When the bold, cocky bad boy Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown, he discovers that some things changed in his absence.
Brian has a new neighbor-a shy, smart girl Leah, who seems to hate his guts since the moment she sees him from her bedroom wind...
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I curl my hands around the cup of hot chocolate and study the face of the man in front of me.
He barely has wrinkles, and his hair is dark. His youthful eyes are grayish, just like mine.
The paper from the laboratory I tucked into my purse says Eric Langley is my dad.
We are equally shy and awkward. It's not easy to learn it all about a person in one afternoon, but we try to get to know each other.
Eric loves bikes and nature. He's been abroad several times and is doing well now, living in the city and working for one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in the country.
He tells me stories about his life and his job and asks me tons of questions as if he were eager to make up for all those years he missed. He probably is.
"I'm sorry for what happened to your and Brian's friend," Eric says.
"Me too."
"What do the doctors say?"
"Not much," I whisper, staring into my mug. "They can't promise anything, but each day he spends in a coma decreases his chances at a normal life later. It hasn't been that long yet, but there are no positive changes, either."
"Does he need money? I could help."
"Thank you, but no." I smile. "Brian's brother Jimmy made sure Mackenzie gets all the help he needs. Now we can only wait and hope."
"The guy who did it deserves to rot in jail," says Eric.
I sip my chocolate and nod. Tears burn the back of my eyes when I think about everything that happened on that fateful day.
Bella came to the police station to testify willingly. Apparently, Gavin told her he was going to celebrate the graduation with his friends in the city. She was alone and, knowing about the party at the Temple, Bella decided to go there.
She saw Gavin in the woods near the clearing. Gavin told her to keep quiet. He only wanted to see what the delinquents were up to.
Bella was Gavin's ticket to the Temple. Thanks to her, he could go there and learn everything about each of us. He knew we would have a party when we graduated, and he planned everything thoroughly.
Thanks to Bella's statement, his arrest happened fast.
But the innocent boy fighting for his life in the hospital bed didn't benefit from it. None of us did. Gavin will go to jail, but nobody can tell if Mackenzie will be healthy. We don't know if he will be able to walk or talk. We have no clue if he is going to wake up.
All we have is hope.
Eric reaches across the table and gives my hand a little squeeze. Sympathy fills his gaze, and I can tell it's genuine.
We hug when we say goodbye, and I promise to call him later and meet for lunch again.
