I steal another bite, chewing carefully.
“Seriously, though. What was that?”
“It was the fucking lingerie department. That’s what. Korie was probably just… embarrassed or something.”
Hattie considers that. “No. No, that’s not it. They were fine as soon as you left.” She scoots closer. “What did you do?”
I glare at her. “What makes you think I did anything?”
“Because you’re you.”
I huff, annoyed. When I realize she’s still staring at me, I groan and lean forward, rubbing my hands on my jeans. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay? We’re just… off right now is all.”
“You and Korie are neveroff.”
Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.
Hattie leans forward suddenly. “Wait. You and Korie are never off,” she repeats. “So something big must’ve happened. Like really big.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Holden—”
“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it.” My tone leaves no room for argument.
Hattie hesitates. “Well, whatever it is, you better fix it. They’re your person.”
It takes everything in me not to react to that statement. Truer words have never been spoken.
“Can we go now? I’m sick of this place.”
She snags another pretzel bite. “Fine. But you know you can talk to me, right?”
If Korie weren’t my person, Hattie would be. That whole twin bond thing is freaky weird. “I’ve never been good with talking.”
She snorts once, which rolls into a full laugh. “Oh, Holden. My sweet, sweet Holden. I know this.” She puts a hand on my shoulder, getting my attention. “But you’ve always been good at showing it. So whatever it is, put it into action. And trust yourself. You have good instincts.”
Her honesty calms me, but I still refuse to talk about this.
Instead, I dig a thumb into my palm, remembering how close Korie came to reaching for me yesterday. I’dfeltit. Their yearning. Their confusion.
And that’s when it hits me.
My heart sinks as dread fills me.Oh, no.
Oh, fuck no.
Korie told me people leave them whenever they see their true identity, never giving Korie a real chance. And what did I do? I’d bolted like the fucking coward that I am the second I see them with women’s underwear.
Fuck.
“Can we go? Please? I need to get out of here.”
A million questions flicker in my sister’s eyes, but her phone rings saving me from the conversation. After a minute, she hangs up. “That was Camila. She wants to get together.”
“Great. I’ll drop you off.”
Hattie touches my arm before I can get up, like she’s thinking of saying something.
