Page 81 of Pack Me Up

She turns, taking it all in. Her gaze lands on the circle of pillows, the string lights, the way each layer of blanket is a slightly different shade of blue, building up to the purple one on top. She picks up a shirt, sniffs it, and then clutches it to her chest. I watch her throat work as she swallows.

“It’s perfect,” she says, voice shaky.

Fox sits at the foot of the nest, smiling in that soft, understated way only he can. “Hunter took the lead,” he says, nudging the praise my way.

I try to shrink, but Colton’s got me in a headlock before I can escape. “Dude spent six hours memorizing yours at home.”

Cody slides in next to her, offering a sleeve of his favorite shirt as a tissue. “He was obsessed,” he says, deadpan. “Like, dangerous levels.”

Brittney grins at me. “Thank you, Hunter.”

I shrug, but my heart’s pounding loud enough to drown out the bus. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

She crawls onto the mattress, careful at first, like she’s afraid it’ll disappear if she moves too fast. Then she’s in the middle, folding her knees under her, hands buried in the fleece. She closes her eyes, breathes in deep, and lets it out slowly.

“It really does smell like home,” she says. “Like you. Like pack.”

The word hits me hard. All the planning, the doubt, the hours spent trying to remember which blanket went where was worth it.

She opens her eyes and looks at each of us in turn. Then, with zero warning, she grabs Colton by the collar and yanks him in for a kiss. He whoops, surprised, then melts into it, arms wrapping around her waist. Cody leans in next, pressing his forehead to hers, and they share a quiet moment.

Fox waits his turn, then slides behind her, pulling her back against his chest. He kisses her neck, gentle and slow, and she sinks into him like she belongs there. Saint stands back watching all of us.

Brittney holds out a hand. “Come here,” she says, like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

I go. I kneel on the edge of the bed, close enough to feel the heat of her. She leans in, forehead to mine, and for a second, we’re breathing the same air.

“Thank you,” she says again. “For all of this. For doing this for me.”

Her lips are soft, and when she kisses me, it’s not a show. It’s just… honest and simple. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

We stay like that for a long time, the six of us tangled up in the nest, arms and legs and hearts overlapping. Saint sits on the edge, watchful but softer than I’ve ever seen him. When Brittney finally relaxes, curled between Fox and Cody, Saint leans over and claps my shoulder.

“Good work, little brother,” he says. There’s pride in it, but also a kind of relief. For once, I got it right.

Fox adds, “You nailed it, Hunter.”

Colton, from his half of the nest, gives me a thumbs up and a sleepy grin. “See? You’re not a total disaster.”

Even Cody looks satisfied. “You’re a good packmate.”

I settle in, letting the warmth, the smell, and the nearness fill all the cracks inside me.

Brittney

OMEGA BUZZ GOSSIP COLUMN

IT IS THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE MENDED HART TOUR IN DENVER

February 5th

When I followed Oli around on her tour, I got to see the behind-the-scenes and what it looks like, but nothing could have prepared me for this.

I am an opener for Oli Hart, and that comes with my own dressing room and people coming to me with a million questions.

All my mates want to be here, hovering over me before I perform, but they have a job to do, which leaves me with only Fox and Hunter.

The walls are a soft blue, it smells like coffee, and there’s a spread of food waiting for me. I can’t enjoy it, though.