Page 7

"Tell me," I say.

She tucks her hair behind one ear. "In Mage, everyone at school was the same as me. And everyone else in town knew me already. Here it's like…" She hesitates. "Like I'm on the outside. And the kids are nice usually, but it's just…"

"It's not the same," I finish.

Her lips turn down. "No. It's not."

"But I thought that's kind of what you wanted."

She twists her mouth to the side. "I did."

I suck in a breath.

I knew when my mom and V—and Tom—moved here this past summer that things would change.

For her. For me. For everyone.

But with my contract renewed with the Gators, and some of the area's best resources here—including mine—it made the most sense.

Mom's job is remote, my stepdad was already commuting here for work anyway. And Vienna—well, all she talked about before G.C. was going to a traditional school. But now that she's here… I think the Mage Hollow grass might seem a little greener.

"Listen, V," I finally say. "If you're not happy, we can make changes—find a new school that's more like your old one, look into online schooling…" I pause, searching for the next word I'm looking for. "Commuting to Hawthorne from Golden City if we have to."

"No," she says, faster than I expect. "I like it here. The pizza's not that bad, and I like maple syrup." Her mouth tugs upward. "Plus," she adds, "You're here."

She says it simply—her expression blank like she has no idea the way she just lit me up from the inside out.

Or the weight she handed me.

"Yeah," I manage. "I am."

She smiles and looks out the window like that's enough for now.

And I'm grateful.

For her words. For her wanting to stay.

For the chance to swallow my emotions and turn back around.

I ease the car out of park, rolling through the stop sign as I glance behind me once more before setting my sights straight ahead.

If someone had told me seven years ago that I'd be sprinting to pick up between practice and positioning meetings, I would've told them to fuck right off. No way I would've left the stadium early when I could grab a workout or take extra swings instead.

I definitely would've called them crazy if they said it was for a little sister I never expected to exist.

But now I'm glad.

Because growing close to Vienna is one of the best things I've ever done.

"V," I say aloud, reaching behind me to tap her leg once more.

"Park Thursday, yeah?"

She nods, her face bright again—that same look of relief from earlier.

"Alright. I'll pick you up, and we'll go straight there."

Her gaze shoots to the back of my seat, leaving mine in the rearview.