Knockout (Gaslight spin-off)

41| Amends

Mom makes me spend Sunday at the beach with Cody and Dad. He'd confessed to her about having a new girlfriend and lying to me about moving in, so now she's demanding we talk it out. As self-centered as she is sometimes, she still cares about his feelings.

"Look," I say through a mouthful of cereal, "the fight is in five days. I don't have time to go to the beach right now."

It's a lie if I ever told one. While I've been training around the clock in preparation for Friday, Hayden says now is the time to taper off, which means decreasing my training by eighty percent to give my body time to recover. But as nice as it feels not having to train so hard, all the extra time means extra time to worry.

Mom gives me her famous disapproving look and says, "You're going. You know how sensitive your father is, and it'll be eating him up not being able to talk to you. Put him out of his misery."

As luck would have it, Cody chooses that moment to bound through the doors wearing his new cap and sunglasses. He's grinning from ear to ear, and it's so nice to see him this happy again that I don't even bother arguing. I finish my cheerios, change into a summer dress, and worry about the gym.

Today is the day I'm going to tell Hayden the truth. Maybe it's the wrong thing to do, and I'll regret it as soon as I say it, but I've been sitting on this for so long that I have to clear my conscience. Deep down, though, I hope Hayden will forgive him as Coach would have.

Dad arrives around nine and acts all sheepish, avoiding eye contact. I shoot Mom a look, who shoots me one back that says, Be nice. It must be Freaky Friday because usually, it's Dad giving me that look about Mom.

"Hey buddy," he says to Cody, ruffling his hair, "you ready to go?"

Cody nods enthusiastically. Slowly, as if afraid of the expression I might be wearing, Dad's eyes find mine. They soften, and I'll admit, I feel a little bad. "Hey, Cassie bear. You ready, too?"

I nod and grab Cody's hand before following Dad to the truck. Opening the car door, I settle into the front seat, feeling the cool leather cushion beneath me. The sooner this beach trip is over, the better.

Mom pokes her head through the passenger window, smiling like we're one big happy family. "Have fun."

We pull out of the driveway and onto the street, the palm trees towering above us like sentinels as we head toward the beach. I'll admit, the silence is awkward, so I'm glad when Cody commandeers the radio and puts on some Jazz.

"So, you ready for your fight, Cassie Bear?" Dad asks. "I can't wait to see you in action."

I nod and turn to the window again, determined to use this time to relax: no thinking about the fight, Auden, or Dad, just taking in the views.

"Cassie is gonna win," Cody chimes in. I glance in the rearview mirror at his beaming face. "Even if she gets hurt. That's what Coach said before."

My chest tightens at the mention of Coach. I swivel until I face him properly, searching his bright, warm eyes. "He said that?"

"Uh-huh," he says, "the last time you let me go. I asked Coach if you would get hurt, and he said maybe a little, but that you were so strong and brave, you'd get back up even if you did."

I can't help it; a tear forms in my eye as I return to the front, but at the same time, I smile. Even now, when things feel more uncertain than ever, Coach has this way of making me feel better.

Finally, we catch our first glimpse of the ocean, its vast expanse stretching out before us in a glittering sheet of blue. I follow Dad and Cody to the trunk, where Dad pulls out towels, sandwiches, and two surfboards.