Chapter 25

Noah

"So then, I was like 'listen up bud, nobody wants to hear about your-'..." Jasey trailed off as I walked past her.

We made eye contact and Jasey froze, her eyes widening slightly as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.

I stopped dead, realizing what was going on. Jasey was on the phone with her.

"Is that..." I trailed off, not even sure if she could hear me across the crowded and noisy hallway.

Jasey slowly nodded, not saying anything.

I felt sick to my stomach as I turned away from Jasey, slamming my locker shut.

So she was okay. She was talking to Jasey. That's good, right?

"What did the locker do to you?" Hank laughed, appearing next to me.

"Jasey is talking to Harper right now and I've got half a mind to rip that phone out of her hand and-"

"Alright." Hank sighed, cutting me off. "It's time we had a little chat."

"Excuse me?"

"Come over after the team meeting today, okay? We need to talk about some things."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone, angry, and annoyed.

I ran my hands through my hair before turning to walk towards the locker rooms.

Jasey was still talking on her phone, laughing at whatever Harper had just said.

My chest tightened again as I squeezed my fists, continuing down the hall at a faster pace.

I didn't even have a right to be annoyed right now. Today marked three months since the last time I saw Harper so why was it just getting to me today?

Why was today of all days getting under my skin?

Maybe it's because we're playing Rodavella tonight for baseball and that's where her dad coaches, where everything went down.

I wasn't ready for that game. I knew that Mick and Roy would be on the field and they were still not too pleased with me for moving back home.

Everybody was upset with me for leaving. But that's because nobody understood the depth of everything that happened.

I walked into the locker room, still feeling sick to my stomach, to join the rest of the team in the usual pre-game chat our coach had with us.

After the chat we'd all go our separate ways just to meet each other back here in a few hours for the game.

I barely paid attention to whatever coach said but it was typical stuff of 'this team is better than us and they've got better kids and blah blah blah'.

So basically we had to bring our A game or he'd be hella pissed.

Nobody cared about tonight's game. We had no connection to this school when it came to baseball. Nobody even knew anything about this school. I don't even think they knew I went there for a few years.

The entire drive to Hank's house, I was anxious.

What did he want to "chat" about? Why was I going over there?

He was shooting hoops when I pulled up outside, sweat already glistening on his forehead from how hot it was outside.

He tossed the ball at my car, letting it bounce off the hood as I got out.

"Asshole." I frowned, chucking the ball back at him. "What's going on?"

"Your shot." He said, bounce passing the ball to me.

My frown deepened as I picked up the ball, sliding my keys into the pocket of my shorts.

"What's going on?" I repeated, bouncing it twice before lining up to take a shot from where I was standing.

It hit the outside of the rim and bounced off towards Hank.

He sighed, passing it back to me.

"We gotta talk about Harper, man." Hank shook his head.

I didn't reply, taking another shot.

This one bounced in and out, coming back towards me.

"It's time you moved on. It's time you accepted that she's manipulative and a flight risk and-"

"We're both flight risks." I cut him off, not taking a third shot.

This conversation was more important.

"It's time you moved on." Hank repeated. "Take a shot."

I glared at him before shooting the ball.

It went through with a satisfying swish and I walked over to lean against my car.

"Why are you telling me this today?" I asked curiously, watching as he easily sunk the equivalent of a three-pointer.

Hank shrugged, jogging to retrieve the ball. "I think that it's something that needs to be said. You've been in a funk since you moved back and I think it's time you got over it. She's not your everything, Noah. The earth doesn't revolve around her."

"Mine sure as hell does." I replied.

"You're joking." Hank groaned.

"No I don't care how much of a pussy it makes me. I am in love with that girl and I will be for the rest of my life so you can kindly stay the fuck out of it." I said harshly, catching the rebound from his next shot.

"Fine, fine. I'll stay out of it." Hank held up his hands in protest. "I just figured you'd want to know before she showed up at the game tonight."

"She's not going to show up at the game." I snapped.

"I forgot you don't have a snapchat." Hank sighed. "She's coming to the game tonight because she doesn't know you moved back. She's in town for some reason."

I froze, the basketball falling out of my hands.

"You're joking."

"Dead serious." Hank replied, not going after the ball as it rolled down the driveway. "I wanted you to be prepared and I wanted you to know that I think it's time to move on."

"Jesus." I whispered, running my hands through my hair. "Well today just got a hell of a lot more complicated."

~*~*~

"I thought you said Hank said Harper Lawrence was gonna be at this game." Joel said, leaning against the fence next to me.

"I thought so too." I shrugged, stretching out my ankle. "Guess she found out I was here."

Joel let out a snort.

"Yeah, because all girls freak out about their freshman year boyfriends." Joel rolled his eyes. "No matter how fucked up you two ended it, she doesn't give a shit anymore."

I rolled my eyes but didn't reply.

Joel let out another laugh and walked away to talk to some other guys from the team.

I was watching Coach Norman carefully, wondering if he knew why Harper wasn't here.

I couldn't exactly go up and ask him...

We were up to bat and I knew I should be paying attention to that but I was captivated by Harper's dad as he suddenly got a phone call and seemed very agitated about it.

He looked around, maybe asking where she was and why she wasn't there.

And then his eyes widened and he leaned against the fence, his face turning white as if he'd seem a ghost.

I stood up straighter, panic jolting through me.

What the hell happened to Harper?

Coach listened for a minute before glancing up at me.

We made eye contact and I felt a jolt of nausea flow through me.

Coach said something seriously into the phone before hanging up.

He turned to the other coaches and said something urgently before grabbing his jacket and leaving the dugout.

"Keller!" He called as he walked towards the parking lot.

I fucking knew it.

"Coach I gotta go." I said suddenly to my own coach, not waiting for a response before sliding through the opening in the fence. "Coach!" I called to Harper's dad, my heart pounding in my chest. "What's going on?"

"Get in the car, Noah, I'll explain on the way."

"Is Harper okay?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know now get in the car."

What was wrong?

Did something happen to her on the way here?

I had a horrible feeling in my stomach and I could just tell she was in a lot of pain.

I squeezed my hands into fists, feeling like throwing up.

If something really bad happened...

"What's going on?" I finally had the courage to ask when we'd been in the car for seven and a half minutes without speaking.

"I don't know if I'm the right person to tell you this..." Coach sighed, glancing over at me. "But I uh... I..."

Coach stopped talking, biting his bottom lip as he squeezed the steering wheel.

He took a deep breath.

"Harper didn't lose the baby."