Page 96 of Rogue Riders Duet

I told myself it wasn’t my place, that they needed space, and if Dane or Alaina wanted to talk, they’d reach out. Now I know better, now I know what really happened, and I can’t stop thinking about it. All of it.

But mostly, my thoughts just drift back to her.

I hit replay again, this time paying more attention to the moments before the crash.

I recognize this girl.

She was scrappy and hilarious, always buzzing with energy and trying to keep up, always trying to make herself seen. She had that huge laugh, those impossible ideas, and that weird little stubborn streak that made her throw herself down trails that scared even me.

But this new version of her? She’s something else.

She didn’t just grow up, she grew sharp. Time didn’t smooth her out, but carved her into something harder, like every scar she picked up made her meaner, smarter, and more impossible to break.

She still throws comebacks like knives, still has that dry, ruthless humor that hits you five minutes too late. Except they don’t come from a place of joy anymore.

Every quip hides a landmine.

I watch the crash once more, every horrifying detail, and again, I flinch.

Despite what happened and all the time that has passed, talking to her still feels easy. Easier than it should.

It’s like when she was seventeen and always paying close attention to me, like I was the only thing in the room that mattered. Back then, I thought it was just her crushing, but maybe I was wrong about that too. Maybe that’s just who she was. Who she still is. Either way, it feels like she wants to hear what I have to say.

And I haven’t had a lot of that lately.

And yeah, I missed her. I missed Dane, too, constantly, but this with Alaina? It’s not the same. I didn’t know how badly I’d been missing her until she came back, and now I can’t stop watching her like she might disappear again.

Because underneath all that fire, all that grit, there’s still the kid who used to tug on my sleeve when I got too caught up in my head. The girl who braided flower bracelets in the middle of track walks just to piss Dane off.

She didn’t quite grow into the woman I expected her to, but here she is, tough as nails, and despite her new persona, she’s still as gorgeous as those wildflowers.

And somehow, that might be even harder to deal with.

I sigh and am just about to watch it again, just one more time when my phone buzzes. As if summoned, Dane’s name flashes on the screen. It’s well after midnight, and my stomach knots as my thumb swipes to answer.

“Yo, what’s up, man?”

Hacking coughs greet me.

I sit up straighter in the bed. “Jesus, Dane. You okay?”

“I need your help,” he rasps.

I’m up and walking to the door without a thought. “What do you need?”

“We had a fight.” He wheezes between words. “It was bad. She stormed out, and I… I can’t go after her. I can’t even stand right now without nearly passing out. But fuck, Finn. I’m scared she’s gonna do… do something stupid.”

My blood freezes in my veins, but I jolt into motion.

I won’t be standing frozen at the top of the mountain this time.

Adrenaline kicks in as I yank my sweatpants on one leg at a time while keeping the phone pressed to my ear.

“Where do you think she’s gone?”

“She doesn’t know anyone here, doesn’t speak the language, but she couldn’t have gotten far from the bus yet.”

I flick the light on, my shoes biting into my flesh as I shove my feet into them without untying them.