During my walk to the batting facilities, I pull out my phone and text her again, because something has to get through. Are you at least taking your finals?

There—a truly simple question. She can send me back two or three letters—no or yes—and I would be thrilled. I push the phone back into my pocket and jog across the street. A few guys are already hitting, so I go to the locker room and pull out my gear, getting my helmet and gloves on. I’m not really dressed for much of a workout, but there aren’t any coaches around, so I just stay dressed in my jeans and long-sleeved baseball shirt—Rowe’s shirt, because I like to torment myself.

I nod to a few of the guys, then take the cage at the end, flipping the switch and watching a few of the pitches go by before I step in and swing. Crack! The first one stings. I’m hitting like shit, not concentrating. I’m hitting angrily. I step back and watch two more go by and take a deep breath before stepping up to the plate again. I line the next four balls, some of the hardest swings of my life, and then completely miss the fifth. This isn’t working. I don’t know why I thought it would. I shut the machine back to off, kick the balls to the end of the cage, and flip my bat to the ground.

Pacing doesn’t get me anywhere either, and after a few long breaths with my hands clasped behind my head, I clean up my failed batting session and return to the locker room. When my phone buzzes, I almost drop it in my rush to get it out of my pocket; my heart goes from feeling high to the pit of my stomach in a fraction of a second because the message is from Ty.

Ty: Dinner. Sally’s. Cass is buying.

Me: OK. Be there in 20.

I slam the locker shut, and pushing my lock back in, I nod to one of the guys walking in as I leave. I almost wish I never met her. But that’s a lie…because even those few weeks, months, were worth it all. I’m approaching Sally’s when my phone buzzes again, and I pull it out to tell Ty I’m there, when I stop cold. It’s her. Yes. That’s all she says. Yes. She’s taking her finals. She’s not fully gone. She isn’t quitting—at least not completely. She will be here—in our building—for at least one day. My girl isn’t gone. And she hasn’t completely shut me out. Three letters, the three greatest letters ever. That’s all I needed.

Chapter 30

Rowe

The hallway is empty. Most of the rooms are locked up, the students already gone for the holidays. My mom called my advisor and was able to get all of my finals pushed to the last two days in my professors’ offices. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was pretty prepared before I decided to change my plans mid-Thanksgiving break. For one, all I needed to do was turn in a paper, so I wasn’t too stressed.

Cass is still here. I ended up calling her to let her know I was coming, and she said she had a final at the very last possible time slot, so she would be here too. I was glad—I didn’t want to stay here alone.

Nate’s room looks dark though. I didn’t message him again after the first time. I just didn’t know what to say. The way I left his parents house…I was embarrassed. But I also was still so angry about everything. Whenever I thought about the times he and I were together, all the times he knew, I just got madder.

“Yayyyyyyyyy!” Cass is jumping on her bed when I unlock the door and pull my small bag in with me.

“Uh…yeah. Yay,” I say, tossing my keys on my bed and dropping my bag to the floor.

“I saw you walking up out the window. I knew you were coming. I haven’t really been jumping this whole time. That would be weird,” she says, jumping down to the floor. The room smells like nail polish, and she’s wearing cotton in between her toes.

“Pedicure?” I ask, gesturing to her feet.

“Oh,” she pulls her toes up in a curl away from the floor. “Yeah, I forgot. You like?”

She walks closer to me and wiggles them; I realize she has them painted like snowflakes. It makes me smile.

“Yeah, it’s nice.”

“I can do yours. You want?” She holds up a bottle of dark blue polish, but I just shake my head no, and she places the bottle on top of her dresser. “Hungry? I waited, in case you wanted to eat.”

My stomach grumbles at the mere mention of food, so I shrug and pull my purse from my bag. Cass locks the door behind me, and we walk to the elevator bank, my eyes zeroing in on Nate and Ty’s door the entire time.

“They left. Had to go home yesterday,” she says, brushing her arm into mine. “But he wanted to stay. I…thought you should know that. He wanted to stay.”