Page 5 of Forever Home

His words stop me. It’s been so long since all of us were together, our entire High School friend group. We are so spread out now that it was hard to even imagine.

“There’s no way that everyone’s going to come back.”

“I guess we will have to wait and see, won’t we?”

I can’t help but let out a small smile at his words. Knox always thinks the best of everyone and tries to remain optimistic, even when the rest of us find it hard. It’s one of the many reasons why I love him. No matter the situation, he always goes out of his way to make me feel better.

“I guess we will.” I sigh, wiping a stray tear from my eyes. “Thank you for calling me Knox.”

“Anytime, Madi. I’m always here for you.”

The moment we end the call, I crumble onto my sofa, trying to process everything. All of our old friends back in the same place at the same time?That hasn’t happened in forever. Sure, some of us had stayed in touch over the years, but it wasn’t like it was when we were younger.

My mind slowly drifts back to the days we spent at the treehouse and how close we all were. The get-togethers, the late nights, the laughter. I miss all of it, but most of all, I miss Sam and Kylie.

The treehouse in Mrs. Kendall’s backyard was what brought us all together. Perhaps there’s a chance that with everyone here it can bring us together again.

Chapter Three: Madison

My stomach turns as I pull up outside of Mrs. Kendall’s home the following afternoon. I’d been able to convince Mom to close the bakery for the day and told Knox I’d meet him here before everyone else. But now that I’m here, I’m dreading everything that’s about to happen.

Not that I’d let them see that.

Taking a deep breath, I push forward, walking quickly towards the front door just in time for it to swing open. A short, stocky woman comes into view and introduces herself as Mrs. Macy Dorman.

“You must be Madison.” She smiles, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

“I— I am. How did you know that?”

“I’m Mrs. Kendall’s attorney. I’ve seen plenty of photos of you and your friends to know exactly who you all are.” She laughs softly,gesturing with her hand for me to follow her inside. “Let’s get you situated. Knox is inside already.”

She escorts me into the living room and I immediately blink back the tears that threaten to run down my face. It’s so strange being here without Mrs. Kendall herself. The home that had felt like a safe haven to me for so many years now feels cold and lonely.

Part of me half-expects her to walk in with her huge, loving smile and wrap me in a hug. But she doesn’t, and the reality of that cuts something deep inside me.

“Madison, you made it!” Knox says with a smile as he stands from one of the brown chairs in the living room, wrapping me in a hug. “I’ve missed you. It’s been too long.”

“We literally see each other all the time,” I chuckle. “I don’t think you can make it two days without an old-fashioned donut and my mom’s coffee.”

Knox is the only one of our friend group to have stayed in Willowcreek with me. And honestly, he hasn’t changed much since high school. Other than becoming the right hand to his father’s carpentry business. The talent that he has never ceases to amaze me.

“Touché,” he replies, pushing back his blond shaggy hair from in front of his brown eyes.

“Is Callum not here?” I ask, searching for Knox’s partner and perfect soulmate.

“No, he’s working—”

We barely have time to jump into any further conversation as voices from the front door catch our attention and I turn to see Kylie walking in. My heart is on the verge of combusting with excitement as tears prick my eyes again and I jump up to give her a hug. Though, Knox beats me to it, and I’m left to scowl at him until I get my turn.

Despite the amount of time it’s been since I’ve last seen Kylie, she still looks the same. Except for her gorgeous red hair that she finally learned to control. God knows her parents always complained about it when we were younger. And now, her love for art and years of practice led her to open her own studio in New Orleans doing what she loves. To which, I couldn’t be more proud of her.

The moment she pulls back from Knox and turns to me, I can’t hold back. I know she isn’t a hugger, but I’m too happy to see her not to wrap my arms around her. After a second of stiffness, she gives in to my embrace.

“Your hair,” I say, grabbing one long curly red strand. “It looks great!” And it does. It doesn’t look as wild and unkept as when we were young.

Soft laughter escapes her that seems to be slightly forced as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and gives a slight shrug. “Yeah…”

Though I’m barely able to make out anything else that she might have said, as my eyes catch sight of the one man I haven’t seen in a very long time. Legs trembling and my heart racing… Jaxson Rivers walks back into my life and he steals my breath away, just like he did in high school. I’m a complete mess in a matter of seconds.

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