Looking at him so wounded but alive, battered but unbroken, I realize what I should’ve already guessed a while ago.
I’m falling in love with him.
Despite the age gap and the judgment and the odds stacked against us from the start.
He’s the only thing that’s ever felt right. The only person who has ever seen me and understood.
I lean in and kiss him, tenderly brushing my lips to his. When I pull back, I manage a watery smile.
“I know,” I whisper hoarsely. “We will... together.”
Silver’s hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, his fingers slipping between my butterfly locs. He presses his forehead to mine, inhaling a deep breath at the same time I do.
“Together,” he echoes.
35
SOLANA
“I knowyou think I’m just some silly girl with stars in her eyes, Moonshine. But I’ve seen the real you. The man behind the swagger and the sweet talk.”
I stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, trying to channel Magnolia’s fierce vulnerability. My script is propped up against the faucet, but I barely need it anymore—these lines are burned into my brain after weeks of rehearsals.
“And that man?” I continue, lifting my chin. “That man is worth fighting for. Even if the whole world says I’m a fool for loving him.”
Saturday is opening night.
It’s so close I can taste it, and I’m a nervous wreck.
I draw a breath and start the next line, but a knock at the front door cuts me off first.
My heart stutters in response.
After everything Silver and I have been through over the past couple months—severed heads on doorsteps, shootouts on the street, Kel attacking me in my own bedroom—I’ve learned not to take unexpected visitors lightly.
I set down my script and creep toward the front of the house, my pulse picking up speed. I peek through the window beside the door, then let out the breath I was holding.
It’s possibly one of the least threatening people who could turn up at Silver’s house.
Tabitha’s standing on the porch, shifting her weight from foot to foot, her school backpack slung over one shoulder. She looks nervous—almost as nervous as I feel as I realize I’ll have to speak to her for the first time since she found out I was dating her dad.
I unlock the door and open it, pasting a smile onto my face even though my heart is thumping wildly. What could she possibly want to say to me? Does she even know I’m here? Is she going to be angry like Rachel was?
“Hey, Tabby,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Your dad’s not home right now—he’s out on club business. But if you need access to your room or anything, you can totally come on in.”
Tabitha tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I was here to, um, talk to you. I was wondering if you have a second?”
I blink, caught off guard. “Oh. Um, yeah. Of course. Come on in.”
She steps inside, clutching a textbook to her chest while her bookbag swings along her back. She must’ve come straight here right after school.
“Can I get you a soda or something?” I offer, leading her toward the kitchen. Then I catch myself and quickly add, “I mean, I know this is your dad’s house and you don’t need permission to raid the fridge, obviously. I’m just trying to be a good host. Not that I’m the host. This isn’t my house. I just—sorry. Rambling.”
She cracks a small smile. “It’s cool. I get it.”
She sets her backpack down on one of the kitchen chairs and leans against the counter, fidgeting with the strap.
It occurs to me she’s about as nervous as I am. Ironically enough, this more than anything helps settle the nerves fluttering away inside my stomach.
