“Harper.” Caleb steps closer, and suddenly his hands are on my face, steadying me. “Breathe.”
“Don’t tell me to breathe! You just—you could’ve—” My voice cracks. Shatters. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.” His thumbs stroke my cheekbones, and his eyes are so goddamn steady. “You were screaming. And I couldn’t let him hurt anyone else.”
His eyes turn to Z, which is when I remember he’s there. I spin around, and my hands are on Z’s face. Oh my god, how could I forget about him?
“Are you all right?” My thumb hovers near his split lip, but I don’t touch.
Meanwhile, his eyes are on Caleb over my shoulder, brow furrowed.
“Who’s he?”
“Oh, right. Z, this is my stepbrother, Caleb. He drove me so I didn’t have to take the bus or hitchhike. Caleb, this is Z.”
I pull back from Z, and the two guys stare at each other a moment before Caleb holds out a hand. Even here. Even now. After running through the woods and threatening a drug dealer and nearly getting killed.
He holds out his hand like we’re at a fucking networking event.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Caleb says, voice steady. Controlled. Like the last ten minutes didn’t just happen.
Z lifts his forearm to wipe the blood at his mouth away, then takes Caleb’s hand in what looks like averyfirm grip before dropping it almost as quickly. “Can’t say the same.”
Z’s eyes come back to me, something like suspicion and hurt in them. It makes me feel immediately guilty and like I’ve done something wrong, but I don’t know what.
“We should get going,” I say hurriedly, crossing my arms over my chest even though it’s not really cold. “In case Frank sobers up.” There’s no chance Frank’s sobering up any time soon, but this isn’t the reunion I was expecting.
“It’s too late to make it to the courthouse today,” Z says as we start walking through the woods to the car.
“Well, I don’t think Frank will be coming after younow,” Caleb says, almost in an off-handed way. “Now that we’ve got some solid evidence against him.”
Holy shit.
“Oh my god.” I stop in my tracks. “Z.” I reach out and grab Z’s arm. “Do you get what this means? We don’t have to get married after all! You’re free!”
I throw my arms around Z and hug him hard, grinning at Caleb over his shoulder. Holy shit! Now we won’t have to go through any of that legal bullshit of getting married or getting a divorce! Caleb solved everything with his bravery. He and Icanbe together now. He really can fix just about anything, can’t he? Even when he has to be a crazy, reckless bastard to do it.
Caleb beams at me, but just then, I realize Z isn’t hugging me back.
I pull back from him, confused. It’s a little too dark to catch the expression on his face, but I don’t think he’s smiling.
“Z?”
“Great,” he says, voice dull. Then he turns to Caleb before I can make out any other expression. “So can you drop us in Austin, bro?”
I bite my bottom lip. “About that. I was thinking. Things have been really good in Dallas, actually. And we wouldn’t have anywhere to stay in Austin. We’d have to sleep in the park or something.”
“Don’t tell me you’re falling for Silas’s bullshit,” Z scoffs, sounding… angry.
I pull back, confused. “No, of course not. I’m just saying it’s a place to crash until we get our footing.Helen’s really great, and if we put on enough of a sob story?—”
“We’ve got a basement,” Caleb rushes in. “And I bet we could talk Mom into letting you stay there. She’s really soft-hearted, and I know she’d let you, especially ’cause you’re like family to Harper. And especially if it meant Harper could finish out her senior year.”
My eyes shoot to Caleb, mouth dropping open. Just how long has he been planning this? Or is he coming up with it on the fly? There’s no way he could’ve known about catching Frank in the act, and that’s the only thing that’s made leaving possible.
No, I think he’s just been working it out as we’ve been running through the woods, the wicked little genius.
Because he loves you. And now he’s found a way for us to stay together.