Page 62 of Our Little Moments

“What happened, Scarlett?”

She sniffs. “It’s your parents, Adrian. There was a huge storm on the road and . . . And they didn’t make it.”

The world stops spinning. I can’t breathe. My ears ring.

No. Please . . . No.

My mom’s best friend crumbles to the floor, dropping a piece of paper on the floor. I run over to hug her and comfort her, still in disbelief.

A. Storm. Killed. Them.

A fucking storm. A storm I could have controlled. A storm I could have stopped with my magic. I could have saved their lives if I had come with them.

I’m the reason they’re gone.

It’s because of me Hazel will never grow up with our parents. It’s because of me that my sisters will never have the childhood they deserve.

I just ruined everything.

There isn’t a memory more painful than Hazel’s sickness and my parents’ death. If they’d waited just a few more weeks, we would have finally figured out what she had.

If they’d stayedjust a little longer, they’d still be with us.

If I’d been with them, they would still be alive.

I wipe away my tears, looking at Stella’s sad eyes as she listens to my story.

“Hazel doesn’t know why they left for another town. She doesn’t know that they left our town because she was sick. She’ll never fully feel just how much they loved her. My sisters and I don’t have the heart to tell her everything that happened. She’s already struggling so much, she doesn’t need another heartbreak added to it all.”

Stella tears up. “My god. This is . . . Adrian, I’m so sorry you had to go through all this.”

“At least I got to feel their love,” I say on a broken whisper. “Hazel doesn’t remember anything about them, and Layla only has glimpses. Isabella and I are the only ones who remember them clearly and get to grieve the light they could have shone into our life.”

Stella wraps her arms around me. “Adrian, just because you remember them doesn’t mean your struggles are less valid. In fact, I think it’s even harder. You know what you’re missing.”

“Jay told me the same thing,” I murmur.

Stella smiles at me and with the sun rising right above us, it makes her face glow and her smile seem brighter. The weight on my heart feels lighter to carry.

“Then you probably need to hear it.”

Chapter 24

Stella

Laughter echoes in the forest as we all hike together.

Isabella chose hiking as our first race, though I doubt any of us are taking this as seriously as she does. The sun filters through the canopy above, casting dappled patches of light on the uneven ground beneath our feet.

But despite all the beauty around me—the lush green trees, the quiet murmur of a distant stream, and the birds darting through the branches—my attention keeps returning to Adrian.

I glance back again, and my heart skips when I find him looking at me. His gaze is steady, a little amused. It’s comforting to see a smile on his face after the state he was in this morning.

Hazel and Nate are talking quietly behind him, while Layla and Sam are cresting the latest hill we climbed, with Layla laughing about something Sam said. I can barely hear them though, my attention completely consumed by Adrian.

As I continue down the narrow path, I hear Adrian’s footsteps catch up. My skin tingles with warmth. His face splits into a grin,and I try—unsuccessfully—to ignore the way my stomach flips when he speaks. “Well, looks like we’re the best here.”

I laugh. “Jay taught you well.”

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