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CHAPTER14
NOVA
The silence ishard to handle, and all I can hear is the hum of the refrigerator and the static in my mind. I lay on the couch and stare at a photo of a rushing river hanging on the wall, the water motion-blurred. The rocks are in sharp focus, dotted with colourful life clinging to the surfaces.
The door makes a snapping sound as it opens like it’s a touch too big for the frame, and I sit straight up with a jolt. A surge of energy swirls through me—images of my sister and my dad crash into my mind.
Tabitha stands in the doorway with a wicker basket in her hands and a curious expression on her face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She chuckles. “I guess I should have knocked. But you’re a part of this family now, and we have no boundaries…” She lifts her shoulders in a mocking shrug and sets the basket on the counter.
I work my jaw a few times, but there are so many reasons I can’t respond. This family is the antithesis to mine, and every one of them is impossible to predict.
“What do you have there?” I change the subject, a skill I’ve perfected. It’s a seamless transition away from things that get too close to my feelings.
Tabitha starts pulling out food. “You’ve gotta be bored as hell, stuck down here. And I’m happy to take you out on the town, but that will take about ten minutes, then we’ll be back here. I noticed you’re a food snob like me, so we could cook.”
Her smile is warm and earnest. She’s trying, and I have a sneaking suspicion she was put up to it by Zeke.
“Does your brother have any role in why you’re here magically with my favourite vegetables?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But the fact that you have a favourite vegetable means we’re best friends now.”
Zeke is definitely behind this. A small blip of fluttery butterflies tickles me, but I shake them away. He’s been pretty insistent on helping, and I have been pretty clear I don’t need it.
He’s gone covert.
“I’ve never had a best friend before,” I joke.
“Me either!” Tabitha moves the basket off the counter.
Whatever nerves were holding me back shatter, and a calm comfort washes over me. I help her grab cutting boards and mixing bowls, setting them down with a thud.
“Thank you,” I say, and her blue eyes meet mine. “For being so nice to me. I appreciate it. I’ve been sort of lonely.”
“Of course.” She frowns like there’s more coming, so I wait for it. “But you don’t have to be lonely here. Zeke is kind of a dumbass sometimes, but he is a great guy to have around when you’re stressed. Talk to him. He wants to be there for you. I’m all for the strong-woman-on-her-own thing, but at the very least, give him a chance.”
Our yoga session springs to mind and the untethered dorkiness that he embodied. He’s funny. He’s goofy. Tabitha’s right. He’s been trying. He asks, offers, and tries—and I keep shoving him away.
“You’re right. We’re still practically strangers, and I struggle to trust people.”
“I get that. But unless you two talk to each other, you’ll always be strangers.”
“I’d never thought about it like that. You’re very wise,” I joke, and she bursts out laughing.
“Like a goddamn owl,” she teases. “Now, I don’t want to talk about my brother anymore. What should we make?”
She easily moves away from the topic of Zeke, but I’m stuck on him. I’m trapped in a cycle of wanting to open up and tell him everything, then I panic and vow to keep my blackmailer a secret until I die.
He’s going to find out about my life eventually. I’m not a total idiot. I’ll have to tell him about my family. But I also like him only having access to this part of me. I’m not Ronnie Forrester’s daughter or the influencer with MS. I’m just Nova.
I get to choose the parts of me to show him. I get to see how he feels about me without anything interfering.
For now.
Tabitha’s gone by when Zeke gets home, and the counter is riddled with food. Enough to feed a small army, I’m sure.
He hangs up his coat, and I shiver as the cool air follows him down the hall.
