Page 100 of All the Missing Pieces

Colt’s thumb stilled.

“They still blame me. My parents. Dad never said anything, but one of the times Mom lost it and ended up in the hospital, she screamed at me,Why didn’t you stay with her? You lost my baby!?” I could still hear the words. They were permanently etched into my brain, even if she didn’t remember saying them.

Colt’s fingers tightened on my neck, not painfully but in a way where I could feel the anger rising in him. “She was hurting,” he rasped. “And sometimes when people can’t deal with their own pain, they have to spew it onto other people. Doesn’t excuse it, but sometimes just understanding that helps.”

I searched his dark depths. “Did your mom do that?”

He shook his head. “She went inward. Stopped connecting. Don’t get me wrong—she did everything a mom was supposed to do, but it was like she wasn’t all there. I think she had to put up a wall, hoping she’d never feel that sort of pain again.”

“I think that’s how my dad is.” I let my arms curl around Colt’s shoulders, soaking up their strength. “He’ll check in occasionally, but he isn’t reallythere.”

Colt’s thumb picked up its ministrations again, that rough pad sweeping over the delicate skin of my throat. “Things like this, they change you.”

“I miss them,” I admitted. “It’s bad enough how much it hurts missing Avery. But it’s somehow worse missing them because they’re still here. Right in front of my face. But still…gone.”

Colt’s arm tightened around my waist. “But you’re still here. Still fighting. For them and for Avery.”

My eyes burned, but I didn’t let any tears come. “I am.”

“And you’re not alone.”

I stiffened. “Colt?—”

He squeezed my waist to cut off my words. “You’ve built a community around you. One you carry with you wherever you go. And then you make more as you go. Dean’s half in love with you. My damn dog is all the way there. You’ve got Sam reaming me out for giving you a hard time, and even his chess buddy Norm has started taking your side. Mira and Celia are not far behind. Hell, even that biker, Ace, asked me what I was doing to find the guy who hurt you. My sister adores you, and my best friend since birth took your side before he even met you.”

That had me choking on a laugh. “Sorry about that.”

Colt sent me a mock glare. “You should be.” His fingers skated along my ribs. “Ridley. You’re never alone because you carry your sister with you.”

I sucked in a breath so sharp it sliced at my throat and lungs.

“She’s always been a piece of you, and she always will be. And you honor her every day of your life.”

I struggled to speak, wanting to so badly but also not wanting to lose it. “That’s all I want. To do her proud. To live for us both.”

“You do.” Colt dropped his forehead to mine. “I promise you do.”

We stayed there for a long moment, neither of us moving, until finally the cold won out and I shivered.

Colt pulled me tighter against him and started toward shore. “Come on. Let’s get you warm.” He kept hold of me as he walked out of the water, my legs hooked around his waist. “If there are any hikers out on the lake trail, they’re getting a real nice ass shot.”

I choked on a laugh. “We all deserve rewards for getting out on the trail.”

Colt just shook his head, but I could feel his grin against my cheek. “Making the most of every day, right?” he asked.

“Even if that means showing the world my ass.”

He chuckled as he set me down on the deck. “Let me grab us some towels.”

I shivered as the mountain air hit me but moved to pick up my discarded clothes as Bowser charged out the back door. I pulled on my shirt and paused to greet him, giving him a good rubdown. “There’s my boy. Were you good today? You want to play fetch in a bit?”

Bowser wagged and barked, then ran down the steps to go do his business. I fished my phone out of my pocket, seeing a series of texts. But one name caught my eye.

I hadn’t heard from Baker since the scene at the hospital. I’d simply continued recording my episodes and took the chicken’s way out by letting Sully deal with him. Thankfully, my editor had been willing to take one for the team these past couple of weeks, but it looked like that reprieve was over.

Baker

What the hell is going on with your Instagram? Is this some sort of stunt?

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