Page 222 of Promising You
She makes a face. “Didn’t you get eaten by bugs? And what did you do it on? The ground?”
“He had a sleeping bag. And I didn’t notice any bugs.”
“Huh. Well, whatever works. So can you two start dating again?”
“No, we still have to wait. And it sounds like he can’t come to California this summer.”
“But it’s still weeks away. Things could change by then, right? Or maybe he could just come for part of the summer.”
“Yeah, maybe. Hey, I wanted to ask you a favor.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I need you to help me communicate with Garret. Like next time he wants me to meet him in the woods, he’ll tell you beforehand and you’ll tell me.”
“Okay. That’s easy enough. Anything else?”
“Nope. That’s it.”
“You should’ve thought of this weeks ago. You two could’ve been secretly meeting this whole time.” She checks the clock on my desk. “I gotta go. Sean will be here any minute. We’re going to a party. Do you want to come with us?”
“Harper, you know I never go to parties.”
She shrugs. “I had to ask. Someday you might say yes.”
When she’s gone I change into my pajamas and grab my laptop. I search Garret’s name on the Internet and see what comes up. Lots of shirtless photos of him. Below that are some recent articles. One is about him crashing one of his dad’s expensive cars. Another one mentions his spending habits, claiming he spent a half million dollars on a watch. People seem really upset about that one. There are lots of negative comments. The next few articles are from some online celebrity magazines. I check the comments section and only a few people have anything good to say about him.
The anti-Garret plan seems to be working, which makes me feel hopeful again. I know the organization hasn’t changed their mind, but I have to keep thinking that this will all work out. I don’t even want to consider the alternative.
It’s strange for me to think that way because I’ve always assumed bad things will happen, not good. But the past few months have taught me that bad things sometimes turn into good things. Like having Royce come into my life was really, really bad, but meeting his parents was good. Plus, Royce is the reason I’m at Moorhurst and if I hadn’t gone to Moorhurst I wouldn’t have met Garret. So I have proof that good things can come from bad. And right now, that’s the only thing keeping me going.
* * *
On Easter Sundayat 9 a.m., I go outside to find whatever Garret left on the trail. It’s a warm, sunny spring day and I’m already dressed for brunch at Sean’s apartment. I wore one of the dresses Harper gave me. It’s a light green, short-sleeve chiffon dress that’s fitted on top and flows out at the waist. This is the first time I’ve worn it. The green reminded me of the color of dyed Easter eggs so it seemed like a good dress for today.
Where the trail begins there’s a big basket and a little basket sitting on the ground. The big basket is overflowing with Easter candy; jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and chocolate eggs. The small basket has a note in it that says,The Easter bunny hid 10 plastic eggs for you to find. All are no more than 20 feet down the trail. Good luck!
I pick up the basket and start hunting for the eggs. I feel like a little kid. But I’ve never done this before and nobody is watching, so I might as well let my kid side out and have fun. If I’d known I was going on an egg hunt I probably wouldn’t have worn a dress and heels. At least the ground is dry instead of muddy.
The first five eggs are easy to find behind some trees, right off the trail. The next three are more hidden, just barely peeking out from under some fallen leaves. I have to really search for egg nine, but I eventually find it up in a tree branch. After searching up and down the trail, I can’t find the last egg and am ready to give up when I hear a noise.
“You’re getting warmer.”
I whip my head around to see Garret standing there in a dark gray suit, white shirt, and blue tie. I’m so excited to see him my heart gets all fluttery in my chest.
I run up to him. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you find your eggs.” He leans down and plants a kiss on my lips.
He looks really hot in that suit. He smells good, too. It makes me want to forget the brunch and sneak off into the woods with him.
“How long have you been here?” I ask, setting my basket down.
“Long enough to watch you hunt for eggs. You’re pretty good for a first timer.”
“I couldn’t find the last one.”
He smiles. “Keep looking.”
