Page 11 of Heartfelt Goals

He could already feel the tension that often followed in the wake of the teenager’s antics. The last thing he needed was to be compared to a dump truck again. So, he lingered, giving them some space. But as soon as he heard their voices, his curiosity kicked in, and he couldn’t help but listen.

“Stop it, Kendall –please?” Laurel’s voice wavered, almost pleading.

“That’s your blue-eyed guy, isn’t it?” the little girl teased, her voice high-pitched with mischief.

“Nooo…”Laurel’s reply was a mix of horror and embarrassment, but Dustin could almost hear the blush in her voice.

“It is! He’s got those bright blue eyes, and I’ve seen your vision board—you’ve got photos of that hockey player cut out and everything…” The girl’s voice practically bubbled with excitement.

“Would you just hush?!”Laurel’s frustration was thick in the air, but Dustin couldn’t help but smile. There was something endearing about hearing Laurel so ruffled, especially when it came to her sister’s antics and hearing that she had photos cut out of him.

That was actually really flattering.

The younger girl didn’t relent. “Why didn’t you tell him you were my sister...”

“I’m not exactly sure I want to claim you right now,” Laurel shot back, clearly exasperated.

“Ouch.” The little girl’s voice sounded wounded, but Dustin could hear the playful edge. “I do have feelings, you know.”

“If one of them is empathy, then you’d be incorrect,” Laurel quipped, her voice dry.

Dustin couldn’t help it.

He burst out laughing, the sound of it echoing down the hallway. Both heads snapped around—one in horror and the other in sheer frustration, the tension hanging thick. Laurel’s eyes widened, and the teenager scowled, but there was something in her expression that told Dustin she wasn’t exactly angry—more like annoyed.

“Sorry!” Dustin called out, raising his hands in mock surrender, though he was still grinning. Laurel’s expression softened just a little before she urged her sister forward, leading her toward the car. His eyes lingered on them both as they moved. He hadn’t realized how much younger Laurel’s sister was than he’d expected, and it hit him like a ton of bricks—she looked so much like Laurel, but there was an edge to the connection between them. A sisterhood he hadn’t anticipated.

As he watched them, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. Was she the one Madeline had mentioned being at a funeral to support? He’d almost forgotten the conversation they’d had in passing, but now it nagged at him.

Had both of Laurel’s parents passed away? Or just one? What was going on in her life?

There was so much about her he didn’t know, so many things left unsaid. And the weight of that uncertainty pressed down on him as he followed them to the garage. But what hit him next made his chest tighten.

Laurel opened the door to a rusted Toyota—a car that seemed to have barely escaped its last trip to the junkyard. Dustin’s mind reeled, his steps slowing as disbelief flickered across his face. This was what Laurel drove?

The realization was sharp and cold.

She was the one making all the complaints?

Laurel was the one driving this decrepit rustbucket? He shot out a hand, barely catching himself against the wall. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts at once.

That car was a death trap.

It wasn’t just a question of getting stranded—it was the safety of her and her sister. What was she doing driving that thing around? Hadn’t she thought about it? She was so much smarter than this... wasn’t she?

Dustin barely noticed the sound of the car backfiring as it sputtered to life, and he watched as it rolled away, the cloud of smoke hanging in the air long after it had disappeared down the street. He could still taste the dust in his mouth, and the knot in his stomach only tightened.

And then, everything clicked.

These weren’t cheap apartments they were leaving behind—nothing about this place screamedstruggling. So why was she living here? Why was Laurel driving a car that looked like it had been through a dozen wrecks? His gut twisted with a sudden, aching confusion.

Why did she need privacy? Why live in a place like this—one that clearly didn’t fit with the image he had of her—and yet drive a car that was more like a liability than a solution?

There were too many questions. Too many unanswered mysteries that made his head spin. But he had no answers. None. Only the growing realization that something wasn’t adding up and the tightness in his chest that felt like a budding curiosity… oh yes. He’d seen this act before – but usually in horror movies.

It was always the one who wandered off into a dark room and got slaughtered by the bad guy, yet as he watched the car drive away, he couldn’t help but recognize that was him. Something was looming and tickling the back of his mind – and he had a vague impression that it was nothing good waiting.

He wanted to know more… now.

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