Page 40 of Begin Again

The shadow moves forward. The light from the TV catches the intruder’s blonde hair.

“Oh my God, relax,” a familiar voice whines. “It’s just me.”

Celeste.

I’m going to kill her.

My younger sister flicks her hair back like she meant to give me a heart attack, stepping inside as if she owns the place. She’s wearing ripped jeans, a tiny pink leather jacket that probably costs more than my rent, and a smug little smirk that makes me want to hurl a pillow at her.

Celeste looks like she was factory-made in a top-secret Mattel lab, a limited edition Barbie with long, golden waves, ridiculously blue eyes, and that annoyingly effortless, slender but still curvy body type that people pay surgeons for.

It’s unfair.

“Jesus Christ, Celeste!” I gasp, pressing a hand to my chest, my heart still racing. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

She doesn’t even flinch. Instead, she bats her thick lashes like she couldn’t possibly have done anything wrong. Then she notices Orion—who is still pointing a gun at her.

“Uh, why are you pointing a gun at me?” She says like she’s genuinely confused.

Orion exhales sharply, lowering the weapon. “You’re lucky I have self-restraint.”

I round on him, voice still high with panic. “Where the hell were you hiding that?”

He shrugs, slipping it back into some mystical void on his person. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes! Yes, I would!”

Celeste laughs, completely unbothered as she tosses her designer bag on the floor like it’s a gym duffel. “Damn, I’m gone for five minutes and you guys turn into full-blown paranoiacs.”

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “What are you even talking about? I haven’t seen you since I left Georgia almost a year ago. What would you have done if it wasn’t my house that you broke into?”

“Oh, please.” Celeste draws out the word into two syllables as she waves me off like I’m being so dramatic. “I heardThe Gooniesplaying from outside.” She says this like it’s the most logical reason to just waltz into someone’s home.

I blink at her. “That’s not—That doesn’t—” I shake my head, exasperated. “What if you were an actual intruder? You know Orion’s always prepared.”

Orion glares. “I was five seconds away from shooting you.”

“And I appreciate your discretion,” she replies sweetly, strolling into the living room like she hasn’t just shaved years off my life. She grabs a handful of popcorn, shoving it into her mouth like she earned it.

I scowl. “Why are you even here?”

Celeste chews thoughtfully, tilting her head. “FOMO.”

“FOMO?”

“Fear of missing out,” she clarifies, flipping her hair like I’m the idiot. “I saw you guys were hanging out, and my schedule is super chill right now, so I figured—why not?” She leans against the counter, tossing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it.

I narrow my eyes. “Wait. You broke into my house because you missed us?”

Celeste gasps, clutching her chest like I just mortally wounded her. “I am deeply offended that you would suggest such a thing.”

Orion snorts. “She’s definitely bored.”

I groan. “So you broke in because you missed us and you’re bored? How did you even find out we were together?”

Celeste winks. “Find My Friends. What can I say? I’m sentimental.”

Oh my God.I don’t have the energy for this. I sigh and flop back onto the couch, gesturing to the empty space next to me. “Fine. But next time, knock like a normal person.”

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