"You may be his world, but you're the only thing that ever felt like home to me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Some people never get second chances. Lilah never thought she'd get one with her brother's best friend.
She's quiet...
Hi everyone! I know it's been a long while since the last update (back in April 😅), so thank you so much for being patient with me. I had originally planned to wait until 5k reads before posting again, but somehow this story has already reached over 8.7k reads—and I honestly can't thank you enough for that. 💛
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thank you for reading and staying with me through this story!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The front door creaks open, and the warmth of home spills out before us. My mom is already stepping forward with open arms, her hair pulled back in that familiar honey-tinted bun, her green eyes scanning each of us like she's counting to make sure we're really all here.
"There you are," she says, wrapping Kayce into a tight hug first, then reaching for me soon after. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss her hugs. It has only been a couple months, but feels like it's been an eternity since I've been here.
I melt into the familiar scent of home—lavender and something faintly citrusy—and for a second, everything feels still. I take a quick glance around and feel relieved to see nothing has changed.
My dad appears behind my mom, taller than I remember even though I know that's impossible. His arms cross over his chest, eyes sweeping over Natalie, Kayce, and especially Jackson before settling on me. "We thought you were going to beat traffic. Dinner's almost ready."
It's only a little after lunch time, but I forget that my parents usually eat dinner earlier in the day. That's going to be something I need to get used to again considering some nights in college I don't eat dinner until nearly midnight.
Kayce steps inside and claps Jackson on the back. "Come on. I'll show you and Nat where to put your stuff."
Natalie smiles warmly, her eyes bright despite the long drive. "It smells amazing in here." Her voice is as cheerful as usual, and earns a smile of appreciation from my mom.
My mom doesn't dwell on the compliment and waves her toward the stairs, behind Kayce and Jackson who are already starting to go up. "You'll be in Lilah's room with her. There's a spare bed in the guest room if Jackson wants it—or he can bunk with Kayce."
Jackson nods politely and glances down over his shoulder. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
The boys take the bags and start toward the stairs, but before I can follow, my mom touches my arm. "Lilah, come help me with the table?"
I hesitate for only a second before nodding. "Yeah. Of course."
"I can take your bag." Natalie offers and I give her a smile and nod.
"Thanks," I mutter as she climbs the steps with our stuff, already catching up to the boys.
We head into the dining room, and I take the stack of plates while she moves to the kitchen counter, unwrapping a pan of roasted vegetables and checking on the rolls in the oven. The quiet clinks of silverware and ceramic fill the space for a minute, but I can feel her watching me in the pauses.
