I was tired. I’d been so fucking tired for years. I just needed something. A sign to keep going. Anything. Because I couldn’t do this anymore.
I heard the sound of leaves crunching. I tried to mind my own business. There were more people buried here than just Brooklyn. More mourners than just me. But I kept my mouth closed, because I was pretty sure I was the only crazy one that talked to the dead.
Another crunch. And another. Getting closer and closer. It was like whoever was walking through the cemetery was coming toward me. Or rather, toward Brooklyn’s grave.
The first person that popped into my mind was Kennedy. Brooklyn’s best friend. I sat up and turned toward the sound, but could barely make out the person in the darkness. They kept walking closer and closer.
I hadn’t spoken to Kennedy in years. Not since senior year of high school, actually. We’d gone to different colleges and lost touch. It was hard to keep up a friendship when all we really had in common was someone we lost. I wasn’t even sure she was still in the city.
I squinted into the darkness. And I stupidly felt this tiny bit of hope. I’d asked for a sign. Was Kennedy that sign? She understood my pain better than anyone else. Maybe she could help me.
The person finally stepped underneath one of the lights sprinkled around the graveyard. But it wasn’t Kennedy. It was the woman stalking me from my football games standing several gravestones away, holding a bouquet of flowers. She stared at the grave I was sitting on and then back at me.
There was no doubt in my mind now. She was following me. And I just knew Mr. Pruitt was involved. First Poppy and now this person. It was one thing for Mr. Pruitt to send her to my games. It was another thing entirely to have her follow me here. She had no right to be anywhere near Brooklyn’s grave. She had no right to disturb me while I was here. And this stopped right now.
“Did Mr. Pruitt send you?” I said. The words felt like acid in my throat. When would he stop trying to ruin my life? When would he leave me alone in my misery?
She didn’t say a word. She just stared at me.
“Answer me.”
She took a step back, the leaves crunching under her feet.
Fuck this. I started to stand up.
The woman dropped the flowers and…ran. Faster than I expected her to in high heeled boots. She was a freaking sprinting ninja in disguise.
“Hey!” I called. But she was already halfway toward an SUV parked on the path. “Tell me who you are!” I yelled as I sprinted after her. “Who sent you?”
She jumped into the car and the engine roared to life. It started moving just as I reached the path.
“Answer me!” I yelled. I slammed the back of her SUV with my hand. An SUV just like the ones Mr. Pruitt used to make Brooklyn drive around in. When he’d been worried about her safety.
The SUV sped off, leaving me alone in the darkness of the graveyard.
My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath. I had no idea what Mr. Pruitt was up to. But I knew that anything involving him had to be bad.
I pulled out my phone and shot Tanner a text: “Have you dug up any dirt on Mr. Pruitt?”
His text came back immediately. “You mean Richard Reginald Pruitt?”
“I don’t know what his middle name is.”
“It’s Reginald.”
Damn it, Tanner get to the point. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes.”
“So what is it?”
“This is more of an in-person kind of reveal. Meet up for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Mr. Pruitt is having me tailed. I need to end this now.” I didn’t bother adding that I was at Brooklyn’s grave. Tanner thought it was unhealthy that I visited so often. He was probably right. And I didn’t need a lecture right now. Today had been shitty enough.
“Trust me, Matt. This is the kind of stuff you reveal in person, not over the phone.”
“Would you just text me? It can’t wait until tomorrow night.” Sometimes Tanner drove me insane. Texting was a perfectly suitable form of communication. I wasn’t sure why he always insisted on doing things in person.
“It’s called a reveal, you fat head. Tomorrow night.”
I sighed. I knew when Tanner wouldn’t budge. And it was usually after he spewed off some weird insult like calling me a fat head. “Fine. See you tomorrow.”
“Ciao.”
Ciao? Tanner needed to learn how to read the room. This wasn’t a lighthearted ciao moment. For all I knew, Mr. Pruitt was trying to off me. I shook my head and shoved my phone back in my pocket. Tanner’s news better be good.
Chapter 20
Monday
I was just putting away the practice footballs when my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled it out, expecting a text from Tanner. But it was Penny’s name on my screen. I clicked on the message: “I’m sorry about the other night.”
Which night? Yesterday when she’d almost made everyone aware that I was on a stupid dating app? Or the night before when she’d sent me on a date from hell? “It’s fine,” I texted back.
“Please just let me make it up to you.”
I shook my head. I had better things to focus on right now than pretending to date. Like who the hell was stalking me. But instead of saying any of that, I texted back: “What did you have in mind?” I really didn’t know why I couldn’t say no to this girl.
“It’s a surprise.”
The last surprise I’d gotten was her showing up on my doorstep. But that had been Tanner’s idea. Not hers. Surely Penny was better at surprises than Tanner. “It’s not another teapot, is it?”
“That’s a terrible way to say thank you, Matt. But no, it’s not another teapot. Clear your calendar for tomorrow night. I’ll text you more details.”
That was super vague. But I found myself typing back okay. Hopefully I wouldn’t regret it. I made my way to the parking lot and my feet froze when I heard the squeal of tires. I looked up to see an SUV speeding out of the parking lot. I swore it was the same SUV from the graveyard last night. What the hell Mr. Pruitt?
I climbed into my car. Tanner better have good news for me.
***
Tanner had texted me the address of the restaurant. It was some swanky new place he wanted to try. When I pulled up outside, I sighed. The name of the place was literally in the middle of a neon heart. This was a restaurant for couples. Tanner loved trying all the newest places as he scoped out appropriate dating sights for his club. But I was seriously sick of being the guinea pig. If we got mistaken for a gay couple one more time I was going to lose it. He knew I hated this shit.
I gave the valet the keys to my car.
“Enjoy your date,” he said.
Kill me now.
I walked into the restaurant and looked around for Tanner. I spotted him at the same time he saw me. He waved me over with a smile on his face, completely oblivious to the fact that I was annoyed.
“Another place to check out for the club?” I asked when I reached his table.
“I like to kill two birds with one stone, you know this.”
“What I know is that I told you to stop taking me to places obviously designed for couples. The valet told me to enjoy my date.”