Page 96 of Striking Range

But in all honesty, trading this moment for a thousand more with Skylar isn’t so bad.

So instead of moping, I’ll sit through this lunch happily, soaking in as much of this false reality as I can. I will enjoy the last of this domestic bliss before I trade it out for a lifetime of love.

And what an epic trade it will be.

Chapter Nineteen

Skylar Parish

I set my pencil down, shoving the papers around me into a neat stack.

“Well, I think that’s enough for today. It’s already noon,” I say, stretching as Henry groans, flopping back onto his bed.

“I thought it’d never end. I don’t know how Everett keeps up with you!”

I grin. “He doesn’t.”

Henry rolls his eyes, collecting his own materials as I slip on my shoes and head for the door.

“You’re leaving?” he asks. “You don’t want to get Kelly and Ev and go find some fun winter activities to do?”

“Nah. I need to go see my parents before they whine about me not visiting.”

“Alright, have fun. Don’t stay out too late; our first round of finals is tomorrow!” he yells after me.

I wave him off as the door shuts behind me; I know when finals start, thank you very much. I’ve also prepped and prepped for them—mostly with Evie.

Speaking of… What is Everett doing today? This morning, all he would tell me was that he has plans. Which, most likely, means his family. We don’t really talk about them.

He knows what I will say, and I know that he won’t listen. For as confident and laid-back as Everett is in his social life, when it comes to his personal life, he’s like a kicked puppy begging for scraps.

I wish he could see his own potential to be loved. I hope that one day Everett will look in the mirror and realize that it was never his fault that his parents didn’t love him as they should have.

Someday, I hope that he realizes that loving him is the easiest thing a person can do.

I think about this the entire thirty minutes it takes to drive to Rockhill. I think about his smile and his potential—how he’s already excelling and thriving, and how I cannot wait to see him become the best version of his ever-changing self.

And I get to. I get to witness, just as I always have, the great becoming of Everett.

My parents are home, as expected, and I walk inside the front door without knocking. Mom is in the kitchen if the smell of pancakes is any indication, so I head that way.

“I’m home,” I shout, placing my keys on the island as she spins around.

“Sky! What a lovely surprise!” she squeals. “I’ll make a few more pancakes.”

“Thanks. I’m starving.”

“Prepping for finals, dear?” she asks, turning around to grab the powdered batter and pouring some more into a bowl.

“Yeah. First round is tomorrow, but I should be done Wednesday afternoon.”

She nods enthusiastically. “You’ll do great!”

I sit at the table, watching her move around the kitchen with familiarity and grace. My love for cooking came from her, and it’s a good thing, too. Everett sucks at anything within that category.

“I’ll have to go for my RN exam after I graduate at the end of this month,” I say. “I’m sure I’ll pass, but let’s not celebrate too hard until I do.”

I’m not necessarily concerned about it, but I don’t want to jinx anything. Since the accident, all I’ve ever wanted to do is help people. If I do, maybe that twisted side of me will shrink even further than it did from the therapy.