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“You’re safe here too, Harper.” Mom drags in a breath and starts to back away. “But you’ve all been through a lot. Get some sleep, and in the morning, if you don’t feel like going to school...” She smiles and shrugs. “I don’t think anyone will blame you if you don’t. Love you, kid.”

“Love you, Mom.”

She almost turns away but stops and her gaze flows over all of us. “Honestly, you all could use another day of rest. Play in the pool. Watch a movie. Be teenagers. Forget about the drama for a while.”

Eli wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his body as my mom turns and walks down the hallway to get ready for work. I inhale that outdoors scent of his and lean into his warmth.

It feels like all I’ve done the past few days is rest. I’m starting to feel a little stir crazy. Like I’m waiting for everything to be okay, and that’s not how this works.

We walk to Jack’s room. He and I pack what we’ll need for the morning and school tomorrow. Him, clothes and books. Me, just books. I have Caden’s dream closet to dress in.

“The meeting went about how we expected. Parents were up in arms about what happened all Homecoming weekend. The bonfire. The game. The dance.” Eli leans against the door, looking at his phone, while Caden and Luke sit on the bed. “They’re saying it’s an epidemic at the school. Someone apparently showed their parents a clip of Grant Perkins tied to the flagpole.”

Caden chuckles. “Good times.”

When I glance his way, he winks at me.

“They’re claiming there’s a bullying problem that isn’t being addressed. And the drugs.” Eli shakes his head as he scrolls up on his screen. “The parents are petitioning for school-wide drug testing and having the DEA do a sweep of the lockers with dogs.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” I stuff my school books in my backpack. They were planning to drug test the athletes to catch Sidney and the basketball players.

Eli lifts his eyes to mine. “Our way would have been controlled. Caused less of a panic. Everyone knows who does drugs at our school. We wanted to target the athletes to keep the others happy. Less chaos is better.”

I put my backpack on my shoulders, but Caden stands and lifts it off me, brushing his lips against my cheek before heading to the door. My insides flutter.

I’m so used to the guys taking what they need from me. I don’t know what they need right now. Do they need the space? The gentle touches? The distance that feels like it’s growing between us?

Luke stands and takes my hand in his. They’re treating me like a broken doll. Yes, what I went through Friday night was hellish. I’m sure if I remembered Saturday night, maybe I’d be a sobbing mess on the floor. But I want them.

I don’t want space. I want touch. Which hopefully, when we’re alone tonight, I’ll get.

When Jack leads the way out of his house, his father stands in the kitchen, drying his hands with a kitchen towel.

Robert nods at the guys before saying, “Jack.”

Jack lets us pass him on the way out. His fingers brush against mine as Luke and I pass. “Yeah, Dad?”

“A moment. Alone.” Robert glances at Caden who opens the door.

“We’ll wait for you at the car.” Caden gestures for us to go through. He shuts the door behind us. As he falls in step, he says, “What do you think that’s about?”

“Some parents actually worry about their kids.” Eli’s tone is even, like he’s just stating a fact.

Caden nods like that makes sense. Luke squeezes my hand.

“My dad wants to have dinner as a family tomorrow night.” Eli leans against the side of the car and looks back toward the house.

I didn’t get William vibes from Cameron. “Your dad seemed nice at the hospital.”

The breeze has a little chill to it. A shiver ripples through me, and Luke steps behind me to draw me back against his warmth.

Eli smirks. “My dad was in full lawyer mode. But yeah, he’s a good guy generally. Just my mom drives him crazy. We used to hang out a lot when I was younger.” He shrugs like it doesn’t matter. “Hopefully, he meant what he said about making things right.”

Jack walks out of the house and strides over to where we are. “Let’s go.”

“Everything good?” Caden asks as they open the doors to the car and we all get in.

Eli and Luke sit on either side of me in the back seat. They each take my hand and place it on their thigh, but that’s it.