It was brief.
Mutual.
Semi-horrified.
Jeremy passed them their cups without comment.
Neither of them said a word.
Both of them took the cups.
Both of them sipped.
If I hadn’t been so tired, I might have laughed.
Instead, I wrapped my hands around the warm ceramic and let the heat seep into my palms, into my bones. The tea smelled like comfort. Like something that had existed before today fell apart.
Jeremy gave a small, approving nod, then stepped back. “I’ll let you sit for a bit. I’ll be nearby.”
When he left, the room settled again—quiet, heavy, but not crushing.
Jake sat on one side of the couch, close enough that our knees almost touched. Archie took the other, angled slightly behind me, his presence still a steady weight at my back.
I took a careful sip of tea.
The wild hum under my skin hadn’t gone away.
Archie shifted beside me, lifting his phone. “I’m going to text Bubba,” he said quietly. “Let him know where you are and that you’re safe. He’s probably going to want to come over. Are you okay with that?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. I nodded. “Yeah. That’s fine.”
Jake was already pulling his phone out. “I’m messaging Coop,” he added, tone practical but edged. “Last thing we need is him freaking out because you’re suddenly gone.”
Just like that, they were handling it. Managing the fallout. Looping people in. Taking care of the pieces I didn’t have the energy to touch.
And I was sitting there, sipping tea.
The contrast almost felt surreal.
I took another careful drink, the warmth spreading through me as the room settled into a fragile calm. My shoulders finally lowered a fraction, the constant tension easing just enough that I could breathe without it hitching.
Then—
The sound of the front door opening echoed down the hall.
My head snapped up.
A familiar voice followed, sharp and animated. “Jeremy? We’re home?—”
Mom.
Another voice came right after hers.
Mr. Standish.
The calm shattered.
Exhaustion flared straight into anger so fast it made my hands shake around the cup. My pulse kicked hard, every nerve lighting up as the reality ofthembeing here slammed into me.
