I don’t know how to answer that, honey.”

“I think…I think I have to.”

Chapter 7

MY BLACK CONVERSE KNOCKED AGAINST THE BLEACHERS AS I climbed to the top. The baseball team was running laps, their T-shirts soaked in sweat, their faces red. I hadn’t been seated for more than five minutes when Coach Langdon called practice, and they ran to the dugout.

After a short meeting, they began filing out to the parking lot, including Weston. After a few moments, he ran back in, looking up to where I sat. He jogged up the bleachers, taking two at a time until he reached me. His arms wrapped around me, and he pressed his lips against me. His skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but he could have been covered in toxic waste, and I still wouldn’t have complained.

“I was just getting ready to drive across the street, and I saw your car in the parking lot. What are you doing here?”

I shrugged. “Just thought I’d come watch you practice since you don’t have many left.”

He looked out on to the field. “I can’t believe it’s my last year. I’m going to miss it. For the most part. Prom. Graduation. Then it’s all over.”

“Have you talked to your dad about Dallas?”

He shook his head. “He’s too excited about Duke, Erin. Every time I think about bringing it up, it doesn’t seem like the right time.”

“There isn’t a right time for something like that, and you’re going to wait until you run out of time.”

“Maybe he’s right. Maybe Duke will be good for me.”

“So you want to be a lawyer?”

His face twisted into disgust. “No.”

“Weston,” I said, turning his dirty, sweaty face toward me. “You have to tell them. You only have one life. One shot. Don’t waste it on someone else’s dream.”

His eyes danced back and forth to each of mine. “God, you’re beautiful.”

I looked down, embarrassed.

“Do you have a date for prom yet?”

I shot him a look. “You know I don’t.”

“Will you go with me?”

I shook my head. “We talked about this already.”

“That was when you didn’t have Julianne Alderman for a mother. She’ll help you find a dress.”

“I can’t ask her to buy me a dress.”

“You don’t have to. Just tell her I asked you to prom.”

“I don’t dance,” I said, squirming.

He held my necklace between his thumb and index finger. He leaned down and kissed it and then moved up to my neck.

I sighed, moving my chin to the side, stretching my neck just a tiny bit to give him better access.

He pulled away and frowned.

“What?” I asked, surprised at his reaction.

“You don’t smell like ice cream.”

I chuckled. “I was barely at work today. Patty took over my shift, and my hours have been cut to give me more free time. Julianne’s request.”

One side of Weston’s mouth turned up, and then his mouth stretched into a full-blown grin.

“Thank you, Julianne.” He looked down at my lips and then moved toward me, kissing me softly at first. His mouth opened, and I welcomed his tongue with mine.

“Please go to prom with me,” he whispered against my mouth. “I don’t want to go by myself. I don’t want to go with anyone but you, and it’s my senior year. I don’t want to miss it. Even if we only stay long enough to pose for a stupid picture.”

“I understand your dilemma, but I really don’t want to go.”

“Well,” he said, his lips moving to my ear, “sometimes we have to do things we don’t like to do. It’s a good life lesson.”

“You’re right. If you break the news to your dad about Duke, then I’ll go to prom with you.”

He sat up, shocked at my proposal. “That’s not fair, Erin.”

“You just said—”

“I know what I said. But prom and pissing off my dad are not exactly the same thing.”

“It’s close.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’ll go to prom if I tell him I want to go to Dallas? What if he says no?”

“That’s between your dad and you. But if you tell him, I’ll go.”

“Deal.”

“Really?” I said, suddenly feeling sick.

“You better start looking for a dress now.”

I swallowed.

We stood, and Weston intertwined his fingers in mine, walking with me down the steps and out to my car.

“Why don’t you follow me home? My parents won’t be home for a couple of hours.”

“Remember what Sam said?”

He nodded. “He said to keep my hands off someone else’s wife. But you’re not going to be someone else’s wife.”

“Slow down, speed racer.”

“You know what I mean,” he said, opening my door.

“I’ll see you in a minute,” I said, ducking into the BMW.

I lay there, resting against Weston’s bare chest, wrapped in his arms. The ceiling fan was whirling above us, the picture he’d drawn of me just overhead.

“I love that you wear this every day,” he said, touching my necklace.

“I love that you gave it to me.”

“I love you.”

I sat still, wondering if what he’d just said was really what he’d just said. He’d alluded to being in love with me before but never actually said it. Not so direct. Not out loud.

“Erin?”

“I’m glad.”

“You’re glad,” he said flatly.

I closed my eyes, knowing I’d upset him. “I want to say it. It just feels weird.”

“Would you mean it?”

“I think so.”

“You think so.”

“Stop doing that,” I said, sitting up and pulling my arms through my bra straps, and then my shirt over my head.

He sighed, clearly regretting the turn of the conversation.