Page 19 of Chasing After You

“Could’ve, should’ve. You were what… seventeen, almost eighteen?” I nodded. “How is a teenager supposed to know what to do in that situation? Most adults wouldn’t know. You reacted to an impossible situation,” Oliver murmured, rubbing slow circles between my shoulders. “I guess it’s possible that he hates you. But I’d bet against that. You saved him. If you hadn’t stepped in, he might have died.”

My throat closed.

A softdingfrom the oven timer sounded. Oliver gave me a gentle squeeze and stepped back. His eyes were watery but calm. “Cookies are ready,” he said, forcing a crooked smile.

I huffed an almost-laugh and swiped at my face with my sleeve. “Good.”

He lifted the tray out, steam curling around golden-brown circles studded with chocolate. The smell was comforting.

The basement door opened, locking automatically behind the twins. I tensed as we waited for them to enter the kitchen, half-expecting to see them streaked with something ominous, but Hayes appeared first, wiping his hands on a rag that looked mercifully clean. Hudson followed, hair mussed, eyes bright.

“Pet, you spoil us. Chocolate chip?” Hayes asked as he strode closer to us, eyes surveying the two of us before flicking over to the freshly-baked cookies.

Hudson followed his path, leaned over the tray, inhaling deeply before stealing a cookie. “Hey, man,” he nodded at me.

“Hey, guys,” I responded.

Oliver smiled brightly, stars in his eyes, as he watched his partners eat. “How was the job?”

Hudson smirked, leaning against the counter. “It was pretty fun. Got to try out something new I’ve been working on.”

I suppressed a shudder and took that as a sign to excuse myself and head upstairs to the guest room I’d been staying in.

I fell back onto the bed with a grunt, staring at the ceiling above.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

5

Josh

A letter lay folded up on the counter when I opened the cafe. I stared at it for a long time. Longer than I’d like to admit. I went about my morning tasks without reading it. It felt like everything would fall apart once I read it.

I knew who it was from, of course. I wasn’t that dumb.

But I was scared out of my mind.

I’d spent years avoiding Dorian, and while, at first, I stayed away because of Victoria, for the majority of our time apart, I was avoiding him because I didn’t think I could handle it if he looked at me with disgust.

I couldn’t handle his rejection.

So, instead, I dealt with the pain of his absence. Or I guess, my absence.

By the time Kellie arrived, about an hour after I had, I was on the verge of passing out from the anxiety.

“Good morning, boss man,” she sang as she came in through the employee entrance.

“Morning, Kels,” I said, my voice betraying me by cracking.

She frowned, walking closer to me while tying her apron around her waist. Her brows were furrowed as she took me in. “Are you feeling okay?”

I forced an awkward smile. “Yeah, I’m good. How are you?”

“Well, I was doing just swell until you lied to me,” Kellie grumbled, crossing her arms across her ample chest. “And don’t say that you weren’t lying. I know you, and I know when something’s wrong. You’re as pale as a ghost, and your face looks like you just ate something bad. Are you sick?”

She reached up to place the back of her hand on my forehead. “Hmm, no fever.” She glanced at the folded paper on the counter, then back at me. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “That letter got you looking like this?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat felt like it had closed up. My hands trembled where they clutched the edge of the counter, nails digging into the laminate. My chest was too tight, like someone had cinched a belt around it.