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—Holly—
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I messaged Dad telling him not to expect me back all day, and when my phone vibrated against my palm, I assumed it was him. Instead, it was my brother Sawyer.
I took a deep breath before answering. “Hey.”
“Hey, what the fuck is up with Dad?” he opened with, in his usual fashion.
“Why?”
“Because I just called him, and he bit my fucking head off.”
I hedged, not knowing how much Sawyer knew about... everything. “What makes you think I’d know?”
“You’re home, aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah...” I trailed off as I crossed the street.
A huff came through the phone. “Don’t be weird about it, Holly. Yes, I know what the fuck went down in Portland and that Dad went and got you. But that doesn’t explain why he’s being an asshole, and Mom is being super clingy.”
“I think they’re going to split up,” I blurted.
The silence drew out so long I thought Sawyer had disconnected.
“Saw?”
“I’m here,” he murmured. “Are you sure?”
I pressed a hand to my forehead as I searched for words. “No. But we both know Dad hasn’t been happy for a while, and this morning after an argument, he kicked her out.”
“Are you serious? What were they arguing about?”
As much as I hated covering for Mom, it wasn’t my place to say so I kept it generic. “The usual. I’m sure I don’t know the entire story, though.”
Sawyer tsked and huffed out a breath, then made an announcement that made my heart drop. “I’m coming home to find out exactly what the fuck is going down.”
“You really don’t need to. It’s messy and—”
“I’ll see you later, sis. Bye.”
“Fuck!” I growled when the call cut out.
My damn brother was like a dog with a bone. Great when I needed him to find out something for me, but fucking annoying when he wouldn’t let up.
My stomach gave a hungry rumble, reminding me that I missed breakfast thanks to the family drama. The bakery was only a couple of blocks along Main Street, so I veered that way instead of following the road up to where the Falls track started.
Fifteen minutes later, I was armed with a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, plus a cappuccino to go. I juggled the coffee while unwrapping the sandwich, then was mid-bite about to satisfy my gnawing hunger when a tall figure stepped into my path.
“Holly! I didn’t realize you were back in town.”
Mouth open and teeth gum-deep in my food, I froze and died a little inside. My stricken eyes took in Zac’s muscular form before connecting with his smiling blue eyes. I chewed in a hurry and swallowed while internally cringing at how disastrous I looked.
“Zac! Hi! Oh my god, I totally didn’t expect to bump into anyone.” I motioned at my clothes as an explanation.
He leaned in for a quick and slightly awkward hug. “Beautiful as always. Nice hoodie, by the way. Takes me back to college.” He smirked.
Heat hit my cheeks. “Yeah. I totally stole it from you and claimed it as my own.” And I had. Years ago. When he and I were a thing.
Zac beamed a brilliant smile. “I totally know. Just surprised you still have it... Anyway, what brings you to town?”
I cringed. “Personal stuff.”
He returned the grimace and awkwardly adjusted his cap. “Yeah, I heard. I’m really sorry about... things.”
“Yeah...” I toed the ground with my shoe, not really knowing what to say.
“Hey”—a soft punch landed on my arm—“who gives a fuck, right?”
I scoffed bitterly. “The entire world, apparently.”
Zac waved it off. “Fuck them. For what it’s worth, I’m glad to see you again, Hols. Wanna grab coffee sometime?”
My heart panged a little. We’d had fun together in senior year but parted as friends on different paths.
“I’m not really up for socializing today, sorry.”
He grinned and lowered his voice, giving me a cheeky wink for good measure. “Another day, then. Before you head back to the big city.”
His smile accompanied the affectionate squeeze on my arm. “See you ’round, Hols.”
“You too, Zac.”
With a second departing wink that had me smiling despite the inner turmoil, Zac breezed past, leaving a trail of his yummy scent in his wake.
I shook off the nostalgia, then continued my journey to the Gatlin Falls hiking track as I ate. Zac soon left my thoughts, allowing them to return to Isaiah and Elio.
By the time I reached the Falls after a hike that reminded me of how unfit I was, I was out of breath yet ready to soul-search.
I hadn’t been up here in years. It was the place I came as a teenager to sit and think. I’d never swim alone though—my grandparents, parents, and my uncles had all repeatedly warned me and Sawyer to never swim here alone.
Moisture from the falls filled the air, and I welcomed the dewy kiss to my skin and hair. I propped my sunglasses on my head, closed my eyes, and turned my face to the sun. With my arms splayed wide, I welcomed the sense of calm I’d missed.
The roar of the falls silenced my toxic thoughts, and the fresh piney scent in the air gave me something to focus on other than my struggles.
I stood still for minutes. Simply paused and allowed myself to be. Welcomed nature to remind me of the things that really mattered: breathing, feeling, listening. Life.
Eventually, my eyes cracked open, and I squinted against the midday sunshine. I picked my way across the damp rocks to my favorite spot close to the tree line. The special place had a ledge I could sit and lean against but was still exposed to the sun, which had warmed the damp rock.
As I daydreamed at the falls, I fell under the same spell I used to as wave after wave of icy water torrents flowed over the clifftop above.
Now when I thought of Elio, the heartache and guilt were still as raw as they had been, but the disappointment felt a little more tolerable from where I sat.
I imagined Elio’s megawatt smile and the stars shining in his eyes while he hung out with the Bears, taking all the photos and collecting all the precious memories that the world had to offer.
I smiled at the fantasy and blamed the drop of moisture rolling down my cheek on the water-laden air. While I was absolutely gutted over not being there, knowing Scout would make Elio’s day the best as humanly possible gave me solace.
Convincing my heart to still over Isaiah wasn’t such an easy fix. Our attraction was undeniable. Palpable. Present in a strength I hadn’t ever experienced before. And that caused a problem: I didn’t want us to be over before we really got started, but we had to be.
I stayed looking out over the water and its crystalline pool for the longest time, letting the sight and sounds soothe my heavy heart. Only when my ass grew numb and the moisture-droplets finally penetrated my clothing did I rise and stretch away the stiffness.
Standing on the damp rocks at the water’s edge, I sucked in a final deep breath before starting the hike home.
