Her gaze hadn’t left a group of girls who were huddled several feet away from us. Or rather, her eyes were fixed on one girl in particular who was playing on a machine.“Is she a friend of yours?”
She looked away, her cheeks flushing bright red. “No,” she said quietly, and then almost to herself, added, “She doesn’t even know I exist.”
The longing in the simple statement was unmistakable. My brows rose, and I couldn’t stop the question slipping from my mouth.“You like her?”
Holly’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of crimson. “No.”
My heart cracked down the middle when her eyes flickered back to the girl before lowering. She was fighting an internal battle, one I had struggled with for years. I gently nudged her shoulder.“Hey, it’s okay if you do like her.”
She looked at me, her eyes—the same color as Tristan’s—were filling with tears.“Do you like my brother?”
Her reply caught me off guard, and I shrugged.“Yeah, of course.”
“No,”she said, shifting in her seat and giving me an earnest look.“I mean, do you like him in the same way I like Carly. Not as a friend.”
I swallowed. Tristan had once told methatHolly was incredibly perceptive, and he wasn’t wrong.“Yeah,”I said softly.“I like him. I like him a lot.”
“He likes you too,”she replied, her gaze tracking Carly as she walked away from the machine, flanked by her friends.
“Oh yeah? How do you knowthat?”
She smirked, her grin so much like Tristan’s.“He’s been happy lately. Well, happier than usual. He’s always looking after me and Ivy, and I know he loves spending time with us, but recently, he’s been smiling more when he gets messages on his phone, and he’s been leaving extra early to go to your house.”
Warmth flooded my chest, making me all the more determined to make things right with Tristan.
“He makes me happy too,”I admitted. Christ. I could admit my feelings to his kid sister but not to him. I chuckled.“You’re a good listener, Holly.”
She beamed. “Thanks.”
“Can I give you some advice?”I asked, wanting to tell her everything I wished someone had once said to me.
“Sure.”
“Don’t be afraid of who you are or who you’re attracted to. It doesn’t matter if you like boys or girls; what matters isthatyou’re true to who you are. Take it from someone who has spent most of his life trying to hide who hereallyis.”I paused as sympathy twisted on Holly’s face. I nudged her shoulder again.“And if people don’t like you for who you are,thenfuck them. They aren’t people you want in your life.”
She giggled, an infectious soundthatmade me laugh with her.“You said the F word. If Dad was here, you’d have to put a dollar in the swear jar.”
I faked a grimace.“Ooops. Can it be our little secret?”
“I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine,”she replied, holding out her hand for me to shake.
I took it, her small hand encased in my big one.“Deal. But you know, you can talk to your brother. Tristan’s a good listener, and he’s helped me a lot.”
She sighed. “I will. Just not yet.”
I bobbed my head, and the two of us fell into a comfortable silence. When the group of girls appeared again, and Carly looked over to where we were sitting, smiling at Holly, she stiffened, her fingernails digging into her jeans.
“Why don’t you go and say hi to her?”I said, hoping to give her some encouragement.“What’s the worstthatcan happen?”
She bit her bottom lip.“She might tell me to go away.”
“She might,”I replied.“And if she does,thenshe doesn’t deserve your time. But she might say hi back.”
Holly didn’t reply for several seconds, her wide eyes staring at Carly, who had started playing on the same machine as before. When Holly turned back to me, she swallowed.“Okay.”
She stood, sucking in a determined breath, and a streak of pride rolled through me.“Good luck, Jolly Holly.”
She rolled her eyes but smirked as she walked away.
