Credence

Kaleb stalks toward me.

But Jake grabs him again. “No,” he says. “Get in the truck. Now.”

He glares at Kaleb, pushing him out of the shop.

Kaleb stumbles back, staring at me.

“Now!” Jake fires at him again.

I can see the vein in Kaleb’s neck bulging from here, and he hesitates, but… he leaves, heading into the driveway.

“You, too,” Jake orders Noah.

Noah grabs his T-shirt and follows his brother out to the truck.

Jake charges over to me. He stops close, keeping his voice down as much as he’s capable since there’s still people around. “I’m going to go deal with the sheriff, and I’m taking them to the fucking bar to sort some shit out.”

“A bar,” I grit out. “And I have to stay here?”

“Yes.” He glowers at me. “Don’t leave the house, or you’ll be sorry.”

“What did I do?” I fire back. “I don’t want to be stuck here all night while you’re all out, shopping for tail!”

“You’ll stay here, because Kaleb’s not going to leave you alone if I don’t get him away from you!” he barks, not caring who hears us now. “You haven’t been separated from him for more than two months, and everyone needs a few hours of space. I’m doing this for you. Take a shower. Calm down.”

I shake my head. He thinks a shower is going to solve this? I have every right to be upset. I won’t calm down.

He pauses, relaxing his shoulders and checking himself.

“I need to talk to him, Tiernan,” he says, softening his tone. “I need to make sure there isn’t a warrant out for him, and we need to talk to the Diggins girl. You need to stay here. We’ll be back later.”

And I watch as he leaves, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

I stand there, even after the photographer and stylists have left and I’m all alone in the house, knowing that Kaleb and I only have one problem, and the only thing that will solve it wasn’t on Jake’s agenda tonight.

It’s something his father can’t take care of for him. It has to come from Kaleb.

See you soon.

I stare at the text from Mirai that came in four hours ago as she was boarding

a plane at LAX.

She can’t come here. Kaleb has no restraint. He won’t care about appearances, he’ll scare her, and she’ll try to drag me out of here.

Standing by my bed, I look down at my half-filled suitcase that I started packing when the text came in. At first, I threw in a few clothes to stay with her at the motel in town, just to keep her away from here.

Then, I started packing more than I needed, and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe Jake was right to take them out tonight, so we could all have space. Maybe space is exactly what everyone needs right now. I could go home for a bit. There’s texting, email, FaceTime… I’ll stay in touch. I could say I’m taking Noah to get him settled at my house while he meets with sponsors and just take the opportunity to get some air myself. Some perspective.

But I stopped packing when I realized I wouldn’t come back. Not unless Kaleb came for me himself.

Am I prepared to draw that line?

Tonight?

Sticking my phone in my back pocket, I head up to Kaleb’s room to clean out anything I’ll need in the immediate future. Lightning flashes out the window as I enter his room, and I turn on the lamp, the smell of the wood, fire, and books like home now, because I’ve spent countless hours in this room over recent months.

Picking up the tattered hardback on his bedside table, I open it to where a pencil is stuck inside and look at the sketch I saw him working on one night. Me in the shower, water spilling over my top half as I rinse my hair.