Hate to Love You novel · Chapter 24 of 24

Chapter 24: Hate to Love You

Shay's hand was warm, and it did not shake.

He led me out onto the floor under the paper lanterns.

Nobody stared.

Everyone pretended to be busy, which in a gym that size is a kind of mercy.

His other hand settled at my waist, light, with room left over.

"Ohio called," he said into my hair.

"The college?"

"The same coach."

"He watched film of the Eastlake game and the one after."

"He said the offer's back, and he's sorry he didn't call me himself in March."

I stopped moving.

"Shay."

"Full ride."

"Fall semester." His voice caught.

"My mom read the letter in the kitchen and sat down on a box."

"She finally opened the box."

"It was full of dish towels."

I laughed, and then I was crying again.

"I wanted to tell you first," he said. "Before I told the guys."

"Why me?"

"Because you'd be glad for the right reasons." He pulled back to look at me.

"I spent four months being angry that you were scared."

"And then I realized I was angry that you were the same as me."

"I did the same thing."

"I knew, and I kept quiet because the quiet felt safe."

"You were scared."

"Yeah."

"So were you."

"I don't want to keep score." He rested his forehead against mine.

"You told a whole gym the truth for me."

"I'd like to spend a long time getting that right."

"I'd like that too."

He smiled.

It was the crooked one, finally, all the way.

Three weeks later, at seven in the morning, the football field was a field of folding chairs.

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