Page 100 of Begin Again

But nothing feels safe anymore.

Mo’s voice is quiet when she finally speaks. “I hate that she fooled me.”

I swallow hard, nodding. “Yeah.”

“She was there,” Mo continues, her breath curling into the cold air. “She made sure I had food when Mom was working double shifts. She helped me with school stuff. She… She made me feel like I had a family here.” Her jaw clenches, and when she meets my eyes, there’s raw pain there. “I trusted her.”

My fingers tighten around the truck’s door handle. “I did too.” My voice is rough, barely holding together. “She was all I had left after my parents died. And now I find out she’s the reason they’re gone.”

Mo looks away, shaking her head. “It makes me sick.”

“Same.” I exhale sharply, staring at the frost-covered ground. “And the worst part? I don’t even know if she ever really cared. If any of it was real.”

Mo nods slowly, then steps forward, pulling me into a tight, grounding hug. I hesitate for a second before letting my arms wrap around her, closing my eyes. It’s not romantic, not even close—it’s a hug that says,I know. I feel it too. We’re in this together.

When we pull back, Mo clears her throat, sniffing once. “Alright, that’s enough emotional growth for today. Let’s get back inside before Celeste eats the new guy alive.”

I bark out a real laugh this time, shaking my head as we turn back toward the house. “You mean Stretch? Giant? Lanky McFed?”

Mo snorts. “I like Lanky McFed.”

“Of course you do.”

Inside, the mood has shifted—but not in the way I expect.

Celeste is lounging on the couch, one leg tucked beneath her, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she smirks up at Stilts, who looks vaguely amused.

“So,” she purrs, tilting her head, “what do I get to call you?”

Stretch Armstrong’s lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile. “Agent.”

Celeste arches a brow. “That’s boring.”

“Special Agent,” he corrects, giving her a slow, deliberate once-over. “If you’re feeling formal.”

She blinks, momentarily caught off guard, then lets out a sharp laugh. “Oh, you’re good.”

“I know,” Talladega says, deadpan.

Selene, standing by the counter, claps her hands together loudly. “Alright, nope, I’m shutting this down before I have to bleach my eyes.”

Bennett gestures toward the coffee table. “Perfect! Then we’re playing Uno. I need a comeback after the last game got interrupted by the lab.”

Celeste tears her gaze away from The Human Ladder long enough to smirk at Bennett. “You mean the game where you were about to lose spectacularly?”

Bennett glares. “I thought we had an agreement on the last game.Now sit your ass down and shuffle. Does everyone have their socks on?”

I shake my head, letting the moment ground me. The weight of betrayal, of everything we’ve uncovered, is still there, but it’s easier to carry when I’m not doing it alone.

Mo’s right.

I’m not alone. Not anymore.

And if Aubrey thinks she can keep getting away with this?

She’s dead wrong.

This time, she’s the one who won’t see it coming.

---