Page 48 of Falling Into You

“We’re gonna have to practice in the lobby,” Coach Maguire said.

Layla narrowed her eyes at Rory and Jacob. “What’s going on here?” she asked, waggling a finger between them.

“Nothing!” Rory and Jacob said at the exact same time in the exact same tone.

Rory looked at Jacob, and he gazed back intently. They both knew it was something.

Jacob

The math test was right before lunch, so Jacob had made sure to bring protein bars. He was always starving by the time fifth period rolled around, and the last thing he needed after all this work was to be distracted by his rumbling stomach. As he sat in the back of the room with his calculator and his sharpened pencils, he felt nervous but ready. Still, he held his breath as Mrs. Dutton walked up and down the aisles handing out the exam papers. He didn’t want to let the squad down. He didn’t want to let Rory down.

You’regonnabe fine, he heard fifth-grade Rory say in his head.It’s all going to be fine.

“All right, class.” Mrs. Dutton stood at the front of the room. Her hair was all done up, and she was wearing a black-and-white-plaid dress, as if she’d gotten fancied up for the occasion. Maybe she enjoyed causing them pain? “You may begin.”

Jacob flipped the paper over. There were twenty problems. Immediately his pulse began to race. Could he complete twenty problems in forty-five minutes? That was one every two-ish minutes (he couldn’t even dothatmath properly). Nightmare. He was never going to finish.

One problem at a time, he heard Rory say in his mind. A mantra she’d kept repeating on Sunday at her house.You can tackle only one problem at a time. Just focus, and you’ll do great.

So he read the first problem. And he knew how to do it. Carlos had given him a few just like it during last night’s study session. He took a deep breath, let it go, and got to work.

When the bell rang forty-five minutes later, Jacob was checking over the last few problems. All he wanted to do was hug Gwen and Carlos. He’d been thinking about them throughout the whole test—so many of the problems were things he never would have figured out without their tutoring these past few days. He walked to the front of the room and was the last to hand his paper to Mrs. Dutton. She glanced down at it, then peered up at him through her glasses. “How did we do, Mr. Reilly?”

“Okay, I think.” He adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. “I don’t suppose you could just grade it right now real quick?”

“Nice try. Everyone will get their grades back on Friday.”

Friday. Less than forty-eight hours. It seemed like a lifetime. “Okay. Thanks.”

She gave him a nod and he turned to leave. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a loud round of cheers that nearly scared him out of his skin. The entire cheerleading squad was lined up in the hallway. Layla and Gwen held up a sign that read “GO, JACOB!” And Carlos was holding a gigantic white-and-green bag from Shake Shack. Whatever was in it smelled perfectly greasy and salty and delicious.

“What the—”

“You did it!” Rory said, stepping forward and throwing her arms around his neck. He hugged her back briefly, feeling the press of her body against his. It was the best reward he could have gotten for forty-five minutes of math torture.

When she stepped back, Carlos handed him the bag of food. “We had it delivered for you. To celebrate.”

“Let’s not celebrate till I get the grade back,” Jacob told them, not wanting to get their hopes up.

“Oh, so I can have this?” Rory asked, snatching the bag out of his hand.

“Don’t even try!” Jacob replied, making a grab for it.

“No, no. It’s mine now!” Rory shot back. Then she took off down the hall, and Jacob ran after her, the entire team shouting after them.

Rory

Sitting at a small table at her dad’s restaurant with her brother, Rory couldn’t stop checking her phone. Usually, when she was eating with Owen, she tried to be present, but she couldn’t stop checking to see if Jacob had texted.

The restaurant was a bit deserted, Wednesday being one of the slowest nights for her dad’s business. But it still felt cozy, with a fire crackling in the small fireplace against one wall and the autumnal decor of leaves and apples behind the bar. Every table had a little gourd centerpiece, and the seasonal menu was full of butternut squash, pumpkin, and apple-based dishes. The conversation in the room was hushed, and piano music played at a low volume from hidden speakers.

Rory’s dad arrived and placed bowls of steaming food in front of them. “Two house specials for my two favorite people!” he announced. It was his famous autumn stew, withbraised beef, carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds. He stood back and smiled at them in his slightly stained apron and chef whites, his floppy hair pulled back in a headband.

“Thanks, Dad!” Owen said, immediately grabbing a fork.

Rory put her phone down and sighed.

“Why so glum, chum?” her father asked, lightly knocking her arm with his fist.