“Wow.” I couldn’t imagine that. “Thanks for telling me. I thought he might be going through withdrawals or something.”

“I figured.” She cocked her head. “Need a hand?”

“Nah. I’ve got it covered. You go and be with them.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and returned to the living room. I finished making coffee, poured it into mugs, loaded them onto a tray, and took them through to share.

Mikayla’s eyes lit up. “That smells amazing.”

“Liam does the best coffee,” Kennedy said, a hint of pride in her voice. My chest puffed up.

“So,” Mikayla said expectantly when we were all seated with drinks. “We want to hear the full story. No leaving anything out.”

Kennedy launched into a retelling. I stayed quiet beside her, basking in her presence. Once she’d finished talking, Gray and Mikayla offered sympathy and to seek revenge against Tyler. I was pretty sure they were joking, but Mikayla’s intensity made me wonder.

At lunch, I went to Taste of Destiny to pick up food for everyone. Mum and Summer both dropped by later in the day, and the group of us talked until late enough that I invited Gray and Mikayla to stay. It was obvious Kennedy needed her friends, and I was in a mood to give her whatever she wanted.

Chapter Fifty-Four

LIAM

Time passes differently when I’m with you. – text message from Liam to Kennedy, sent during one of his work shifts.

Over the next month, our lives gradually went back to normal. Gray and Mikayla returned to their hometown. Blair, Mina, Joel, and Jamie flew back to Los Angeles. Tyler was remanded in custody until his trial. And Kennedy slowly healed from her ordeal. I suspected the mental and emotional trauma would stay with her, but her shoulder had improved a lot, and she’d been speaking twice weekly with Gray’s therapist.

I’d joined in on one of those sessions and reluctantly bared my soul about the panic I’d experienced when she vanished, then discussed ways we could help each other recover and move forward. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience, but I was glad we’d done it because it helped me see what headspace she was operating from and know that she understood my perspective too.

On a Saturday in late February, as summer was coming to a close, I prepared a picnic and packed it into a backpack. I’d checked with Max, and he’d given Kennedy the all clear for the hike I had planned today. My stomach was a tangle of nerves and butterflies. I couldn’t decide if I was more excited or terrified.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Kennedy asked as she came into the living room.