But I was already walking away, the frustration and fear swirling together, making it hard to breathe. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want more reassurances when she couldn’t even give me a straight answer. I just wanted... I didn’t even know what I wanted.
I ended up in my room, flopping down on the bed with a groan, my hands covering my face. This was a mess. I was a mess. And Holden wasn’t even here to help me untangle any of it.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I reached for it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Holden’s name light up the screen.
Holden: Hey. Just checking in. Everything okay?
I stared at the message, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him that I was scared, that I missed him, that I didn’t know how to do this—whateverthiswas. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to put that on him, not when he was out of town, dealing with whatever business had pulled him away.
So instead, I typed out a simple reply:
Me: Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just miss you.
It was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth. I hit send, my stomach twisting as I waited for his response. It came a moment later.
Holden: Miss you too. I’ll be back before you know it.
I sighed, my chest aching. I hoped he was right, because the thought of him not coming back—of losing everything I’d started to build with him—was too much to bear.
The rest of the day passed in a fog. I went through the motions without really being present. I helped out in the kitchen, cleaned up, did whatever I could to keep myself busy. But the anxiety was still there, gnawing at me—a constant weight on my chest that I just couldn’t shake.
Later that evening, Sarah found me again. She didn’t say anything at first, just handed me a cup of tea and sat down across from me at the table. I glanced at her, then down at the tea, watching the steam curl up from the cup in slow, lazy spirals.
“I’m sorry,” she said after a moment, her voice soft. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you couldn’t trust me.”
I shook my head, my shoulders slumping. “It’s not your fault,” I said quietly. “I just… I don’t know what’s going on. I feel like everyone knows something I don’t, and it’s driving me crazy. I just want to understand.”
Sarah nodded, her gaze sympathetic. “I get it,” she said. “And I promise, no one is trying to keep anything from you to hurt you. It’s just... complicated.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, seems like everything is complicated around here.”
She reached across the table, her hand resting on mine. “I know it’s hard, but Holden... he’s not going anywhere, Mylo. He cares about you. I can see it. We all can.”
Her words were kind, clearly meant to reassure me, but they only made the ache in my chest grow stronger. Because that was the problem, wasn’t it? I cared about Holden too—more than I wanted to admit, even to myself. And the thought of losing him—of losing everything I’d found here—was more than I could handle.
I forced a smile, nodding even though I didn’t quite believe her. “Thanks, Sarah.”
She gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Anytime,” she said softly. “And if you ever need to talk... I’m here.”
I nodded again, my throat tight. “I appreciate it,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.
She smiled, stood up, and gave my shoulder a gentle pat before walking away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared down at the cup of tea, watching the steam rise in slow tendrils, and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
Holden would be back soon. And when he was, maybe... maybe I could finally get some answers.
Maybe I could finally figure out if this thing between us was real—or if I was just setting myself up for heartbreak all over again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HOLDEN
I couldn’t rememberthe last time I’d felt this happy—the kind that made everything seem better… like it didn’t suck.
I was finally back home. And Mylo... he was here too. That thought alone had me smiling like an idiot the whole way back, with Indigo’s teasing voice echoing in my head:“You look like you swallowed a love potion.”
Maybe I had. Who could say?
Maybe I had. Who could say? Or, I finally got a clue, according to West.
