Grant rests a hand on my shoulder and guides me through the packed house. A blur of faces—classmates, teammates, cheerleaders—fills the space.
“Ayden and Alysa are going to be so excited to see you,” he says with a grin. “We kept it a secret that you were coming.”
Tucking a hand into my pocket, I give him a cheeky grin. “Perfect?—”
“OH MY GOD!” Speaking of my stepsister, there she is.
It’s like the sea parts—no one daring to get in her way—as she barrels down the hall and collides with me.
I laugh, wrapping my arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. “Hey, Aly.”
“Oh, Kee, I’ve missed you! Ayden is going to freak when he sees you!”
“Where is he?” Grant asks from beside me as I set her down.
“I think outside.” She squeezes me once more before darting off. “Go find him, I’ll catch up later.”
I head upstairs first, ducking into the bathroom to wash up and drop my bag before rejoining the chaos. By the time I return, the house feels even more packed. Music. Laughter. The smell of BBQ drifting in from the open doors. I thread my way through familiar faces, exchanging rushed greetings and ignoring the ones who try to hold me in conversation. My chest buzzes with anticipation. I’m far too eager to find Ayden.
The backyard sprawls out in front of me, lit by string lights and the glow of rainbow LEDs rippling across the pool. A handful of teens swim while most cluster around the buffet tables and coolers. It’s loud, it’s alive, but… no Ayden.
I press further, weaving toward the far edge of the yard where the big fence cuts off the neighbor’s property. That’s when I hear it—soft, stifled. A sniffle.
Then Ayden’s voice, low and steady. “Mandy, I wish you wouldn’t cry.”
Her reply cracks with emotion. “I don’t understand why, though.”
Rationally, I know this is a conversation I shouldn’t walk in on. But selfishly? I’ve only got this weekend with him before summer training swallows my time. And I’ll be damned if I’m givinganyof it away, especially to Mandy.
So, I make myself known. Deliberately stepping across the rocks instead of the grass.
She gasps. “Shit.”
Rounding my mom’s she-shed, I finally see them—Ayden slouched against the siding, hands shoved in his pockets, and Mandy a few feet away, red-eyed and startled.
It only takes him a second to clock it’s me. The frown melts right off his face, replaced with that blinding smile I’ve missedmore than I’ll ever admit.
“Holy shit, Keo!”
“Oh… hey, Keoni.” Mandy’s voice is pointed.
But Ayden doesn’t hesitate. He pushes off the wall and barrels straight into me. His arms wrap tight around my middle at the exact same time mine lock around him, and fuck…
Yeah.This. This feels like home.
Unlike with Alysa, I don’t let go quickly. I keep him there, pressed against me, for longer than any stepbrother really should.
“You came…” he mumbles into my shirt, and the way his voice catches makes him squeeze me even tighter.
“Yeah. Sorry I was late… finals.”
“All good.” He leans back, though not far enough to put any real distance between us. His hand lingers against my side, grabbing onto my shirt. “Leilani said you had finals… I didn’t think you’d come at all.”
I haven’t smiled this hard since the last time I saw him. Goddamn, I’ve missed him.
“Ahem.”
Mandy’s still here, apparently. She’s plastered on a brittle smile. “Can I have him back for a bit longer?”
