The Summer Reunion (unedited version)

52| And The Winner Goes To...

Tosh was checked out of the hospital soon after Izzie and I's conversation. I was ninety percent sure Izzie slipped the nurse a fifty when no one was looking. We stood in the waiting room as Tosh walked out with Izzie hovering over her.

"She has a concussion, which needs to be monitored, but other than that she's fine. We have to hurry back to camp. The counselor meeting starts in like," she checked her watch and her forehead creased with worry lines, "an hour and a half. We should have just enough time to talk to Mr. C and convince him that the party getting out of hand wasn't our fault before the meeting starts."

We hurried out the door and headed for the parking lot. Izzie kept shooing us to the car faster. You would think her life was on the line, not mine. Her pesky little hands kept ushering me to the car.

"Andie we have to goooo," she pulled on my arm.

I rolled my eyes and lifted the arm she was holding into the air, "Avengers assemble!"

I did that mostly to annoy Izzie, but I was also hoping it would make Grayson's nerd heart happy. It did not. His gaze kept on the ground.

"Oh come on Gray, nothing?"

Nothing.

"Seriously?" this time I was the one to pull on his arm as we stopped in the middle of the parking lot.

Izzie huffed. "Andie we don't have time for this."

"We'll meet you in the car."

"Andie-"

"Izzie, I said we'll be there in a sec."

Grayson finally turned to look at me. "I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"Now you sound like me, and that's never a good sign." I braced myself for the conversation. I had to remind myself of what I said to Izzie. Relationships are built on trust. If I can't be honest, than this will never be anything. "The only thing I want in this world is to stay with you guys. But my family situation is messy and it would only make things worse if I moved back. I can't be a pawn in my dad's game that he can bribe with money, and I'm not willing to sacrifice my mom's life for mine."

"That's not fair to you Andie," his fingers brushed the side of my wrist.

Similar to the last time we fought, when I was in the midst of leaving, he's more hurt than angry. He thinks I'm going to leave him behind. 

"No, it's not. But it's what needs to happen. You and I worked a lot to fix our relationship this summer. I don't want to throw all of that away on something we can't control."

He pulled me in by my hand he was holding on to. His other settling at my back. A strand of my hair blew across my face and he brushed it away with his fingers, lingering on my cheek. "I'm going to miss you," he said against my lips as he brushed his mouth lightly against mine. He deepened the kiss, his hand twisting into my hair.

We broke apart, and it felt final. As if we had silently agreed to focus on getting to Mr. Clearwater, and not on us until it was time for me to go. I'm not sure how we both knew, but we walked towards the car without another word, just comfortable silence. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was all we get. We had one summer and now the season is over. I'm sure we'll continue to talk over the phone when I move back, but it won't be the same. At least this time I'm leaving with us on good terms.

                                                                                              ****

Trees and blue skies flew past the window of the car as we raced to the counselor meeting. It was being held inside the craft room, where we were headed now that we'd dropped Tosh back off at the cabin with Drew. He obviously wasn't the best man for the job, but he was the only one. Grayson was coming with me to talk to Mr. Clearwater and since it was owned by Izzie's dad she volunteered to come too.