Page 132 of Faking the Shot
“I told you. I love her.”
“What? You can’t. Not now.”
“I do. Now delete it. Please.”
“But… but…”
He snatched the phone from her, and held it until she grumpily deleted the post. With any luck nobody would have seen it, and it would be banished to the internet netherworld.
“I don’t understand you,” his mom complained. “How can you say you love her after what she did?”
“Because that’s what love is, Ma. It doesn’t give up. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
“But that’s foolish. The woman has given up on you.”
“Ainsley is working through a bunch of things. I’m happy to wait until she’s ready for me.”
“Happy?”
Okay, well happy might be overselling things. “I’m content to wait.” He’d learn to be.
“I don’t understand this at all. What is wrong with you?”
Maybe this was his opportunity. “Actually Ma, I feel like something is finally right with me.”
“What? What are you talking about? How can you say that after what has happened? How could she reject my perfect boy?”
“Actually, I’ve never been perfect.”
“What do you mean?” his mom asked. His dad eyed him, but said nothing.
Zac swallowed. Here goes.God, feel free to help me out. “Look, I don’t think you would judge me for saying facts. You and I both know I’ve had a lot of success and won lots of awards, but I still felt like something was missing. So I got talking to people, and now I found some peace.”
“What kinds of people?” his mom asked suspiciously.
“A counselor?” His dad’s nose screwed up.
“Nope.” Zac swallowed. “Some Christians.”
His dad’s eyes widened, as his mom gasped. “Don’t tell me you’ve joined a cult?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I haven’t joined a cult, Ma. But I have become a Christian.”
His mom’s forehead puckered. “But you already were.”
“No, I wasn’t,” he said gently. “Before, I might’ve gone to church with you sometimes when I was younger, but it didn’t mean that I believed in God, or had accepted Jesus as my Lord, or was trying to follow Him, or do what Jesus said.”
His dad blinked as his mom’s mouth swung open. “Are you sure that you’re feeling okay?”
Lord, touch their hearts.“I’m feeling more at peace than I have for a long time.” He shrugged. “Even with the Ainsley thing. If that’s not meant to be, then God has something better for me.”
“Well, ofcoursethere is someone better for you,” his mom scoffed. “I can never like a girl who dumped you.”
“It was a mutual thing,” he reminded her. “And you need to be careful what you say and what you post in case we get back together.”
“I’ll never let that woman set foot in this house again.”
Zac glanced at his dad, who wore a wry grin.