Page 127 of Finding Delaware

Christian lets out a whoop and jumps from the truck as Hannah squeaks in Matt’s arms. “Me too, Daddy?”

“Sorry, bean.” He kisses the top of her head. “Your momma wants to see you tonight, remember?”

The way her little face falls has me breaking apart.

“But I don’t want to,” she whispers, burrowing into his chest, and he tightens his arms around her.

“You haven’t seen her in so long, though. Don’t you want to spend time with her?”

She shakes her head and reaches for Xed, tears glistening in her eyes, and I have to look away before I overstep and tell her she can have whatever the hell her little heart desires. It’s not my place; I’m not her parent. But fuck, seeing her so miserable like this breaks my damn heart.

My eyes catch on Salem, standing there with her arms crossed, looking at Logan like he just showed her a bug. He smiles tentatively, and her glare deepens, not breaking eye contact, while she obliterates him with her scowl.

If looks could kill.

Inwardly, I cringe, having been on the receiving end of that glare myself.

Huck leans in close, his breath on my ear giving me goosebumps. “Looks like our plan failed.”

He smiles sadly, stepping back toward Logan like he’s preparing for them to leave, and my fists clench. Becauseno. I want to spend time with him, dammit. And I know him well enough to know that he’d never leave Logan in a time of need.

“Can Huck and Logan come, too?” I ask Matt, earning a death ray from Salem’s eyes in response when he says yes.

“If he’s coming, I won’t be there,” she hisses, and I scrub my face with a groan.

“Don’t be like that, Sally Mal.”

“No, fuck off, you meddling bitch.” Her voice is low enough that Hannah doesn’t hear, but when she stomps off toward her jeep with a growl, Logan and I step toward her simultaneously. He raises his palms when he sees the look in my eyes because, trust me, him going after her would only make shit ten times worse right now.

Trudging after her, I catch her right as she yanks open the driver’s side door. “Salem, please don’t be like this.”

“Be like what?” She whips around and hits me with a black look. “Oh, you mean pissed at you for inviting my ex behind my back?”

“In his defense, he didn’t know you’d be here either. Huckslee didn’t tell him.”

She blinks before pointing an acrylic at me, lips curled back. “You parent trapped us?!”

“I really need to see that movie,” I mutter, running a hand through my sweaty hair. “Look, Salem, please just come to the party. Because if you don’t come, I’m afraid Logan won’t either, which means Huckslee won’t be there, and I really,reallywant him to be there.”

“Why?” Her gray eyes narrow at me. “I thought we were mad at him?”

My head bounces from side to side, a shoulder lifting into a shrug. “We’re...working through shit.”

“So take him to your own place!”

“I can’t,” I pout. “Logan doesn’t know about us, and plus, I want to spend time with Matty and Xed, too.”

She says nothing, only purses her lips as she gazes at me, so I cup her face and squish her cheeks.

“Please, Salem? Please?Please, please, please, please, please, please–”

“Alright!” She shoves me away by my chest. “Fine! But I’m bringing Arya and Owen.”

Ugh. Whatever. It’ll be alright. I’ve met Owen maybe twice, and he was cool, but Arya…

As long as I get to hang with Huck, nothing else matters.

“Deal.” I extend my hand to her, which she slaps away before getting into the jeep. She throws it in reverse and then flips me off out the open window as she backs out of her spot, prompting me to holler after her.

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