Page 107 of Under an Endless Moon

A gasp ripped out of Raven. “Oh my gosh, did you?—?”

Raven’s question clipped off when the front door of the house suddenly whipped open, and Otto came striding out. Big body bristling beneath the sun, a grin stretched over his entire face, his blue eyes dancing with mirth.

Raven’s stomach tightened. To hide it, she dropped her gaze, worried it would be written all over her expression. Worried she’d be caught thinking thoughts she absolutely couldn’t think.

But they’d been coming too much lately. This feeling that swelled inside her whenever he was near.

“Is that my baby sister?” he called.

Excitement buzzed from his spirit. Raven knew how much he adored Haddie. How close they were. Could see how he worried since their mom was a mess. Clean one minute and then relapsing the next.

Otto had wanted Haddie to come live with them, but Haddie had chosen to stay with their mom.

She’d been really good for the last three months, though, so Raven was hopeful.

Haddie unwound herself from Raven and did a little flourish and a bow. “In the flesh.”

A rumbly sound echoed out of Otto’s chest as he took the two steps down from the stoop and came striding her way. She dropped her bag and went running for him, and he picked her up and spun her around.

“Ahh…missed you.”

“And I missed you. And Raven.” Haddie slanted her attention to Raven.

Raven who was picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder and striding their way. “I’m impossible not to miss.”

Haddie was still clinging to Otto as she teased, “Now who is looking to get their ego stroked?”

Another giggle fumbled out of Raven, and Otto stepped back, gesturing toward the door. “Come on, you two, let’s get you inside.”

Haddie didn’t hesitate. She scampered up the steps and through the door and into the house where Raven lived with River and the guys.

Her family.

A traditional sort of family it was not, but to her, that’s exactly what they were. They were the ones who’d protected her. Cared for her and raised her.

They’d kept her sheltered and secreted until River had made their mother sign off as her guardian, even though she’d continued to do classes online since she’d freaked out when she’d tried to attend school.

Too many people around her. Too many voices. Too many fears still lingering inside her that she still didn’t know how to get away from.

She kept trying, though. She would never give up, and she knew one day, she would find her place.

Her comfort and her joy.

Her father might have destroyed a big part of her childhood, but she wouldn’t allow him to destroy her entire life.

She was slowly finding her way, even though it was difficult sometimes.

Which was why she was really glad she had Haddie.

Haddie who’d been her best friend since Otto had introduced them when she was nine.

Haddie who was brave and bold and ran out into the world without a care, embracing everything that came her way.

They might have basically been opposites, but the two of them were inseparable, and they spent as much time together as they could.

Haddie went directly for Raven’s room and tossed her bag to the bed right before she did the same with herself, flopping onto her back and bouncing on the mattress. Her light brown hair was spread all around her as she laughed toward the ceiling, so pretty that the guys lost their minds whenever they went out.

Ice creamshops.

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