Page 21 of Wildest Dreams

“To Dixie,” everyone chimes and I feel like a fraud.

The rest of the evening goes off without a hitch, but the tension is still brewing heavily over the Rivera family.

I help Orla clean up after dinner whilst the men all sit in the back office with whiskey and Aspen is drying the plates and putting them back in the cabinet.

The sound of a door opens and closes from upstairs, and I see Orla look up in that direction.

“I'll go,” Aspen offers, placing the drying cloth on the sink unit and disappearing round the corner.

“Is Pacey okay?” I pry, emptying the dirty dish water.

“He will be. Just got a little drunk. We have a lot going on and Pacey isn't coping very well.”

I was a year younger than Pacey, I knew of him, but I didn'tknowhim. The only Rivera boy I really knew was Tripp.

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

“He'll be okay, just need to get the next few weeks out the way,” she turns to look at me and I can see the pain in her eyes.

“If there is anything I can do, please let me know. You've been so gracious with letting me stay here, it's the least I could do.”

“Thank you, Dixie, that means a lot,” she says as she places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a gentle squeeze.

The moment is cut short when Aspen shouts out “Riggs!” and I hear the sound of his feet hitting the floor before we see him.

I give Orla a tight smile as she wanders to where Riggs has disappeared to, and I swipe up the baby monitor and take myself out the front. Closing the front door behind me, I pace towards one of the wooden rockers and settle myself into it. I reach forthe blanket box and pull out one of the blankets, covering my legs as I look out to the perfectly clear night. I turn the monitor down so I am not eavesdropping, but the lights stay on so I know if she needs me. And for just a moment, everything feels perfect.

Even though I am fully aware that none of this is.

I had to go and see Lainey's uncle, but I would wait until after the funeral.

Her dad was always in touch, he would have done anything for Lainey, but me and him didn't work. He wasn't a nice man, I instantly regretted my choice when it came to him, but I don't regret having Lainey. She was my world.

I'm not alone with my thoughts long when Tripp walks out onto the porch, completely lost in thought as he steps forward and leans against the wooden railing that runs around the porch.

He hasn't seen me sitting in the corner.

So, I take this as my moment to watch him.

His head is tipped back, hair messy like he has been pulling at the root, eyes glassy as they bounce around the stars.

He looks broken somehow.

The worries laying heavy on his mind.

I shuffle slightly so the chair creeks and his head whips around to see me. Holding my hand up to sayhi, he strolls across the wooden floor to where I am tucked away.

“I didn't realise you were out here.”

“I just thought it would be best to take myself out of that situation...” I pick the skin around my thumb nail bed.

“It's a shit show in there,” he huffs, his back against the railings, boot resting on the newel post and hands curled around the rail.

“I'll move into Sylvia's in the morning, you all have so much going on...”

I knew about what Austin was being accused of, everyone did. It's all that has been splashed across the front of thenewspapers for the last few weeks. Sure, I haven't been home in years but I still keep up with what's going on.

I even know about the goldmine drama.

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