Brothers of Paradise Series

“Don’t mention it.” She gathers up my papers and slips them back into the file with my name on it. Case closed. I wonder what it says in Parker’s file, and what advice he got. “I’ll be in touch.”

“All right.”

“Take care, Hayden.”

I grab my backpack and move to leave when a thought strikes me. “Is this kind of thing confidential?”

She gives me a nod, and I’m not sure if I’m imagining things or if she looks a bit sad. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“Awesome. Bye.”

“Bye for now, Hayden.”

Lily, 17

“That one looks like a penguin.”

Hayden snorts. “It absolutely does not.”

“You have to have some imagination. Like the one over there. It looks exactly like Henry’s hair, when he slicks it back.”

“You’re actually right about that.” Hayden glances over at me, lying next to him on the lawn. “Have you spoken to him lately?”

“No. I guess he’s too busy in the big city and all, setting up shop.”

“He obsesses over things. You know how he gets.”

“I know. He was itching to get out of Paradise, too.”

“Yeah.” Hayden turns over, arms under his head. They bulge against the fabric of his gray T-shirt. He’d been pale when I first met him, pale and thin and with a head of too much hair. He wore the same Paradise Shores tan now that the rest of us did. He’d filled out.

But he’d never been able to shake the hair.

I long to reach out and run my fingers through it, but he only lets me do that when his guard is down completely-when he’s tired or upset and pretending not to be.

“How does it feel?”

“How does what feel?”

“Having graduated from Paradise Shores High.”

He snorts. “Amazing.”

I raise myself up on my elbows. The sea is a glittering blanket in the distance, close enough to the edge of our lawn that I can almost make out the sound of waves against the shore.

“Are you going to Turner’s graduation party?”

“Probably.”

“With Parker?” There would be girls there. Plenty of girls-and I know what they think of Hayden. I wonder what he thinks of them.

I wonder if he would ever think of me like that.

“You know, you’re very chatty for someone with a headache.”

“The headache was caused by the prospect of my aunt’s dinner to celebrate Parker.”

“My point exactly.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “It’s infinitely better to stay home.”

“Mhm.”

He scoots closer, resting his head right next to my hand. His eyes are still closed and he looks completely relaxed for the first time in months.

“Have you decided?”

He sighs. “Must you?”

“Yeah.” I reach out and put a hand on his back, warm from the summer sun. The muscles tense beneath my touch before he relaxes again. I run my nails up and down, the way I know he likes. I’d discovered it completely by accident, but now I exploited it whenever I could.

“I’ve spoken to the college counselor. The community college has a solid amount of grants. I’m eligible for several.”

His voice is tight. I know he doesn’t like admitting anything that has to do with his prospects or finances, but these things are important. Plus, we’re friends, aren’t we?

“That’s great.”

“Yeah. Splendid.”

I sigh. “It is. Rexfield is great. You can do a three-year track, if you want. You’ll be close by…

He glances over at me. “Yeah, there’s that.”

I run my hand down his shoulder blades, pressing into the muscles, and smile when his eyes close again. “You could even work for your uncle on the weekends or evenings.”

Hayden sighs. “I could. Hey, maybe I should skip the college counselor and just use you instead.”

“Well, I do know you better.”

He doesn’t have a response to that, but I can see the faint twitch in his lips.

Hayden isn’t really a big talker. He rarely, if ever, speaks about his family. He doesn’t talk about his future plans or about things that bother him. I know that if you want information out of him, you have to push. I also think it’s good for him-the pushing.

And I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who dares.

“Things will work out, you’ll see.” I rest my hand on his neck. He looks relaxed enough, now. I slide my hand into his hair and smile when he sighs, this time in pleasure.

Things will work out.