Page 20 of Pack Me Up

Saint leans forward, fingers pressed into a steeple. “You need to be safe.”

I bristle. “You can’t make me.”

For a second, his eyes go flat and cold. “No, I can’t. No matter your choice, I will make it very, very hard for anyone to get to you.”

A cold sweat trickles down my back. I see it all unfolding: the emails from my parents, the calls I stopped answering, the growing panic when the family realized I was out of reach.They’ll find me, sooner or later. The only question is how much blood will be on the floor when they do.

Fox sees it too. He puts a gentle hand on Saint’s arm, the move so subtle I almost miss it. “Let’s give her space,” Fox says. “She’s had enough happen for one day.”

Saint doesn’t move, but the tension bleeds out of his shoulders. He looks at Fox, then at me, and nods. “Fine. We do it your way, for now. But you don’t go anywhere alone.”

“I won’t,” I say.

Hunter defuses the moment. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… why the interest in music?”

I almost laugh at his redirection. “It was always my dream, it’s why I loved Oli so much. When she gave me this chance, it changed everything.”

Hunter stands, stretches, and grins. “I’m glad. When can we see you again?”

“Give me tonight to think,” I say, standing up too.

Saint stands too, looming, but his voice is almost kind. “Cody and Colton will take you home. If you need us, any time, you call.”

Fox holds out his hand, “Can I put our numbers in your phone?”

I nod and hand it over to him.

The twins walk me out. The night is colder than before, the sky a velvet black overhead, city lights smearing into nothing. The sidewalk is empty, the only sound is the shuffle of shoes and the occasional distant siren.

“You okay?” Colton asks, low and gentle.

“Yeah,” I say, then, “No, but I’ll adjust.”

Cody takes the other side, hands shoved deep in his coat. “He means well, Saint. He just doesn’t know how to turn it off.”

Colton laughs. “He’s never been able to.”

When we pull up to my building, Colton reaches over, fingers brushing mine as he takes the keys.

“We will walk you in,” he says.

I start to protest, but the look in his eyes is final.

They walk me to the door, Cody ahead, Colton behind. At the entrance, Cody stops, hand on the handle.

“We’ll be right outside,” he says. “You need anything, you call.”

I nod, not trusting my voice.

Cody hands me my keys, his hand lingering for just a second longer than it should. “You did well,” he says.

They watch me go in, and I know they’ll be there all night, posted up, keeping the danger at bay.

I lock the door behind me and press my forehead to the wood, breathing in the quiet. The echo of their voices lingers, and for the first time in months, I don’t feel completely alone.

It’s not safety, not yet, but it’s a start.

I skip my shower to keep their scent on me, change, and sit in bed, phone glowing in my palm. I scroll through messages and see a couple from Tommy about missing practice. I start to type a reply, then stop.