Page 118 of Hold Me Tight

“Since five,” I admit.

“That tells me everything I need to know.” She’s already shrugging out of her coat and pushing through the swinging kitchen door. “I’m texting the girls.”

“Sloane,” I groan. “That’s not?—”

She waves me off, pulling out her phone like someone summoning backup to a crime scene. Her fingers fly across the screen.

Sloane: SOS at the bakery.

Lilah: OMG. What’s going on? I’m not even out of bed yet.

Rina: I was headed to the arena, but I’ll swing by the bakery instead. Make sure there’s a cinnamon hustler waiting. Extra dirty.

Sloane: Girl… we all know how you like it dirty.

Rina:

Lilah: It is way too early for this.

I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop a small smile from breaking through. The kind that sneaks in, even when everything inside me feels twisted and uncertain.

No matter how bad things feel, these women show up every single time.

And somehow, knowing they’re on their way makes everything feel a little more manageable.

“I haven’t even told you anything,” I say.

“You didn’t have to,” Sloane replies, pulling mugs from the cabinet. “We’ve indulged in enough late-night wine and post-breakup debriefs for me to recognize all the classic signs.”

She hands me a mug of fresh coffee before giving me a wink. “Drink that. We’ll talk when the whole crew gets here.”

Forty minutes later, the bakery is quiet again, the morning rush leaving behind an empty pastry case with a few stray crumbs. I join the girls at the table near the window, where Lilah and Rina are already seated with a platter of pastries between them.

Lilah peels apart a croissant, her eyes locked on me. “Okay. Spill.”

I slide into the empty seat and wrap my hands around my mug. The warmth seeps into my fingers, but it doesn’t quite make it to my chest.

All three watch me without judgment. Just patient, steady concern. It’s more appreciated than any of them realize.

I let out a slow exhale. “It’s Zane.”

With a groan, Rina rolls her eyes. “Of course it is.”

Sloane leans back in her chair as she crosses her arms loosely in front of her. “What happened?”

“The guy was a real dick on the ice to River,” Rina mutters. “I was this close to marching down there and beating him with his own stick.”

“I would’ve actually paid money to see that,” Lilah says with a snort.

Rina raises a brow. “Now you tell me.”

Lifting her mug, Lilah’s gaze slides to mine. “Sorry. Got distracted by the mental image. Please continue.”

The corner of my mouth twitches. Even now, they manage to make me smile. But it fades as quickly as it came.

I set my mug down and say what I’ve been holding in all morning. “After the game last night, Zane told me that he wants to get back together. He wants us to be a family again for Nora’s sake. That he’s changed.”

The silence that follows is instant and heavy.