Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 50~

~Colby~

~May 17th~

I found her upstairs.

Not that she was hiding, but Rae had this way of disappearing into silence when her mind was working too hard — a soft kind of vanishing that made the house feel too still.

The bathroom door was cracked open. I leaned against the frame and watched her for a minute.

She stood in front of the mirror, her back to me. A strapless beige dress hugged her hips, soft fabric that made her look like something too fragile for this world. She was twisting her hair into a low bun, pulling it back with practiced fingers. She stared at herself, like maybe she didn't recognize the girl in the glass either.

Then she let it go.

The bun unraveled in one motion, red waves tumbling over her shoulders like a sigh.

So did she.

She exhaled, the kind of breath people let out when they've been holding in more than just air.

I stepped in quietly, not wanting to startle her. Her white sneakers were by the sink. She bent down to slip them on, her dress rising just enough for me to see the faint bruises still lingering on her calves.

She caught my reflection in the mirror. "You ever gonna stop lurking like a serial killer?"

I smirked and slid my hands around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. "You love it."

She rolled her eyes but leaned back into me. Her hand came up and touched my arm, just for a second. "You ready for this?"

"I should be asking *you* that."

"I'm nervous," she admitted.

"I know," I said. "But I'm gonna be there every step. If you want it to just be me in the room, just say the word."

She turned to face me, her eyes flicking over mine like she was reading something written there.

Then she nodded once, quiet and sure. "Just you."

I opened my arms and she fell into them without hesitation.

She tucked her face into my shoulder, breathing me in like she needed it to stay upright. I pressed a kiss into her hair and held her tighter.

Her arms slid around my back, gripping the fabric of my shirt like she was scared to let go.

We didn't say anything for a while. Didn't need to.

Until—

"Ugh, *gross*!" Blake's voice exploded from the hallway like a grenade. "PDA! MY EYES!"

Rae groaned against my chest. I could feel her smile.

Blake stuck his head into the bathroom. "Can y'all *not* be in love for like five minutes?"

Rae lifted her head, deadpan. "No."

"Disgusting," he muttered, turning away like a traumatized child in a teen drama.

She laughed softly, rubbing her face with the back of her hand. "Let's get this over with."

We met Isa and Devyn downstairs. Rae gave quick instructions to the rest of the crew — Tara, Jake, Sam, and Katrina — about holding down the fort. It felt domestic, in a weird way. Like we were pretending we were normal for once.

The sun was barely out. Gray clouds stretched across the sky like old bruises, threatening rain.

Fitting.