Point Of No Return

Chapter 12: Tethered

𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Christmas passed in a blur of twinkling lights, warmth, and the familiar comfort of home. For the first time in weeks, I let myself breathe. I let myself sink into the holiday without overanalyzing every glance, every flicker of something unreadable in Hudson's eyes. I let myself exist outside of the endless loop of frustration and confusion, outside of the exhausting mental gymnastics that came with trying to figure him out.

I spent Christmas Eve curled up on the couch with my parents and Charlotte, sipping hot chocolate while my dad fell asleep halfway through Home Alone, as per tradition. The next morning was slow and familiar—unwrapping gifts in our pajamas, the scent of cinnamon rolls filling the air as we lingered over breakfast, stretching the morning into something unhurried, something safe.

And when Charlotte booked her flight back for the 27th—heading to spend New Year's with her friends—I pretended I wasn't disappointed. I only had a couple of days left with her before she left again, so I soaked up every second I could. We went on long coffee runs, took aimless drives with the heat blasting, laughed over stories about her friends back at school, and for a little while—just a little while—I let myself be fully present.

No distractions. No lingering thoughts of Hudson.

Or at least, not as many.

But the moment Charlotte left, reality crept back in. And so did Tessa.

"So." Tessa flopped onto my bed dramatically, sprawling across my pillows as she scrolled through her phone. "New Year's plans. Let's hear them."

I barely glanced up from my laptop. "There are no New Year's plans."

She gasped, clutching her chest like I had personally offended her. "What do you mean no plans?"

I shrugged, typing out an email reply for my English teacher, hoping she'd drop it. "I was just going to hang out at home."

Tessa made a noise of pure disgust. "No. Absolutely not. Unacceptable. You cannot enter the new year sitting in your pajamas with your parents watching some depressing year-in-review documentary."

I snorted. "That's specific."

She waved a hand, still scrolling. "I just know you, Mara."

I sighed, closing my laptop. "Okay, so what's your plan?"

Tessa stretched, shifting onto her stomach as she continued scrolling. "There are a few options. The usual suspects. Brad's throwing one, but his house reeks of bad decisions, and I refuse to start my year in that environment. Someone from the soccer team is doing something, but I don't know if it's going to be any fun. Oh! And Carson's girlfriend's friend? She's throwing something, but I have no idea what kind of vibe it'll be."

I hummed. "So, in summary, nothing that actually sounds good."

Tessa groaned, dropping her phone onto my comforter. "Exactly."

Before I could reply, my own phone buzzed on my nightstand. I reached for it, unlocking the screen to see Alex's name.

Alex: Hey, what are your plans for New Year's?

I frowned, thumbs hovering over the keyboard.

Me: Nothing, really. Why?

His reply came almost instantly.

Alex: Finn invited me to a party. Some buddy from his team is throwing it. He told me to ask if you and Tessa wanted to come too.

I stared at the message for a beat, my stomach twisting slightly. Finn?