Page 94 of Come Back to Me

“I’ve been sober for a little over five years now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

I have a countdown on my phone starting with the very first day I stopped drinking alcohol. It’s a small reminder of how far I’ve come since high school, and it’s something that will always be a part of me.

Xander nods, a small smile spreading across his face.

I watch as Violet heads over to me. Noah and Xander walk away as soon as they see that my attention is diverted over to Violet.

Her dirty blonde hair is pulled up into a ponytail. She’s wearing a white tank top with an illustration of a rainbow across the front,ripped light-wash jean shorts, and white Converse.

Violet sits down to the left of me, and we both stare out in the distance for a moment. A bittersweet silence takes over the gym.

I can feel her staring at me out of the corner of my eye.

“Good job tonight, Captain,” she says.

I can’t handle it when you call me that.

“Thanks. I wouldn’t have been able to defeat Pinecrest without my teammates, so they’re a huge reason why we won.”

“I know.”

I adjust the way I’m sitting, so I can directly face her. “Thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to me.”

“If I remember right, I believe you were the one who practically begged me to come.” Her tone is full of playfulness and sarcasm.

“Hey, now, wait a damn minute…” I trail off.

She bursts out into laughter.

Our laughs are piercing when they mesh together in a way that’s pleasing to the ears. For me, Violet’s laugh is one of the best sounds in the entire world.

All I hope is that she keeps her promise that she won’t disappear on me again.

Once the laughter dies down, we stare at each other. It’s almost as if it’s the first time we’re meeting each other back when we were pre-teens.

I can tell it’s gradually getting more difficult for me to catch my breath. Violet has always had that effect on me, taking my breath away. I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back.

“So, what are Captain Becker’s big plans for celebrating the big win?” She grins.

“I have to make an appearance at the after-party at the Stingray House.” My tone is stoic and emotionless.

She senses my false excitement. “Wow, could you be more enthusiasticabout it for me?”

“Haha, very funny. I’m not much of a party guy, not since high school.”

“I don’t blame you. They’re fun for a little while, but they get old pretty fast.”

“They do. Do you have plans right now?”

“You’re going to ask me to go to the party, aren’t you?”

“I don’t think I can handle all the enthusiasm seeping out of you. Ah, it’s all too much.” I stick my tongue out to one side of my mouth.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough.” She looks down at the floor before her blue eyes bounce back up to meet my gaze. “I’ll go, but only if I can bring my friend.”

“Are you talking about the redhead that was standing by the door a bit earlier?”

She nods. “Yeah, that’s Willow. She’s my co-worker at Sweet & Salty.” Her eyes grow wide like a cartoon character. “Oh! Oh! Oh!”