By the time night came, it felt unreal that we were all still together.
Not arguing.
Not walking on eggshells.
Not pretending things were fine when they weren’t.
Actually together.
We stood in Jaxson’s room while Nova fixed her lipstick using her phone camera, Cole argued with Ryder about what shirt to wear, and Jaxson leaned against the wall watching all of us like he was afraid we might disappear if he blinked.
“You’re staring,” I said, catching his eyes.
He smiled softly. “Just making sure this is real.”
My chest tightened for a second, then eased. Because I felt the same way.
Ryder finally grabbed a jacket and threw it at Cole’s chest. “You’re wearing this. End of discussion.”
Cole groaned. “You don’t control my fashion choices.”
“I absolutely do,” Ryder said. “Because yours
