Page 97 of Even Beneath the Stars

"I CAN’T," Maggie shrieks, cracking up. "I’M TRAPPED. THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE REQUEST."

Finn cackles. "Quitter."

"I am not a—" She shifts, and in one catastrophic motion, collapses into Finn, sending them both toppling over in a mess of limbs and laughter.

I lean back on my elbows, watching as they untangle themselves, both grinning like idiots.

And then I realize something.

Ireallylike this.

Not just the easy chaos of it, or the way Finn’s laughing so hard he has to clutch his stomach. Not just the fact that Maggie looks so at home here, like she belongs.

I likeher. Really like her.

The thought is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

It's like I told her on our date the other day. Sure, I’ve had fun before. Hooked up, had my fair share of wild nights. But this? This feels different.

This makes me feelalive.

Before Maggie came along, Finn and I were getting by, but more like we were flailing kind of aimlessly in the water, with no idea which direction the shore was.

Now, Maggie's our lighthouse. We can see the shore.

That happy feeling sticks with me the next day. Through morning practice, through school, through band rehearsal.

Then, just as I’m heading to my first afternoon class, my phone buzzes.

Denise.

My stomach drops before I even answer. Denise never calls during school hours unless something's up.

"What’s up?"

Her voice is measured, careful. "Xavier. I just wanted to let you know your mother’s coming home tomorrow morning."

The words land like a gut punch."Tomorrow?"

"She has a shoot Monday for Vogue. It's a last-minute thing."

Of course.

Not coming home for us. Coming home for a fucking magazine spread.

"Does Finn know?"

"Not yet. I thought you might want to tell him."

I drag a hand through my hair. "Yeah. Thanks."

The call ends, and I slump in the back row of my English Lit class.

All the good stuff—Salt Vein, the music,Maggie—suddenly feels fragile. Like set pieces in a play that can be knocked over the second reality crashes through.

Because that’s what Jacee does. She sweeps in, makes a mess, then vanishes again, leaving me to deal with the wreckage.

Also, Jacee being home means seeing more of my father. Which is never a good thing. And together, they're lethal. All you can do is brace for impact and hope for the best.

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