Page 77 of Come Back to Me

“Again, this is whyyou’rethe captain of The Idiot Club,” Noah points out.

I flip Noah off. “Shut up.” I walk over to the counter and scan the basket we fill with fruits, granola bars, and other grab-and-go snacks.

“Hey, Gray,” Xander says.

I whip my body around. “What?”

“Your T-shirt is inside-out.”

Shit.

I remove my shirt and put it on the right way with the tag facing inward.

Noah’s blue eyes stare me down. “Are you nervous or something?”

“Who? Me? Of course not. I’mnevernervous.”

Noah and Xander glance at each other and focus their attention back on me.

“Ha, I’d like to call bullshit on that. What are you nervous about? Weren’t you okay when you talked to Violet yesterday?” Noah narrows his eyes.

“Yeah. I’m worried that we’re going to get into the parts I’d prefer not to relive. Also, I might have invited her to the homecoming game next Friday.” I give them my best fake smile.

“You did what?” Noah and Xander say in unison.

“What? It’s not a bad thing. It’s the complete opposite. Whenever she’d go to my games in high school, we won every single one of them.”

“So, you invited her to go to your game, so the team would win?” Noah asks.

“No, that came out wrong. I want her to be there.”

“And you don’t think having her there won’t make you nervous?” Xander wonders.

Noah hits Xander in the arm, and Xander gives him a dirty look.

“Bro, why would you ask that to a person who has anxiety?” Noah asks him.

“I’m sorry. It was just a thought I had. Gray, we care about you. We want you to be okay,” Xander says.

“I am okay. I’m an adult, man. I’m lucky to have you guys as my best friends, but I can take care of myself.”

Noah meets my gaze. “You don’t think we know that? Dude, go grab a granola bar or something. You get cranky when you’re hungry.”

“Correction: I get hangry.” I search through the snack basket more, selecting a peanut butter dark chocolate granola bar and a banana. “There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, whatever. You’re going to be late if you don’t leave right now. We’ll see you later.”

Peeling the banana, I bite off a quarter of it and chew slowly, so I don’t choke on it. I slip the granola bar in my back pocket before rushing out the door.

When I reach my truck, I open the door and sit inside for a minute.

Why am I nervous?

It’s not like I didn’t talk to Violet yesterday. I think it’s the possibility of getting into the nitty gritty that scares me because I don’t want her to relive it. Honestly, I don’t want to relive any of it.

This is why my high school experience is a puzzle that has several missing pieces. And it’s not by accident, it’s by choice. I wasn’t kidding when I told Violet that the only moments Iremember are the ones she’s in because they’re the only moments worth remembering.

Once I start my truck, I’m engulfed in the warm air coming from the vents. Eventually, the air gets cooler as I back out of my parking spot.