Page 37 of How You See Me (You and Me Duology #2)

The phone shifts, and then—there she is. The tiny girl who holds his heart.

The moment her face appears on the screen, my heart fractures.

Hayes immediately tears up, his body melting from seeing his favorite person weak and despondent.

She’s wrapped in a fuzzy pink blanket, her tiny frame sunken beneath it.

Her eyelids are heavy and purple, but she sparks to life the moment he appears.

“Hey, Cupcake,” he says, his voice trembling.

“Don’t cry, Sprinkles.”

“I’m just so happy to see you.”

“Me too.” A tear slides from her eye and vanishes into the pillow.

“What are you and Mom up to?”

“Watching Beauty and the Beast .”

“Which one? Cartoon or real people?”

“Cartoon,” she answers. “It’s way better.”

“Agreed.”

“Where are you today?” she asks.

“We’re in New Mexico. Did Mom show you the hot air balloon photos I sent?”

“Oh, yeah. They were so pretty. Where’s Josie?”

“Are you afraid I left her up there?”

Ava giggles, and it’s a raspy, garbled sound, tugging at my heart once again. She shouldn’t have to fight so hard. It’s not fair. Nothing about this is fair.

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“Never,” he promises. “She’s here, and we have something to tell you.”

“Are you dating now?”

“How’d you guess ?

“You look different.”

He laughs. “Different is good, I hope.”

“Yeah. I like it.”

“Me too. Want to meet her?”

Ava smiles, adding a touch of pink to her cheeks.

He passes me the phone, and suddenly, it’s just me and Ava. My nerves run away with the bravery I felt when I suggested the call. I want her to like me. To know I’m taking good care of her brother as she would. To see I’m trying to be worthy of him—of them both.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ava. I’ve heard so many wonderful things.”

“Does Haysie talk about me?”

I wrangle some courage from Hayes sitting beside me. “All the time. He’s a very proud big brother.”

“Was the balloon scary?”

“A little at first, but when Hayes told me we were doing it for you, all my fear went away.”

“He makes me feel brave, too.” She blinks fast, holding back emotions that sprang to the surface too fast. “What’s been your favorite part so far?”

We’ve done some amazing things, but I don’t have to think about my answer. “Spending time with your brother.”

His eyes fall to me, and I meet them, holding the phone out so Ava can see us both. If one of her goals was to make him happy, I hope she knows she gave us both that gift.

I get back to her, but I can still feel the heat of his gaze on me. “Thank you for letting me come on your trip, Ava. It’s changed my life forever. "

A yawn takes over before she asks, “Will you paint me a picture of the balloons in the sky?”

“I’d love to.”

Hayes lifts from the van, startling me, and stalks to a nearby tree. He props a hand on the bark and lets his head dip.

“Will you still date my brother when you get back?”

Can’t say I expected that question. I give myself a moment before answering, keeping Hayes in view. Whatever caused him to leave this call, one he’d been excited to make, must be something he doesn’t want Ava to see. “If I have my way, yes.”

“Why can’t you have your way?”

“Relationships are tricky. Hayes has to also want me in his life, and it’s a little early to figure that out.”

“I hope he doesn’t do something to mess it up.”

I laugh, despite the ache pressing against my ribs. This girl. No wonder she holds his heart. “I don’t think he’s capable of that.”

Another yawn overtakes her.

I check on Hayes again. He’s pacing now, head down, jaw tight. He’s hurting and trying not to show it.

“Do you want to talk to Hayes again?”

“It’s okay. Tell him I love my Sprinkles.”

“He loves you, too,” I promise. “More than anything. Goodnight, Ava. We’ll be thinking about you.”

The screen goes dark, and I set the phone beside me, drawing my knees up to my chest to wait for Hayes .

He stays unmoving with his palm pushed to the tree trunk like it’s the only thing keeping him upright. With his head down, his chest rises and falls in uneven waves, and I know what that kind of grief feels like. The quiet, breathless kind that steals all your resolve.

I don’t call out. I don’t rush him. I just wait.

When he finally walks back, his steps are imbalanced, like he’s wading against a flood. His eyes are red, jaw tight. He doesn’t speak as he lowers to sit beside me and props a foot on the bumper, arms resting on his knee.

"You okay?”

“Yeah.” He sighs. “I’m trying to be, at least.”

“You don’t have to.” I study his face, my fingers curling around his while the silence lingers. “Want to talk about it?”

His gaze drifts over the barren balloon field, but he’s somewhere else entirely. “It was the painting.”

“The one Ava asked for?” I tilt toward him. “I don’t understand.”

He exhales sharply, dragging a hand down his face.

“I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if she’ll ever see it.

” His voice breaks on the last word, frustration and fear tangling together.

It guts me. “I hate feeling this way. I want to believe that she’ll make it out. More than anything. But . . .”

“You’re scared,” I finish for him, my tone careful. “And that’s okay. You wouldn’t be such an amazing brother if you weren’t.”

His eyes find me, and I squeeze his hand .

“All you can do is focus on why she gave you that list. She needs you to believe, and maybe you need it, too.”

He nods, my words finding their way through all the noise in his head. Then, piece by jagged piece, his tension eases. His foot slips from the bumper and he catches himself with both hands on his thighs. For the first time since the call, a hint of color brightens his face.

“She said to tell you she loves her Sprinkles.” I place a hand on his back. “You’re her safe space, you know?”

He’s silent for a long moment before the words spill out, brittle and trembling. “I can’t live in a world without her in it.”

“Oh, Hayes. She’s still here. You can’t think about anything else.”

He blinks fast, but I recognize the cracking wall of grief and the pain he’s fighting to contain leaking though.

“I think she asked me to take this trip because she knew I needed to learn to live again.” A tear breaks loose. “She doesn’t understand why I keep people at a distance.”

I cup his cheek, catching the tear with my thumb. Emotion wells in my chest, but I can’t turn it loose. He will only feel worse if I cry.“Speaking of your lonesomeness,” I tease, hoping to take his mind off his fears. “She asked if I’d still date you after the trip.”

A ghost of a laugh escapes him. I'll take it. “What did you say?”

“That I’d like to keep you, if you’ll have me.”

Shining eyes turn on me, and finally, finally , his walls crumble. Not only from letting go of the guilt, but the belief that he must carry it on his own. He pulls me into him, burying his face in my neck, his body trembling.

I hold on tight, whispering nothing words into his ear. I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re safe.

Because I know this isn’t just about sadness. It’s pain. It’s love. It’s dread. It’s everything he hasn’t had a safe place to feel until now. After all he’s shouldered, accomplished, and endured, this is the bravest thing he’s ever done.

We stay like that until the sky shifts from orange to purple and the balloon field becomes nothing but dust. The world blurs again. Not perfect, not healed—but softer. Manageable. Ours.

And just like that, we don’t belong to this trip anymore. We belong to each other.