Page 12 of Never Your Girl

“I’ll let you know what the dentist says. I’m sure between the two of us, we can figure out a way to pay for it.” I can already see my savings account draining, my carefully built safety net dissolving.

“Okay. And think about the double date. Dale said his friends have a real thing for curvy redheads.”

“I’m way too busy with school to date.” Or get tangled up with a biker.

“Sounds awfully boring.”

“Yup, that’s me. Boring.”

I press a kiss to her cheek before heading for the door, my chest already tight with the need to escape.

To breathe.

“I’ll let you know what the dentist says.”

“No worries.”

I almost snort. That’s Mom’s mantra. No worries. And somehow it always works out for her.

For me? Not so much.

Back in my car, I’m about to turn the key when my phone lights up with a notification from the college chat app.

ColdAsIce17

Thanks for your message the other night. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I don’t know how you knew, but... thanks.

Warmth blooms within me, pushing back against the cold weight of responsibility. Our connection might only exist through words on a screen, but it’s the one thing in my life that feels real.

Important.

This guy understands me like no one else.

And I get him too.

Me

I’m always here for you.

His reply comes instantly.

ColdAsIce17

Same. Just know that this thing between us matters to me.

A lump rises in my throat. My guard slips as I type back.

Me

I feel the same. Our relationship is one of the only things that keeps me sane.

There’s a pause before he responds.

ColdAsIce17

Good to know. We might not have much, but we have each other.

His understanding wraps around me like a blanket, making me feel safe and warm. He might be a stranger, but he sees me in ways no one else does. Between my mother’s chaos, Bridger’s threats, and the weight of everything I’m juggling, these conversations are sometimes the only thing that feels real.

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