Page 78 of You Found Me in the Dark
REED
Cam and I sat on a bench near the end of the market, half-shaded by a crooked blue canopy strung with white flags from a local bakery. We weren’t really people-watching, or even waiting like normal people. We were both just existing in the lull, letting the noise of vendors and wandering families fill in the silence.
I stretched my legs out in front of me, arms resting over the back of the bench like I didn’t have a care in the world. The truth was, I did. Mostly in the form of a certain sleepy-eyed girl with pale freckles and a caffeine addiction. But right now, she was off somewhere with her girls, probably deep in a conversation about hair masks and pastries.
Cam leaned back beside me, chewing a toothpick. He looked completely at ease, which was rare.
“So,” I said, keeping my tone light, “you into my sister or what?”
He choked, just slightly—but recovered quickly. “Jesus, man.”
I grinned, watching him without turning my head. “It’s a fair question.”
“She’s annoying,” he said smoothly, eyes still fixed on nothing in particular. “Always has been.”
“Didn’t ask if she was annoying. I asked if you were into her.”
He finally looked at me, eyebrows raised, a smirk playing at the edge of his mouth. “No offense, Reed, but your little sister is a hurricane personified. That would never happen.”
I chuckled. “You sure? You’ve been lookin’ a little longer than usual lately. I would be okay with it.”
Cam scoffed. “That’s because she shows up dressed like she rolled out of a pop-punk tour bus. Distracting doesn’t mean I’m interested.”
I nodded like I accepted that. Maybe I should.
“Alright. Just curious,” I said, eyes back on the crowd. “I know you two like to bicker like an old married couple, but I didn’t know if it was more than that. If it is something more, just let me know. Just want to see you happy.”
“That’s just me keeping her humble,” Cam said, flicking the toothpick into the trash can next to him. “You think she’d survive with more people hyping her up? The girl would float off the planet. There willneverbe anything between us.”
I snorted. “Fair.”
We both sat in the quiet again, the kind that came easily after years of knowing each other. But I didn’t miss the way he straightened up a little when he spotted her magenta hair weaving through the crowd.
Not that I was gonna say anything. Not again.
I heard them before I saw them— Lena’s arms wrapped around their shoulders, Harper’s voice animated, Wren’s laughter trailing behind like a breeze. And not just any laugh. Itwas her real one—bright, belly-deep, the kind that crinkled her nose and made her toss her head back. The kind I didn’t hear enough.
It knocked the breath out of me.
She looked so damn happy. At ease. Like her walls weren’t just lowered—they were gone completely. And it was because of them. Her cousin and her best friend. My little sister. It hit me all at once how rare that kind of connection was… and how fiercely I wanted to protect it.
Wren beelined straight for me, slipping between my knees like it was second nature, her hands resting lightly on my thighs as she grinned down at me.
“You’ll never guess what we decided,” she said, her hazel eyes lighting up.
I raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”
“We’re having a bonfire tonight!” Harper said, practically bouncing as she dropped her bag down on the bench beside Cam. “Down at Marina Park. Right by the water. You know the cute little pit with the little fairy lights surrounding it?”
Cam gave her a look like she just suggested they go ice fishing in June. “Seriously? You want to drag everyone to the beach tonight?”
Wren turned around to face him, still settled close between my legs. “Yes. Come on, Cam. It’s gonna be fun. Probably a bunch of other people will have fires out—it’s summer, the weather’s perfect…”
“Don’t be boring, old man.” Harper laughed. “Oh! Plus, Dax said he might swing by too.”
Cam looked between the three of them like he was searching for the catch. “So what I’m hearing is a night of sand in my shoes, no cell service, and Dax trying to light things on fire.”
Wren pouted, pushing his leg with her hand. “Don’t be a grump. You used to love bonfires.”
