Page 38 of Worlds Collide

“Okay.” I breathe out the word. That does make me feel better. “I’ll talk to Hawk and let you know as soon as we decide on something.”

“Perfect. Then have a good day. Oh, and happy birthday, Wolf.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Your present will get there in a few days, I’m told. Sorry for the delay.”

“Thanks. Bye now.” I snort and shake my head when I pull the phone back.

Then the papers scattered around the coffee table steal my attention like they’re glaring at me.

I started writing on my own about a month ago, and I even got out a bunch of Mom’s notebooks to leaf through them.

The few songs I’ve written aren’t for other people, they’re too personal for me to give them away, but they’re also not for The Storm. They’re just mine, and I don’t know what to do about that. It’s just all so messed up right now, and the more time passes where Hawk and I don’t work together, the easier it gets to work on my own.

Isn’t that good?

For us to put a little space between us?

Adrian, my personal therapist from rehab, expressed a lot of concern about how close Hawk and I have been all our lives. I explained—and Hawk and Derek backed me up on this when we had a family session—how Hawk was really the only constant in my life since he was born. Not even Mom was there for me the way Hawk was.

But then Adrian explained how I didn’tneedto only have Hawk in my life anymore. I could have other people who are important to me. But with the way he’s been keeping me so damn close since I got out of rehab, the only other people in my life aretheirfriends.

Like CJ.

Aaaaand that’s unhelpful.

There’s no use in thinking about CJ right now. I mean, who cares if I was wrong? Who cares if I wrongfully accused him? Who cares that he was just outed to the world without his permission?

He has a bunch of friends and family to help him get through that.

Just like everybody else, he doesn’t need me.

I stopin front of the patio sliding door of Derek and Hawk’s house and hesitate before opening it.

I probably should knock. Not only are they technically still newlyweds—though when will they stop being newlyweds, at the one year anniversary?—but this isn’t my home. I used to live with my brother, and then we moved in with Derek after I got out of rehab because I didn’t want to go back to the house where I had the accident.

I knew it was temporary because we were having the houses built already, but it was still like my house. I felt at home at Derek’s place.

I do feel like the ranch as a whole is my place too, but not this house in particular. I haven’t spent a lot of time here.

So what am I supposed to do? Should I walk around the house and knock on the front door?

Should I just slide open this one?

Knock on this one?

“What are you doing?” Derek’s sudden appearance beside me has me just about shitting myself.

“Fuck,” I shout at him, then shove at his shoulder.

“What? You’re the one lurking in the shadows here.”

“I’m notlurking. I was just wondering if I should knock.”

“Jesus Christ, just open the damn door, Wolf.” He shakes his head at me and that’s when I notice he’s dripping.

“What the fuck happened to you?” I ask and finally open the door.

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