Page 62 of Dare to Hold

---

And then…nothing.

It rings.

And rings.

And rings.

No answer.

I stare at the screen for a beat too long, the silence on the other end somehow louder than I expected. A little knot tightens in my chest and fills with, well, disappointment. Like a balloon losing air slowly.

I set the phone on my nightstand and decide this is a sign that I need to focus on work.

Just start somewhere, I tell myself.

I open my laptop again, click into the file, and begin fiddling with fonts, adjusting spacing. Nothing feels right. Every letter feels stiff, every color too dull. I drag the text box three pixels to the left, then three pixels back, then delete the whole thing with a groan.

Frustrated, I snatch up my phone and fire off a message to the group chat with Harper and Olivia.

Ivy

Someone tell me why my brain refuses to cooperate with typography tonight.

Harper

Because you were up too late overthinking a certain worship-band boy

Olivia

Or because fonts are evil. Pick Arial and go to bed.

Ivy

Arial?? That’s a crime. You’re both banned.

Harper

Not banned. Just honest. Also: did you eat dinner?

Ivy

Popcorn counts.

The back-and-forth makes me smile, but it doesn’t fix the blank page staring me down. With a sigh, I set the phone aside, determined to at least try again.

I shift another headline across the page. Change the font. Delete it. Start over.

Still nothing.

Then—buzz.

My phone lights up with Gray’s name, and suddenly every pixel on my screen blurs out of focus.

My heart jumps before I even register it, and suddenly that knot in my chest loosens just a little.

I answer on the first ring, nearly spilling my tea in my rush to tap the green button.

“Hello!” I practically yell, breathless.

---