Page 10 of Vexatious Queen

Grabbing Ivy, I pulled her into a hug.

“Hey!” She pulled back and stared at me with wide eyes. “You haven’t stuttered once.”

A smile spread across my face.

“Yeah, I’ve been working really hard, and now it only crops up when I’m under high stress, but thanks for noticing.”

“Bitch, that is awesome! I’m so proud of you, I can’t even imagine learning how to talk all over again.”

“I had all the support anyone could ask for. Others are not so lucky.”

“Girl…when are you going to own how amazing you are? Seriously, you always deflect. Enough with the, yes but, sentences. Just say thank you, I’m a total boss.”

I hooked my arm with hers and dragged her into the cafeteria. We hadn’t even made it to the coffee station before Myles ran up.

Taking one look at his face, I grabbed his arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Could be nothin’ but was Blake in class with ya?”

My blood turned as cold as the weather outside.

“No.”

“I’m gettin’ worried, he won’t answer any of me texts or calls,” Myles said.

I looked at Ivy, and she waved me off.

“Go, go find him. I hope he’s okay.”

“Me, too.”

With a nod, I jogged out of the cafeteria with Myles.

JANUARY 12 – MONDAY 3:16 PM

Ren

“Here, take me jacket,” Myles said as we left the cafeteria.

He pulled off his lacrosse jacket and held it open for me. It was way too large, but warm and smelled like him. Myles opened the door, and I walked through into a winter wonderland. It was as if the heavens had opened, but instead of rain, it was a thick wall of white.

Myles grabbed my hand.

“Can ya jog?”

“Yeah,” I said, and gripped his hand tighter.

The wind and snow pelted my face. I burrowed deeper into the warmth of the jacket.

We slowed when we reached the parking lot, but Blake’s car was still in his spot. We kept going, following the path over the little bridge before reaching the pond. When we turned the corner, my heart dropped. Blake was sitting on the picnic table, soaked to the bone, his head in his hands as he leaned on his knees. He wasn’t moving.

“Oh my god, Blake.”

We ran the rest of the way, and as soon as I reached him, I unzipped Myles’s jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“Blake, look at me,” I said, grabbing his ice-cold hands. He didn’t move. He just stared at the ground.