Page 62 of At First Catch

Ivy mutters, “Yeah, okay, that part’s rough.”

Wonderful.

Exactly the reassurance I was hoping for.

“He’ll calm down eventually,” Bailey offers weakly.

“That is not comforting.”

The Wright brothers are emotionally exhausting. And Holt being my twin makes this worse because he notices things about me before I say them out loud half the time.

Which means last night? There’s no way he missed all of it.

My phone buzzes against the counter, and all three of us look down. The screen lights with Nolan’s name as the kitchen goes silent. Bailey makes a sound that can only be described as emotionally invested screaming.

I hate everyone.

I pick up the phone.

Nolan

Morning.

One word. Still enough to completely wreck my nervous system. I can physically feel Bailey vibrating beside me.

Ivy mouths, “Oh my god.”

I type carefully.

Me

Morning.

Three dots appear.

Disappear.

Reappear.

Nolan

You survived your family.

My mouth curves before I can stop it.

Me

Barely.

Nolan

Same.

Something warm unfolds beneath my ribs, and I know exactly what he means.

Bailey grabs my forearm suddenly.

“What did he say?”