Page 142 of All the way home

“Being Kieran,” Rena says knowingly.

“Exactly.”

Rena isn’t sure if she’s imagining the glassy sheen to his eyes.

“And he’s a freak,” Kieran tacks on, apparently realizing he’s being earnest, clearing his throat. “You’ll be peas in a pod.”

Rena rolls her eyes.

“Dad’ll hate him.” Cheerfully, Kieran taps out a message. “I think he’ll fascinate Mum, though.”

“Are you worried?” Rena asks tentatively, because after all, the mother hen is a hard role to drop. “About . . . a repeat of the things Josiah said?”

“No,” Kieran says, with such decisiveness Rena understands what he means far before he looks right at her and adds, “He already knows.”

Rena’s breath catches. So she was not the only one learning how to be brave tonight.

Kieran glances back down at his phone. “He says he went back to the gate. Do you want to come back with me? Or did you want to hang out here for a bit?”

No part of Rena wants to follow Kieran back to the gate—back to Lucas—but she knows she has to. “I’m coming with you.”

For just a moment, as she passes by him, she bumps her forehead against his shoulder.

Then they walk back to the gate together.

“You’re really brave, you know,” Kieran says.

The lump in Rena’s throat rises high. “I don’t feel very brave.”

“A lot of people never ask themselves what they really want.”

With a flash, Rena’s reminded of what Lucas had asked her this morning: What do you want?

That’s not what this was about, she’d told him. But it had been.

It always was.

Rena reaches over and links her pinky with Kieran’s. His responding smile is fond and familiar.

“I’m excited for our deal,” she whispers.

Kieran whispers back, “Me too.”

As they approach the gate, Rena half expects something horrible to rear up in her chest at the sight of Lucas, but that’s not what happens.

Instead, she sees him sitting there, head bowed as he turns a page in his book, and a cool, calm weight settles in her chest.

“Is it going to be tonight?” Kieran asks.

Slowly, feeling very far away, Rena shakes her head. “I’m not that cruel.”

“Well, whatever happens, I’ll be just a text away,” he says. “Whatever you need.”

She squeezes his pinky and lets go.

Lucas straightens at their approach. Kieran frowns, turning in a slow circle.

“Hey,” Kieran says slowly. “Did Zach come by here?”