“Thank you,” I breathed, turning toward Austin. He was watching me like I had surprised him, like I had done something he had not anticipated. “This was a great night.”
“I’m glad you had fun, Yellow,” he told me softly. His hands came up to my face again, familiar now, grounding. He leaned in and kissed me once more, slow and sure.
We pulled apart smiling, our breathing still uneven, no words left between us that needed to be said. I opened the car door, and Cherry did the same. It seemed her plans for the night ended with my bed.
As I stepped out, I tilted my head, noticing a light glowing inside my house. That was strange. I closed the car door andwalked toward the front steps with Cherry beside me, curiosity tightening in my chest. I wondered if we had woken my parents. I was just about to turn back and give Austin one last wave when the front door opened. Shock dropped hard into my stomach.
“Holden?” I said.
He stood there in his pajamas, blond hair messy, eyes heavy with sleep. He smiled at me at first, the familiar softness returning my breath for just a moment. Then his gaze slid past Cherry. Past me. Toward Austin’s car. I turned to follow his line of sight, watching as Holden’s eyes locked onto Austin’s.
Then quickly, tires screamed against the pavement. Where Austin’s car had been only seconds before, there were now just red taillights streaking away into the night. He was gone. And he had left fast.
12
I only had a second to register Austin before he drove away. Then I turned back to Holden.
I let my gaze travel over his face slowly. He looked tired. Worn down in a way that went deeper than a bad night’s sleep. His jaw was tight as he watched Austin’s car disappear, something sharp flickering across his expression. Anger, maybe. Or something close to it. But I didn’t linger there. I couldn’t, because his eyes stopped me cold. They were clear. Steady. Sober. And the sight of them alone made my chest ache so badly it almost brought me to tears.
“Holden,” I said again, my voice quieter now. “Why are you here? Why are you home? You were supposed to be in Idaho for another two weeks. What happened? Why didn’t Mom and Dad tell me you were coming home? Why—”
“Sis,” Holden interrupted gently, finally looking directly at me. “Calm down.”
I tilted my head, forcing myself to do exactly that. I took a slow breath through my nose. Then I smiled, even though my throat felt tight. “I missed you.”
My lip trembled as I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on tighter than I meant to. For a moment, he stayed stiff in my arms, like he wasn’t sure what to do with the contact. Then I felt it. The tension left him all at once as he hugged me back.
“I missed you too, Blair,” he said softly.
“What about me, Holden?” Cherry called out, her voice cutting through the moment just enough to make me laugh as I pulledaway. Holden let out a shy chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d always had a thing for Cherry. Who didn’t?
“Of course, Cherry,” Holden said coolly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “Though you two seem busy enough without me here.”
“Are you jealous, Holden?” Cherry raised her brows at him, clearly enjoying herself. “So are we going inside, or are we sleeping on the porch tonight? Group sleepover. Haven’t had one of those in ages.”
“Yeah,” I laughed, “because we’re not in seventh grade anymore.” Even as I joked, my eyes stayed on Holden. His gaze kept flicking between the street and the two of us, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. There was something restless about him. Something coiled.
“Party pooper,” Cherry sighed dramatically. “Come on. I want to hear all about Idaho.”
“Cherry,” I said as I pushed open the front door, the others trailing in behind me. “The only things in Idaho are potatoes and cows.”
“I didn’t see shit in Idaho except a hospital bed and a psych ward,” Holden snapped as he stepped inside, bitterness cutting through his words. He reached out and flicked on the lights, the sudden brightness filling the room.
Cherry winced only slightly. “Well, where’s the fun in that?” She walked straight to the couch and dropped onto it with a heavy sigh, tipping her head back against the cushions. There was a smile on her mouth, soft and distracted, and I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was thinking about someone who wasn’t in this room.
“Well,” I said, sitting down beside her. Holden took the chair across from us, elbows braced on his knees as he leaned forward. His mouth was set in a scowl that didn’t quite match the conversation, and that’s when I knew something was off.
“Well?” Cherry prompted, glancing at me. I hadn’t realized I’d let the word hang. I’d been too busy trying to read Holden’s energy, trying to figure out where that sharpness was coming from.
“Rehab isn’t supposed to be fun,” I finished, my eyes still on him.
“Don’t I know it,” he muttered, rubbing his chin as his gaze drifted somewhere far away. For the first time in my life, I wished we actually did have twin telepathy, just so I could see what was happening inside his head.
“Maybe you should stop going then,” I said lightly. I was joking. But I wasn’t.
“That’s the plan,” Holden replied flatly, a sarcastic smirk tugging at his lips.
“So, Holden—” Cherry began.
