Page 144 of All the way home

Lucas says nothing.

At last, Rena straightens. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I did that.”

Staring at her, Lucas stays quiet, mouth half-open, on the brink of a thought she knows he won’t let out. When she takes a deep breath, he crumples, shoulders collapsing. “Rena . . . ”

All at once, it becomes sharply, immediately obvious that he already knows.

“I haven’t said anything.” Sharply, she adds, “I wasn’t going to.”

Eyes large and reproachful, Lucas sighs. Then, running his hand through his hair so it sticks up in the back, he laughs. “An airport isn’t where I envisioned this going down, is all.”

Thinking about Lucas waiting for it and worrying makes Rena’s chest ache. How long had he known when she hadn’t?

Softly, Rena says, “Me neither.”

Silence hangs between them, heavy. Boundless and expectant.

Then, with a low sigh, Lucas sits back. “Okay.”

“Okay?” She blinks up at him.

“Okay,” he repeats, grim resignation lacing every word. “Say it. Do it. I’m ready.”

Rena shakes her head. “Lucas, not here. Not now.”

“It’s not fair not to,” he whispers.

He’s right.

If everything could be perfect and exactly how Rena wanted it, she would have longer. She would call Siobhan, she would make a list. She would figure out what to say.

But if everything was perfect and exactly how she wanted it, maybe they wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.

Here he is, now.

And he already knows.

Chapter Forty-Six

Zach

Zach’s chest hurts.

It’s not a huge loss, he tells himself firmly. It’s just one night, even if it feels like more. Even if it feels like he put his whole heart out on a platter just for it to be tossed onto the ground like a joke.

It’s not a huge loss. He’ll go home, and his family will be there, and he’ll forget this one day. He knows he’ll forget it someday, even if it feels impossible.

It’s not like—it’s not like it’s even possible to fall in love in twelve hours.

That’s not—that’s not what had happened.

It’s just, it had felt real.

He walks in a daze, aimless. When he tries to turn his phone on, nothing happens.

So that’s dead, too.

Laughing bitterly, Zach stalks to the nearest wall, finds every single outlet occupied, and stands there helplessly, hands hanging at his sides.