“When did you become so bossy?”
Asher chokes back a laugh, shaking his head. “Dude, if only you knew.”
I glance between them, my chest tightening. “What if Claire doesn’t want me stepping in?”
“She does.” Tessa walks over to us, her eyes soft but firm. “I was with her just after you left. I dropped a bag off for her. She wants you to know she didn’t send you away becauseshe blames you. She sent you away so you can come back stronger for Madi.”
Connor barrels down the hallway, arms overflowing with pillows and blankets. He clips his shoulder on the wall, not seeing it, and curses. He keeps going, a man on a mission, and when he stops in front of me, he drops everything to the floor.
“What are you doing?” I ask, one brow lifting.
“We’re having a sleepover, duh,” he answers.
“I wuv sleepovers,” Remi squeals, bouncing over, Ace hot on his heels.
The whole room suddenly shifts into motion. Pillows go flying, blankets unfurling across the floor. Someone shoves the coffee table out of the way. The other couch gets dragged backward with a grunt. It’s messy, loud, and a little ridiculous, and yet somehow, for the first time today, the weight on my chest eases the tiniest bit.
Ace jumps at my feet, big round eyes locking onto mine, waiting—demanding—for me to lift him. I haul him into my lap, and he settles immediately, nudging my chin with his blocky head, snorting warm breath on my neck. My mouth twitches at his insistent need for attention, and it softens something inside me. I scratch behind his ears and hug him closer, burying my fingers into his soft fur, letting the steady warmth of him soothe the ache that won’t leave my chest.
“You guys don’t have to do this,” I manage, voice catching halfway out of my throat.
“Yes, we do.” Jace presses a cold bottle of water into my hand, and I’m instantly aware of how dry my throat feels. “We’re here for you, man. For Madi, too.”
“We also don’t want to be alone tonight,” Tessa adds,spreading out a blanket. “So let us stay. We can all lean on each other.”
Sarah ushers Remi through a round of sleepy goodnights since it’s well past his bedtime. The little guy has been patient all day. Too patient. Her shoulders sag when she lifts him, exhaustion radiating off her. She presses a quick hug to my side, then carries him down the hall to bed. My eyes follow them, something uneasy seeping into my chest. A tightness I don’t know what to do with. I hope she managed to shield him from it all.
Everything in me feels ripped open; hope so far out of reach, it barely feels real. But as I look around my house—at the people who chose me, who stayed—I let their presence seep in anyway. Their quiet strength. Their worry. The way they’re hurting too, and still showing up to hold me together when I can’t. I stand, setting Ace on the floor and giving him a chance to choose who he’s going to curl up with for the night.
Words fail me. I don’t know what to say, how to act, how to thank them for this. So I settle for a nod, a forced smile, and turn toward my room.
“We’ll be here if you need us,” Halle calls after me.
My door clicks shut behind me, and I let my head fall back against it with a dull thud. I drag in a breath and bring my palms to my eyes. Another breath. And another. Counting in my head until the shaking eases, until I can move without falling apart.
I shuffle to the bed and sink onto the mattress. My bag from earlier today sits beside me, the zipper half open. The letters are right there.
My stomach rolls.
If I had given these to Halle, if I’d opened the rest ofmine before today, none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t have doubted me. Wouldn’t have hesitated.
Fuck. I did this.
My fingers hover over the zipper. I don’t take a breath as I pull it the rest of the way open.
The letters shift inside the bag. I stare at them for a beat, and my chest caves in.
“I should have done this sooner,” I whisper into the empty room.
I reach for one, my fingers trembling around the creased edges. My vision burns, pressure building behind my eyes. Leaning forward, elbows braced on my knees, I press the paper to my forehead.
Madison’s scream pierces through my head, and something in me snaps. My teeth clamp down, jaw aching as my stomach hardens. I rake my hand through my hair, then straighten, tipping my chin and tearing open the envelope.
Hunter,
Things are getting harder…
My breath stutters. I flip the paper over, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
