Trapped✔️

7

A NOTE: Bobby is Holden's little brother. Robert is Holden's dad. Sorry for any confusion!

This chapter is dedicated to alania_gray10 and thenerdwriter28 , both loyal followers of me and this story!

N I N A

Nina woke up with the seatbelt pressing uncomfortably against her neck, Holden's arm around her shoulders, the heft of his head against her own. The van had gone over a bump, jolting her awake.

"You're awake." Holden looked down at her, as though she were some small miracle he couldn't quite wrap his mind around, like something he couldn't quite believe in but was terrified of losing.

"Yes, Captain Obvious. I am," she snarked, shifting away from the heat of his body to stretch. It was hot and stuffy in the car, and even with the windows rolled down her bare legs were sticking to the seat with sweat, her top uncomfortably damp.

"Come back," Holden said, and God, would she ever grow used to him saying that to her, to him wanting to be around her when even she didn't want to be around her?

She laughed. "It's too hot for that."

"Don't you dare make out in my car," Hailee warned, as she honked for the car in front of them to move.

"What's making out?" asked a voice from the backseat. Of course Bobby chose right now to wake up.

"Nothing," every teenager in the car spoke in unison.

Nina stifled a laugh, laying her head back against the headrest to watch the scenery go by: cows, horses, hay bales.

Bobby had gone back to sleep, and the combined efforts of opened windows and sunroof and air conditioning had cooled the car enough that the effects of the sunshine pouring in were minimal. Nina scooted closer to Holden, and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and she knew everything that had been wrong in her life wasn't solved - but now it felt like it could be.

Her relationship with Holden wasn't a salve or her solution for problems in life; dating someone couldn't save her from herself. She knew that now. Nina didn't need him around to tell her that she was capable or smart or beautiful; she already knew she was. Nobody's perception of her would change who she was.

But with Holden... she knew that when there were bad times, when she didn't love herself, during the moments when nothing would go right, he'd be a reminder that what was meant to work out, would.

He was a reminder of the happily ever after waiting for them.

:::

H O L D E N

He hadn't thought that anything could spoil his happiness today... but the sight of Nina's face as she stumbled out into the waiting room did.

She plopped down next to him, and grasped his hand so hard that her knuckles turned white. Her other hand, her right hand, was shaking, despite her attempts to stop it by pressing it on top of her knee.

"That bad?" Holden nudged her shoulder, trying to bring her back to reality.

"I'm fine." Nina wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders, rubbing her hands over them as though she were cold, despite the fact that it was boiling in the crowded waiting room. "She had the baby. It's healthy. I'm fine," she repeated.

"No, you're not. Nina, what happened? Please don't shut me out," Holden pleaded, anxiety wrapping an iron-clad fist around his heart and squeezing.

"I just need - give me some space, some time to process. Did they turn on the AC in here? It's freezing." She wouldn't look at him, no matter how much he wanted her to.

"Here." Holden took off his hoodie, and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thank you, Holden." Her voice was distant, coldly polite, sending a chill through his veins. He didn't even want to think about what she'd seen in there.

"You're welcome." Holden moved closer to her. He wasn't about to let Nina Edwards run away from him again. Not this time.

After a minute or two had passed of Nina staring blankly ahead, and Holden trying to concentrate on playing a game on his phone while avoiding his sister's sharp gaze and thoughts of the girl sitting next to him, Nina spoke. "I didn't think it would hurt that much."

"What?" He swivelled around in the uncomfortable, cracked leather seat of the chair, meeting her dark gaze.

"I didn't think it would hurt that much, to see my mom's new family, you know? I thought I'd gotten over her a long time ago." Her voice spoke of loneliness, sorrow. His heart echoed it.

"She was your family. They're your family, and like it or not, you never get over your family." Even if they think what's best for you is really what's worst for you, he thought, casting a glance at his older sister's empty seat. She'd left to use the bathroom.

"How do you do that?" She had her hand in his, and was rubbing her thumb over the knuckle of his absentmindedly, her eyes straying to their joined hands. Her nails were painted a pale pink. He used to see her in that colour all the time.

He quipped, "How do I be so awesome all the time? It's easy, really - " and then he stopped himself. It was something he almost couldn't help, running from emotions and actual, real conversations about them. It was both their habits, really, because what else could you do after you'd been hurt so badly?

"No, not that!" She laughed, and the sound warmed the ice in his body that had been forming since she'd stumbled out of that room looking like she'd witnessed an explosion, complete with hand grenades and multiple casualties. "I mean, how do you open up so easily? Lord knows we've both been through this, but how do you... how can you process so easily?"

"I guess all that weed really mellowed me out," he joked. "But... Nina, I'm taking this just as bad as you are. If I were the one to go in there... I'd probably be sobbing into your shoulder right now," Holden confessed.

"Then I'm glad you didn't, I just bought this shirt," Nina teased.

They sat there in companionable silence for a few moments, the world shrunk down to a bubble that fit only the two of them, and nothing else.