to live for the hope of it all.

Chapter 65

April 29th, 2024

"Hold your breath, don't look down, keep trying,
Darling, it's okay to be scared, it's frightening..."

Beckett

It worked.

Wren did it.

I saw Bailey running around her room this morning as she got ready for school.

2 minutes.

She'll be outside in 2 minutes.

"I left my number on the counter, you can call or text it at any time. Don't worry about if I'm in class, I'll answer Sarah."

There she is.

Spinning on my heel, I see Bailey talking to Sarah on her front porch, Wren right behind her.

"I promise, Bailey. I'll give you updates by the hour," she smiled gently at my girlfriend. "You're doing the right thing."

"I'm trying," Bailey said, taking the steps down her porch, and then her eyes finally met mine. "Hi."

"Hi," I smile, opening the door and taking her in. She was wearing her favorite jeans and an old band t-shirt, one of her grandfather's old ones. "You look nice, Bailey."

"Sap," she jokes, sliding across the front bench. I straighten at the joke, caught off guard, and Wren smiles at me as she slides in after Bailey.

She's joking.

She's smiling.

She's okay.

For now, she's okay.

Not able to wipe the smile from my face, I close the door before getting in. I try not to revel in Bailey's thigh pressed against mine, but I haven't touched her in a week, and my heart is craving the contact. Trying not to make it obvious, I push my shoulder into hers a little bit more as I drive.

She tenses for a moment, and I pull back, worried I pushed too far too soon. But then she dips her shoulder behind mine before wrapping her arm around my free one and interlacing our fingers.

She's okay.

We're okay.

The car ride is silent aside from the radio playing softly, and I dread the moment we get out of the truck and Bailey lets go of me. But as soon as we're on the sidewalk, Bailey's hand finds mine again as she locks her other arm with Wren's. We make it all the way to her locker before she pulls away, but not before smiling softly at me.

"Is Caleb here?" Wren asks, and I turn my attention to her.

"Yeah, he's arou-"

"Bailey! Thank Christ, I never realized how annoying Beckett was until I got new friends. I've missed you," Caleb interrupts, pulling my girlfriend into a hug.

Leave it to this fucker.

"Hi Caleb," Bailey chuckles, patting his back before he pulls away. "I've missed you too. I uh, I have a favor to ask."

"Anything, you name it," he replies.

"Grandpa Matt wants the piano moved into the living room, if uh, if y'all aren't busy later could y'all maybe come by?"

"Done," I smile, nudging Caleb's elbow when he stares at her blankly.

"Yeah, of course. Could I stick around for a bit if you plan on playing?" He asks her, and my head turns to her for an answer.

If Caleb's staying, I'm staying.

"Y'all both could," she smiles softly, turning back to Wren. "Are you coming back after school? We could all have dinner with him, I think he'd like it."

He would, Bailey.

You're doing so good.

"I'm there," Wren grinned.

"Okay," Bailey grinned softly, pointing down the hall towards her first class. "I should probably head to class, I have some work to catch up on. I'll see y'all tonight."

"See you."

"Bye, Bay."

"Text if you need anything," I smiled, and my chest loosened when she gave me a grateful smile before walking down the hall.

"I told you," I said to Wren. "I told you she just needed to hear it from you."

"She said she forgives me," Wren said slowly. "And I think she meant it."

"She did."

"Thank you for taking me to her, I really appreciate it."

"Where's your car?" Caleb questioned, his brow furrowing at the blonde. Wren closed her locker and grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder before meeting his eyes.

"I don't have one anymore," she said calmly, and Caleb's stance tensed.

"Since when?"

"November."

"You've been walking everywhere?"

Now that I think of it, she'd been walking up to me that night.

Her car wasn't there.

"That's what you do when you don't have a car, Caleb," she scoffed, smiling tightly at me before shouldering past my cousin.

"What are you on about?" I asked him, watching him watch her walk away. "I'll listen. I know I didn't last time, but you ended up being right. So what is it?"

"She was in the hospital in May," he sighs. "Last May, that's how she knew about Matt in the first place. They were both there at the same time."

They were.

He had said that.

"You know why?" I ask.

"I do," he tenses. "And don't hate me for it, but I'm not going to tell you. I want her to tell Bailey on her own time, and I wasn't supposed to know in the first place. I think that's why she hates me."

I don't like the idea of Wren keeping something else from Bailey.

Especially if it's about her health.

"She doesn't hate you, Caleb," I say, and he scoffs. "You calmed her down that night. I won't push you, or her for that matter, but you stopped whatever it was that was happening. She doesn't hate you."

"We'll see about that," he sighs. "I can go over right after school, you gonna be there?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

I turn to walk to my first class, and just barely take my seat when my phone buzzes. I freeze when it's a message from Bailey.

Bailey: Do you think Wren and I could sit with y'all at lunch?

Me: We can sit with y'all at your table.

Bailey: I don't want to take you from your friends, Beckett. I just want to sit with you, and I want all the noise I can get after sitting in mostly silence all last week.

Me: Then I'll save you both a seat. I love you.

Bailey: I love you.

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