Page 239 of Promising You
But I’m having a really hard time acting calm and normal when I just want to jump up and down and tell him how happy I am. How relieved I am. How I want to see him again as soon as possible. I take a moment to calm down and try to contain my excitement.
“The flight was okay.”
“Good.” He gets quiet.
This is very odd. I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say. And I don’t understand this. If someone from the organization is listening to the call, then why is Garret calling me at all? Are they allowing us to date now? That doesn’t make sense. Even if he’s not their presidential pick, he’s still a member of the organization. He was born into it. He has no choice. Or did his dad manage to get him out of it?
I need Garret to give me a clue, anything that will at least hint about what’s going on.
“So are you going to California?” I ask.
“In a week or so. I have to take care of some things first.”
From his tone I get the feeling I’m not supposed to ask what those things are, so I don’t. But the fact that he’s going to California seems like a good sign.
“And, um, you’ll be staying there a while? In California?”
“Yeah.” His tone lightens and he sounds even happier. “I’ll be there all summer.”
Another good sign.
“And then you’re going back to Moorhurst?”
“No. I’ve decided to go to a different college next year. I don’t know where yet. But my options are open. I can choose wherever I want to go.”
He puts a slight emphasis on the words ‘options’ and ‘choose’ which I’m taking to mean that he’s somehow not part of that group anymore. Or if he is, they eased up on the rules and are letting him make his own choices, something his dad was never allowed to do.
“Okay, well, when you figure out your plans, just let me know.”
“I will. Hey, I can’t really talk now and things will be a little crazy the next couple days, so I probably won’t call you until Friday.”
“All right.” I go along with it, but find it strange that he can’t talk to me for the next two days. “Did you get a new phone? I didn’t recognize the number.”
“I’m calling from the home phone. I kind of trashed my cell.” He pauses. “I had to say goodbye to someone I didn’t want to say goodbye to and I um, got really pissed and threw my phone in a creek in the woods.”
I almost laugh. It’s not really funny, but the image of him throwing it in there is a little funny.
“Tell Frank and Ryan I said hi. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Yeah. Bye.”
He hangs up without an I love you or I miss you or anything like that. He obviously wanted to make it sound like we’re just friends and not dating. So what does that mean? I’m so confused.
Maybe I’m getting all worked up about nothing. Maybe Garret was just being extra cautious, just in case someone was listening in.
I’m not going to worry about it. Besides, Garret sounded happy. And he wouldn’t sound that way unless he knew he could be with me. Unless he knew we could have a future together. It takes a moment for that to sink in. Garret thinks we can be together? So this whole thing is over? We can be together without people trying to break us apart?
Then what I am doing in bed? I get up and jump around like a lunatic. I know I’m acting crazy but I’m too excited to go to sleep.
Who would’ve ever thought that Jade Taylor would be jumping around her room in the middle of the night because of a guy? Anyone who knew the old Jade would never believe it. But in the past year, I’ve learned that love can make you do crazy, silly, stupid, ridiculous things. And the fact that one person can make you feel this way and do those things is amazing to me. Now I just need to get that one person back and never let him go.
CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN
The next twodays go by and as Garret said, I don’t hear from him. On Friday morning, I pack up for California. Frank and Ryan take me out for breakfast and then we head to the airport. Ryan parks at the drop-off area and gets out to give me a hug.
“I’ll definitely make it out there to see you this summer,” he says. “I just don’t know when yet. This car will never make it. I’ll have to fly, which means I need to get some extra shifts at work to pay for it. But I’ll be there.”
“You better be,” I say, hugging him tight. I smile knowing that as soon as Ryan finds out about the money he’ll be able to quit his job and not worry so much.
