I sink back against the booth. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve never wanted to talk about the night I left—never wanted to open that wound. But maybe I owe her that much.
Hell, maybe I owemyself.
Even if all this just ends up being is healing for her, that’s enough. I take another sip of my drink, the ice rattling against my teeth. “I just...I need to see her again. Maybe just to tell her why everything happened like it did.”
Micah’s watching me closely, that knowing look in his eyes. “You still love her, huh?”
I don’t even try to deny it. “Never stopped, man.”
He nods once. “Then go see her,” he says. “But be careful. Please. Don’t tell her too much.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “That’s the plan.”
I drop Micah off at the house first. The car idles in the driveway, the hum of the engine matching the chaos inside my chest. He unbuckles, glancing at me. “You sure you’re good?”
I nod, staring straight ahead. “Yeah.”
His hand lingers on the door handle. “Jude…”
I look over.
He’s studying me with thatlook. He’s seen so much with me. “Don’t get stupid with her, okay? If Adriana finds out—”
My throat tightens. “She won’t,” I manage, though I’m not sure if I believe it. “I stopped sharing my location with her earlier. I’ll deal with them. I have to at least see her tonight. If I get punished for pushing it, so fucking be it.”
He nods once. “Her friend is really pretty.”
I huff out a quiet laugh, but it comes out hollow. “Heather? Oh Jesus Christ.”
He smirks faintly. “Idefinitelylook forward to seeing her again.”
That gets a real smile out of me.
“What’s the plan?” he asks quietly.
I sigh, chewing my bottom lip. “I don’t know.”
He just smiles, and I can see that he is concerned. But instead of saying anything more, he turns and walks away.
I watch him disappear inside before I reach for the bag of coke in the center console. My fingers tighten around it, knuckles whitening. My body’s already starting to shake, faint tremors crawling up my arms.
Not now.
I shove the bag back into the glove box and slam it shut. Adriana and Nolan haven’t texted me today—thank fuck. When I finally pull out of the parking lot, streetlights bleed into streaks of gold against the dark. Every turn gets me closer to her. Every second, my heart beats harder.
By the time I reach the studio, the sky’s painted in violetdusk. She’s standing outside, locking the door, her braid falling over her shoulder. She turns at the sound of the car, and when our eyes meet, shesmiles.
That smile used to be the only thing that I gave a shit about. Other than music.
I kill the engine and step out, my stomach a mess of nerves and butterflies that feel like I’m a fucking high schooler. “Hey,” I say, and my voice comes out rougher than I meant.
“Hey.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, watching me carefully. “You came. For some reason, I had a feeling you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah.” I shove my hands in my pockets, forcing a slight grin. “Told you I would.”
She nods, glancing toward the studio door behind her, then back at me. “Do you want to talk here? Or…” Her lips part slightly before she finishes, “…at my place?”
My heart stops.