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My mouth parts, ready to speak, but Maggie beats me to it. “You can stay in Holden’s old room.”
“No!” I almost shout. Hell to thefuck no.
Jamie seems to eye everyone, all at once. “I’ll just stay at the hostel. It’s not that big a deal.”
“It is,” Dad insists. “Why don’t we get the RV back to our place, and you can stay in there if that’s what would make you comfortable.”
Five minutes later, the RV is upright, and I’m helping Henry and my dad prepare to get it on the tow truck.
A half-hour after that, with the RV in its position, Dad says, “Why don’t you kids go get some breakfast? We’ll take care of it.” It’s not so much a question, more of a suggestion, and he doesn’t even wait for a response before he and Mags get in their truck and take off, the tow truck leaving right after them.
Jamie and I stand side by side, watching them all leave.
“I’m sure you have stuff to do. I’ll walk back,” Jamie says.
I turn to her, but she’s already moving toward the wreckage site. I wait a moment, watching her walk a straight line in the ditch, head down, searching. After a slight hesitation, I join her.
“You can go, Holden.”
I ignore her. “What are we looking for?”
“Just… something that’s important to me.”
Obviously.“I can’t help you look if you won’t tell me.”
“Just go. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I don’t know why she won’t just tell me or why she seems pissed at my mere presence. If she wants to play these head games, she can play them with herself.“Fine.” I leave her in the ditch and move to the bed of my truck, where I sit on the edge, letting the May sun coat my flesh with its warmth. After a few minutes, I lie down, cover my eyes with my forearm andthink. This isn’t an ideal situation for anyone, especially me. Maybe even her. But she’s going to be here—myhome—for afew days.
I can deal with a few days.
I have no fucking choice.
Besides, how bad could it be?
Eons later, the car door opens, and the metal shifts beneath me. I sit up and stretch my back before making my way behind the wheel. “Did you find it?” I yawn out.
She sniffs once—the single sound forcing me to face her. “No,” she whispers, staring ahead, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
My heart twists at the sight of her like this, and there’s that old nagging feeling making an unwanted comeback.
I wish I could fix her.
I wish I could save her.
“Maybe it’s still in your RV?” I offer. “I’m sure you’ll find it.”
Whateveritis.
14
Holden
When you enter the driveway of the nursery, there’s a small parking lot on the left, and next to the parking lot is the main house.
On the right of the driveway is a big ol’ barn that used to be the gift shop/pottery studio/basic café. We haven’t used it for those things in all the years I’ve been alive. Attached to the old barn is the main greenhouse—the one I plan on fixing to make it more appealing to customers.
According to my grandparents, back when the business was thriving, families came from all over to get drinks and baked goods and set up a picnic in our gardens. Make a day of it. My grandpa blames the internet for the business’s demise, claiming that so much entertainment became available at people’s fingertips that leaving the house seemed more like a chore than an outing.
