Page 61 of Hold Me Tight

But the words refuse to come.

They sit in the back of my throat, too tangled in fear to push forward. I don’t know how to say them without risking everything.

Instead, I force a small smile. It’s weak and doesn’t quite reach my eyes.

“You should probably clean up.” I’m already pulling back the covers, needing to put some space between us. My feet hit the floor, and I cross the room on shaky legs, heart thudding so loud it drowns out everything but the sound of my own fear.

Because he’s right.

It did mean something.

24

River

An hour later, Callie’s halfway through zipping Nora into her jacket when her phone rings. Her expression shifts as she answers. Neutral at first before tightening with concern. Whatever is being said on the other end isn’t what she wants to hear, and her posture tenses. Her free hand rises to her temple, pressing lightly, as if it’ll be enough to hold the stress at bay.

“No, it’s totally fine,” she murmurs. “Get some rest, okay? I hope you feel better.”

With a sigh, she ends the call. It’s the kind of sigh that sounds like the weight of the world just landed on her shoulders.

“What’s going on?” I ask, already bracing for what she’s about to say.

Her brow furrows as she meets my eyes. “My mom’s sick. The flu, apparently. And my dad’s not feeling great either. So, no babysitting today.”

I nod slowly, already thinking through our options. “Sounds like what we need is a plan B.”

“Yeah.” Her hand sweeps down Nora’s arm before squeezing her smaller fingers. “I have a neighbor who’s watched her before, but she also babysits a couple of other kids. Nora always ends up sick after spending time there.”

The way her voice dips at the end tells me everything I need to know about the situation. She’s dreading the idea and already talking herself out of it.

“How about I watch her?” I offer.

Callie blinks before refocusing her attention on me. “What?”

“She can stay with me,” I repeat. “The team has the day off. The two of us can hang here while you’re at the bakery.”

She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “For the whole day? That’s like, eight hours.”

I shrug. “Sure. We’ll build a pillow fort, watch a few shows, maybe make a mess. Right, ladybug?”

Nora perks up like she understood every word. “Rivvy!”

I grin and scoop her into my arms. “See? She’s in. Problem solved.”

Callie hesitates as an internal debate plays out in real time across her face. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“If something comes up, or she gets fussy, or it’s more than you can handle?—”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Her eyes plead with mine. “Just promise you’ll call me. Please?”

I step closer, adjusting Nora in my arms until I can meet Callie’s eyes. “I promise. If anything comes up, you’ll be the first one I call.”

She wavers for another beat, brushing a kiss against Nora’s curls. “You probably don’t realize it, but she can be a handful.”