Page 101 of Forgiving Utah

The first words out of Tay’s mouth are, of course, about food. “When’s dinner? I’m starving.”

Huck snorts. “You're never not hungry.”

“Come on,” Xed says, turning around to lead us all inside. “The guest room is made up. We figured you two would get it while Christian and Salem slept in the living room.”

I motion for Dev to follow us as I grumble under my breath, “Why do Tay and Huck get a room? What about privacy for me and—” Cutting myself off, I pause when I realize that Matty and Xed don't know about my… arrangement with Dev. Everyone’s head swings my way, and I finish my sentence with the first name that pops into my head. “Salem.”

Devon freezes behind me in the entryway. Xed's brows jump, his gaze flying to Salem when she snickers and loops her arm with mine.

“Yep, we need privacy. For all the private things we plan on doing.”

Everybody gapes at us like we're insane—except for Hannah, who's already pulling Taylor off to show him some new duck pond out back. I already know I’ve fucked up, but the warmth vanishing from my back solidifies it.

Eventually, Xed just sighs, shaking his head. “You all can fight over the room amongst yourselves. I swear this friend group gets weirder and weirder.”

They all slowly disperse, conversation picking back up, but Devon doesn’t follow. I spot him through the archway leading deeper into the house, standing with his hands in his pockets.

Pride and guilt war in my gut before I finally decide to close the distance between us. “Hey.”

He doesn’t meet my gaze right away. When he does, his expression is carefully blank. “You and Salem, huh?”

My pulse ramps up. “No, that’s not⁠—”

“It’s fine. I get it.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I growl, lowering my voice. “I just… panicked. Salem and I aren't anything but friends.”

A humorless laugh leaves his throat. “Yeah. So are we.”

Those words hit me square in the chest, but I swallow them down and release a slow breath. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like…”

“Like a secret?” he finishes quietly.

Before I can answer, Hannah’s laughter echoes from the backyard and Matty shouts for me to come outside.

Dev steps toward the front door again, already retreating. “I’m gonna go unload the bikes. Let me know where I’m sleeping.”

He walks off without another word, and I stand there gazing after him for a long moment, wondering why I did what I did and how the hell I can fix it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Devon

Xed's house is beautiful.

An open floor plan, warm tiled floors, big picture windows that let in the desert warmth. Smells even better, too—like roasted vegetables and fresh bread.

I drift away from the kitchen and wander the hall, hands in my pockets as I take it all in. Framed photos line the walls—Matty in his NFL uniform for the Cardinals, Hannah at every age, Xed on vacations and holidays. I stop in front of one picture in particular, Xed holding Hannah on his shoulders, both of them grinning under the dusky sky. Happy.

A strange type of sadness hits me so suddenly that I have to look away.

Behind me, laughter echoes from outside. Huck’s voice carries the loudest, Salem’s right behind him. Christian’s laugh joins in easily too, like he belongs here.

I don’t.

Alone, I shuffle into the toy-riddled living room and trace the edges of the sofa with my fingers. The material is soft and lived in, not staged for company like it was when I was growing up with my grandparents. Everything had to be neat and orderly, not a single speck of dust out of place. And God forbid I ever sat on the nice furniture.

Hannah's lucky to have a home like this.