Page 29 of At First Catch

A crack in the control.

Small, but real.

I sit in the quiet of my driveway with the windows down and the scent of honeysuckle drifting in, staring at those words until they blur.

I should respond with something light. Something safe.

A joke would be good here. Jokes are my specialty. Humor is the bridge I build when the ground beneath me feels unstable. It’s something my twin, Holt, and I have in common.

But maybe I’m tired of pretending nothing shakes me.

Me

Is it working?

His answer comes after I've restlessly chewed my bottom lip.

Nolan

No.

One word.

Simple.

Honest.

It slips beneath my skin and stays there.

The porch light glows over my front steps. Somewhere in the trees, night birds call to one another. Across the farm, my family keeps living loudly and beautifully, wrapped in all the love I know by heart.

And here I am, sitting alone in my car, realizing Nolan Pierce has managed to make me feel more seen through a handful of texts than most people do standing directly in front of me.

My phone buzzes again.

Nolan

Good night, Hadley.

I press my lips together, fighting a smile and losing.

Me

Good night, Nolan.

I sit there for another minute after the screen goes dark.

I tuck the phone into my pocket, grab the marina packet, and sling my laptop over one shoulder.

The porch light spills across the walkway as I head toward the front door.

Behind me, somewhere across the fields, laughter drifts from my parents’ porch. Ahead of me, my phone feels a little heavier in my pocket.

I don’t check it again.

I don’t have to.

Chapter Five