“Right. None of it makes sense.”
The thought of only living together, two years from now, under this circumstance, leaves a sharp pang in my chest.
With every failed board meeting, attempting to be successful in their eyes had been a complete bust. The pitches we prepared together withered away in a folder on my computer, never to be touched again because they were deemed “not polished” or a “bad investment.”
“The only thing he seems to care about is acquiring this oil rig company,” Aidan yells.
“Why don’t you get that guy in the same room as your dad and orchestrate the deal? I’m sure that would impress him…”
“Yes! The garden party. Why didn’t I think about that?”
Just the mention of the party makes me wince.
“This is brilliant. I got to start working on this! Love you.”
“Love—”
My voice cuts off, catching Holden looking up at me again. Before I can explain myself, he sets his food and script down on the table next to him.
“I wanna show you something.” He trails out of the room. I bite my cheek harder, speechless. I’m clearly failing. It’s been an hour since my foot has stepped over his threshold and I’ve accomplished nothing.
I trail behind him, noticing another door that is cracked open. Tiptoeing, I slowly push it open to see a blank canvas of a room that he is standing in.
The walls are unpainted and the room is unfurnished. He is rummaging through a box to the left of me when I detect a box labeled “miscellaneous” in the back.
My curiosity for what Holden is thinking is replaced with what is inside of this box. A box that looks to have been collecting dust for years. I gently blow on the box, letting the dust fall away.
Pulling the flaps apart until the seam splits open, my eyes laser in on what’s inside.
At the top of the miscellaneous items, I catch theAll or Nothingfive-season box set, their autographs scrawled above their photos—Holden as Logan, Graham as Billy and Sloane as Allison.
Holden and Graham are on the front, with their backs against each other on a basketball court. The irony of this cover, remembering all the news articles after the show ended.
I started reading the description: “Over five unforgettable seasons follow the misfit basketball team at Macintosh High as they find their way back to being a winning team. With a fiery coach, a school-wide scandal and two rival brothers, enjoy this teen drama about how winning means more than just the game.”
I must’ve been reading it out loud, because Holden creeps out of nowhere to snatch it out of my hands.
“Give me that.”
His face is no longer playful.
“I am sorry,” I say softly.
He drops the stack of paper he has in his hand on the box next to the one I’ve opened, taking a moment to read the blurb to himself. I can see his gaze shift from angry to dissociated, reminiscing at his blast from the past.
“I am going to get a beer,” he says in a huff, dropping the box set and leaving the room.
When he walks away, I am able to see a new script titled “Ageless” with words underlined in red everywhere between the pages.
“Are you coming?” he yells from the stairs. I drop the stack of papers and glide back down the steps.
I find him back in the kitchen as he is pulling out two Coronas from the fridge. He leaves one on the counter for me to have before he walks to the back patio, a few feet away from me, whistling loudly.
“Jack. Charlie.”
Two golden retrievers zoom by. Both dogs, half the size of me, almost take my legs out. I grip the counter to hold my balance before stumbling in their direction.
Holden is lying on the chair, already sipping his beer, when I greet him outside.
