Page 82 of Finding Delaware

Logan answers immediately. “Huck? What’s wrong?”

“Have you left yet?” My voice breaks, the tears that were welling finally spilling onto my lashes.

He pauses. “I’m still in the parking lot. Why? Did something happen?”

“D-don’t leave yet.” Nausea churns my stomach as I make my way to the stairs, unable to stand the thought of the elevator. “I’m coming out. I can’t...Logan, I think I’m dying.”

“Hey, hey, it’ll be alright. I’ll meet you at the front entrance, ok? Just hold on, Huck. Breathe.”

The stairs spin as I race down them, my hand clutching my chest as if to keep the organ inside from thundering to a stop. Shame and guilt war with the panic gripping my lungs.

Just hold on, Huck.Just hold on.

Breathe. Hold on. Breathe.

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe–

Taylor

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

My truck bumps and rattles along an icy, snow-covered path as we snake our way up the mountain, 'Bad Blood' by Bastille filtering through the speakers. The main road ended a few miles ago, giving way to nothing but trees as far as the eye can see. If it weren’t for Salem telling me where to go, I would have driven off a fucking cliff. Thank fuck for the four-wheel drive.

Opening her mouth, Salem pauses. “No.”

She’s in the passenger seat, feet resting on my dash. Christian’s snowmobiles are in the bed of my truck, shifting and creaking with every divot and bump we hit.

“But you wanted a chance to talk to him, right?” She looks over at me, waggling her brows as she sinks into her fur-capped winter coat. “Bridge those gaps?”

“Yeah, but I was thinking somewhere more...public.” My gaze sweeps out over the mountainous terrain. “Not an isolated cabin in the fucking woods. Do you want us to kill each other?”

Her lips smack as she scoffs. “Nonsense. Logan and I will be there the entire time.”

Right, because it’s Logan’s family cabin we’re driving to for what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine’s weekend for the two of them. But at the last minute, Logan declared that Huckslee was having a hard time with his dad’s surgery, even though it went well, and that he’d be coming, too. So, naturally, Salem invited me as well. Without telling anyone. Because I desperately want to talk things out with Huck, and what better place to do that than in the middle of nowhere, apparently?

“Speaking of Logan.” The truck bounces off a chunk of ice, making me wince. “He still mad at me for kissing him?”

“He was never mad. More confused than anything.”

A laugh leaves my shivering lips. “Confused? About what? Helikedit?”

“No, dumbass.” She hits me on the shoulder. “About Huckslee. He doesn’t know the full story about you two. Seeing his best friend act that way made him worry.”

“Ah.” An uncomfortable feeling that I’m unwilling to process settles in my stomach, so I shoot her a devilish smirk. “I don’t hear you saying hedidn’tlike it.”

“Shut up and watch the road before you hurt the snowmobiles or kill us.”

“Priorities,” I snort, but close my mouth when another deep dip has us nearly hitting the roof. Light snowfall hasstarted, but luckily, it isn’t long before we’re curving a bend, and the cabin rises up in the distance at the mountain’s base.

It’s your typical A-shaped log structure, with a covered front porch and a cute circular window above it. The entire front wall is glass, and fat puffs of smoke rise up from the chimney. Aspens and pine trees surround it, giving it a picturesque look, complete with an irate Logan standing on the porch with his arms crossed over his red winter coat.

He watches us rumble up to a stop, and he’s already speaking before Salem opens her door to jump out.

“...said you were borrowing Taylor’s truck, not the whole Taylor.”

She lifts her chin up at him. “You brought your best friend, so I brought mine.”

I wince as they glare at each other, rolling down my window so that I can open the driver’s side door because the inside handle doesn’t work. “Look, if it’s too much trouble, I’ll-”

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