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“Maybe we can get it with the three of us,” I say, trying to break up the suffocating tension between them. “Right, Holden?”
He grunts, gaze flicking between his surly friend and his sister.
“Fox, come on. Please?” Maisy won’t give in, frowning at him when he narrows his eyes. She lowers her voice. “You always used to—”
His furious growl cuts her off. “No.”
My heart leaps into my throat. I shift to jump to my feet, but Holden puts his hand on my arm to keep me in place, watching the exchange between Fox and Maisy.
“No?” Maisy sighs, never one to get angry or spiteful. “Okay, it’s just…if you helped, we’d get it done faster. Then I’ll leave you alone.”
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Fox moves at last, getting in her face. “Always such a goody-goody.”
Maisy’s shoulders tense and she hugs herself, glancing away. Fox laughs, the sound an awful, cutting bark.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” He takes a lock of her hair, letting it slide through his fingers. “Didn’t your daddy teach you to run from monsters? Get it through your fucking head.”
Turning away, he kicks over a bucket of metallic silver paint we need to make the signs. It skims across the gym floor, creeping close to Maisy’s flats. Meeting her gaze, he smirks cruelly at the look on her face.
“What are you going to do about it? Cry?” Fox speaks in a deep, biting voice as he mocks her. “That’s all you are. All you’ll ever be. Maisy Daisy the Crybaby.”
Maisy stands her ground, even though I can tell she’s upset. She lifts her head.
“What happened to you?” Her whisper is watery. “You were my friend, too.”
“Playtime is over,” Fox growls. “Fuck off, daisy. Stay out of my way.”
He storms off, tearing down a mylar fringe curtain Maisy hung.
“Are you fine being friends with that jerk when he treats your sister that way?” I ask Holden.
“I don’t control him. Couldn’t if I tried. He’s not even my friend, he just showed up again and started hanging around me.”
I shake Holden’s hand off my arm and go to her side.
“Holden, get the paint,” I say while I wrap Maisy in a tight hug. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Maisy says softly, tucking her face in my shoulder. “I don’t understand why he hates me so much now.”
“Maybe it’s best if you stay away from him. He seems…”
“I know.” Maisy groans. “I’ll go pick up another can of paint.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Holden? Give me a ride to the hardware store.”
Holden stops mopping up the silver paint. On their way out, he puts his hand on Maisy’s head and ruffles her hair, leaning close to murmur to her. She nods as they pass through the door.
With a sigh, I motion over two students from the planning committee. “Can you two work on this? We’ll get more paint for the signs. I’m going to find someone to help lift this.”
As I’m pulled in different directions, Connor appears in the double doorway with Devlin and the rest of the soccer team at his back, all dressed down in their SLHS athletic gear. I push out a relieved breath and wave him over.
“Your very hot labor team has arrived,” Connor drawls. He captures me in his arms and drops a quick peck on my lips. “Give us your orders.”
Smiling softly, I dip my fingers beneath his t-shirt, smoothing them over his skin. “Thanks for helping.”
