That’s it. I can’t hold it in anymore. Tears begin to flood my eyes and soak my cheeks.
“Come here.” He opens his arms to me, and I walk into his embrace with a painful laugh. It kills me to see them like this.
They’re not just Kendrick’s friends anymore.
They’re family.
“You know what? Group hug,” I add.
The guys grumble at how cheesy this is but still participate in our ridiculous embrace. I walk out of the tiny but welcoming house that I came to with no other plan than survive my senior year. I didn’t know, back then, that it’d turn out to be a much harder task than anticipated.
Haze circles my shoulders with his arm as we make our way to the car. He sees me fighting the tears. But, this time, they’re not for him.
I’m going to miss seeing them every day, yelling at Will for eating his ketchup chips like a pig and making a mess, rolling my eyes at Kass when she complains about having back fat, and going off on Kendrick and Alex for wrestling each other all around the house. Regardless of the hell that we went through, I’m still going to miss Florida.
I’m going to miss the good parts.
I slouch in my seat and lecture myself for being this torn. They’re my family. I see them five to six times a year for holidays, family gatherings, and birthdays. We visit each other every summer.
This isn’t goodbye, Winter.
It’s until next time…
Haze
The airport is stuffed with people. You’d think showing up at 6:15 a.m. would earn us some calm, but the commotion clearly disagrees. I don’t know what I expected, really. School is over and summer is at our doors. If the packed building is everything but quiet, Winter hasn’t said a single word since we left her aunt’s house. I wish I knew what she was thinking.
It feels like the oxygen is being sucked out of my lungs when she speaks for the first time to tell me she’s going to print out her boarding passes. It’s like every step she takes is bringing me closer to the edge, closer to losing it.
She’s leaving, Haze. For good.
Unless you do something about it.
I mentally battle myself and watch her long brown hair swing from left to right as she walks away from me. From us. An airport employee shows up to help her with any questions she might have. I’m about to follow her when my phone rings. The number on the screen immediately sends me into a whirlwind of panic.
This isn’t the time or place.
I glance around nervously, making sure that no one is close enough to listen, and pick up.
“Not a good time,” I drone.
“When is it ever?” he scoffs. “You know I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.”
“It better be worth it,” I spit.
I’m not risking Winter finding out about this. Not when she’s leaving soon. I’ll tell her. But not like this. I’ve been busting my ass making sure that she never overheard one of these calls.
I don’t want her to see that part of me.
That hateful, stuck-in-the-past, after-revenge part of me.
I look at the only girl I’ve ever loved. She said there’s nothing here for me anymore, and she’s right. Of course she is. I want to go with her. I want nothing more than to get on that plane but I can’t. I can’t give up just yet. I can’t betray my sister.
I think back to all the times when I would disappear on Winter for days when we first started talking. It was to follow leads. It got me into so much trouble, it might as well be worth it. That’s the last thing I have to do before I can leave my messed-up days behind. Before I can be happy with her. Before I can be free.
I can’t break the promise I made to Desiree that night. I have to find the guy who stole her life away.
I have to find Marcus.