Page 101 of One Wild Chance

“Summer,” I murmur. “I can’t wipe your tears away from out here. But I don’t want you crying alone, either. Can you come to the door? Just for a second?”

After a few seconds, the sound of water sloshes around the tub, then her footsteps pad across the floor.

“I’m here.”

“Put your hand against the door. Right where mine is.” I tap the door, so she knows where to place her palm. “Can you do that?”

Something slides against the door. “Okay, it’s there.”

“That’s where I am too.” I keep my palm flat against the wood, imagining her hand on the other side, touching mine. “I know it’s not much, but you’re not alone here. Not tonight. I want to fix whatever’s wrong.”

There’s a pause. “You already have,” she murmurs, her words barely a whisper, “just by being you. By treating me like I’m not broken.”

My forehead rests against the door. “You were never broken, Summer.”

“I do feel broken though,” she says, her voice wavering. “There’s this version of me that everyone sees on the outside—the capable and hard-working one. And another part underneath that’s drowning in the deep end, and just wants someone to notice.”

I close my eyes. “I noticed.”

She doesn’t say anything, and I wonder if she’s crying again.

“Nobody’s ever said that to me before,” she whispers.

“You’re not just an employee who works here, Summer.” I rest my forehead against the door. “You haven’t been for a long time. You’re important to me.”

She huffs out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Here I am, a grown woman, blushing like I’m twelve.”

“Then I’m glad I’m here with you,” I murmur. “Even through a door.”

She takes a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Jaxon.”

“For what? You did nothing wrong.”

“I judged you too quickly,” she admits with hurt in her voice. “Ever since you came home, I’ve been convinced you were going to leave. I thought Lucky Chance didn’t matter to you, beyond getting through your two years so you could get your inheritance.” She exhales. “But tonight I realized I’ve been so scared of you leaving again, I never allowed myself to see you for who you really are. I had you wrong, Jaxon. Completely and totally wrong.”

On the other side of the door, her hand slides against the wood, like she’s pressing her palm harder, almost like she’s trying to reach through it to me.

“Jaxon?” she continues. “Thank you. For being the one who sees the real me.”

“Always, Wildflower.” I press my hand harder against the door.

She hesitates. “Did you ever talk to your mom about me?”

“Not really. I was embarrassed that she’d see how I really felt about you.” I rub a finger over my lip. “She said you two would talk sometimes, but I had no idea how close you were.”

“After the accident, did you tell people there was a girl back home?”

I run my teeth over my bottom lip. “Now where’d you hear that?”

“Larissa. She saw an interview clip after your injury.”

Me and my big mouth. “Some reporter got me talking. Honestly, I never thought you’d see it.”

“So it’s…” She pauses. “True?”

Neither of us moves. We’re just two people, on opposite sides of a door, but closer than we’ve ever been.

“Yeah, Wildflower, it is. All these years apart and I still couldn’t get you out of my head.”