Page 214 of Midnights
“Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” My voice is tighter than I’d like, betraying the ache crawling up my throat.
She takes a deep breath, threading her fingers through mine. Her grip is warm, but it doesn’t stop the tears that threaten to spill. “There’s a few things I need to take care of,” she sniffles. “Nothing crazy, but it has to be in person. But… I don’t think you should come with me.”
The words sink in, dragging my stomach down with them.
“I know you’re not ready to move here yet, and you still need time to think about that. But you need to stay.”
A lump forms in my throat. The tears come slowly at first, slipping down my cheeks in quiet betrayal. I knew this was coming. But hearing it out loud still sucks.
“You know I’m right.” She squeezes my hand. “You keep looking, and let them handle the hard stuff while you take care of yourself. Maybe even get a little dick on the side.”
I throw her hand off me with half-hearted annoyance. “You’re impossible.”
“Besides,” she adds, her voice softening again. “I can go to your grandparents’ house and search through their things. I’ll send you anything useful or mail over whatever you think you might need.”
Her smile is small, but sincere. “I’ll be back in a few weeks. I promise.”
Relief washes over me, but it’s tangled with sadness, leaving a bittersweet ache lodged in my chest. I sniff, swiping my face. “I hate you.”
Rachel pulls me into a hug, squeezing me tight. “Bitch, why are you crying? I’m coming back. You're a big girl, and you’ve got a really big,hotdude who’s totally going to wine and dine you as soon as I’m out of the way.”
I groan against her shoulder. “You’re ridiculous.”
She pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “No matter what happens, just know, you can do this. You don’tneedanyone.”
I swallow hard. She’s wrong. I need her, but I don’t say it. Instead, I nod, dragging in a shaky breath as we both swipe at our tear-streaked faces.
She leans over, grabbing the envelope I set on the table, and her sly smile creeps back in. “Alright, enough with the waterworks. Let’s open this and see what kind of mystery Kane dropped on your doorstep.”
A nervous flutter replaces the ache in my chest as I pick up the envelope, my hands are trembling slightly as I slide out the papers. My eyes skim the contents, and my pulse quickens with every line. Then, I freeze.
“What?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding in my ears. My fingers tighten around the papers as Rachel leans in, scanning over my shoulder.
Her expression twists in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
My mouth goes dry. “I—I don’t know…” The ground tilts, and I can't seem to steady it. “I'veseenmy birth certificate before. It had their names. I know it did.” My voice rises slightly. “This…thiscan’t be right. And why does this say I was born inScotland?”
The confusion rises, fast and overwhelming. My hands start to tingle, and I can feel the static creeping under my skin as my chest tightens further, making it hard to breathe. I grip the papers tighter, and my voice is barely above a whisper this time.
“Why don’t I have parents?”
Rachel’s hand brushes mine, “Rave… there’s got to be more to it,” she says gently, trying to anchor me before I completely spiral. “Remember, this was before the guys had the information you just gave them. Once they add the new details, I'm sure more will come to light.”
Her voice is steady, but it doesn't stop my stomach from twisting. I think I'm going to be sick.
Why wouldn’t my grandparents have told me this? Why are there no answers, just more fucking questions?
“Honestly, I’m not worried,” I lie, forcing everything into a box and shoving it somewhere deep. “Like you said, if anyone can dig up more information, it’s them.”
I stretch, forcing a yawn past my lips, but exhaustion barely makes a dent in the chaos rattling inside my head. “For now, I'm calling it a night. Let’s focus on having some fun while you're still here, yeah? They can figure out the rest.”
I tack on a smile, hoping it masks everything I don’t want her to see.
She throws her arms around me, squeezing tight. “YES!” She all but yells, with an energy I wish I could match.
When she pulls back, her voice dips into a softer tone. “Do you want company?”
I shake my head, managing another small smile. “Nah, I'm just gonna crash.”
