10 Years Later

“Our signal doesn’t reach that far,” I said, correcting her absentmindedly.

“Ugh. You know what I mean. You have to be careful about the things you tell those people. That’s all.”

Kristy was right, and I knew it. “It’s harder than it seems.” I didn’t want to be closed off and unapproachable at work, and even though I knew things from my life could be used as radio fodder, normally I never minded. This morning just happened to hit a little too close to home for comfort.

“You’re leaving for the hotel tomorrow after the show, right?”

“In theory, yes. I might have to stay after and help prep for the weekly on-air staff meeting, but I should still get there before you do.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

“’Night,” I said with a loud yawn.

“Dear God. You’d better be able to stay up past six on Saturday.”

“I will,” I promised.

“Do I need to pack energy drinks?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” I said with a shrug, even though she couldn’t see me.

“All right, old lady. Go to bed.”

I set aside my phone, thinking about the day Kristy learned about my crush on Dalton . . .

• • •

“So, who’s the guy?” Kristy had asked, taking a large bite out of her sandwich that day at lunch during our freshman year in high school.

“What guy?” I’d feigned innocence before looking around our school’s quad as if I had no idea what she was referring to.

She smacked me on the arm. “Stop playing dumb, dummy. Why do you keep staring at that guy in the corner with Tommy Baker?”

Kristy proceeded to lift her hand and point right in the direction of Dalton Thomas, and I grabbed for it, yanking it down.

“Why would you do that? Don’t point at him!” I said with a groan. “It’s just a guy from one of my classes.”

I met Dalton the first day of our freshman year. We had English Composition together, and my pulse raced as he moved to sit in the empty desk next to mine. He smiled, extended his hand, and introduced himself in that sexy, self-assured way that I would soon learn was typical of Dalton. We became friends from that moment on, but I never assumed that he saw me as anything more than that.

Kristy narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “He’s kinda cute. You know, in that nontraditional way.”

I glanced over at Dalton again. His sandy-brown hair hung in his eyes, and he moved his head to fling it away. You couldn’t see his eye color from where we sat on the lawn, but I knew it by heart—green with little flecks of brown. “I don’t even know what that means.” I shook my head before taking a bite of my apple.

“He doesn’t look like a jock and he doesn’t dress preppy, but he’s still cute in that So-Cal boy-next-door kinda way. Is he nice?”

I felt my face get a dopey look when I thought of him, and my body sank deeper into the grass. “He’s so nice. And he’s smart. And funny. And charming. My God, he’s so charming. I didn’t even know guys our age could be charming.”

“Okay, okay,” Kristy said, cutting me off. “You like him. I get it.”

“It’s just a crush. I’m sure it’ll go away eventually.”

I assumed at that point that it would do exactly that. Go away, subside with time, or something that involved thoughts of Dalton’s lips on mine leaving my mind. But they never did. My crush on Dalton Thomas only seemed to grow with each year of high school until it exploded one night during our senior year. But that was still a long three years away. Before the clouds came and settled over my otherwise rainbow-filled life.

“I think he’s looking over here,” Kristy said before taking another bite of her sandwich.

I’d glanced across the lawn and thought I saw Dalton smirk at me, but couldn’t be sure. My heart had fluttered anyway, as it expanded with hope.

Ten Years