Page 119 of Pretty Thing

I yelp in surprise when Felix picks me up into his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re limping, don’t deny it,” he says, and starts walking down the street.

“People are staring,” I whisper as a group walking the other way passes us.

“Let them, I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

Felix turns his head, his blue eyes almost ethereal under the streetlights.

“Except for you. Are you embarrassed?”

I swallow. I’m many things right now, but embarrassed is not one of them.

“No.”

His lip twitches, making my heart beat like a wild thing in my chest, and I grasp at something intelligent to say.

“So what did you and Matt do tonight?”

“Pizza and video games, but I got bored and hunted you down.”

“Such a stalker,” I say, and he chuckles.

“Can’t deny that,” he says, smiling wider.

A dimple forms in his cheek. I can’t even describe what he does to me, but my heart sings when he is near.

We reach the parking lot, and it’s a relief to lean back against the seat. I need a week off my feet. Between the time away and tonight, I know I’ve overdone it.

Felix gets in, starts the car, and puts the heat on high.

I roll my head in his direction.

“Thanks for coming, and the ride,” I say, and then yawn.

“It’s not a problem.”

“I hate it when Kris does that.”

“Does what?”

Felix glances at me before pulling out onto the main road.

“She offers to pick me up and then drinks. She doesn’t care because she lives close and can get a taxi or whatever, but it’s expensive to take one out to my house.”

“Yeah, I can see that. That’s a shitty thing to do when you offer to be the DD. Did you at least have a good time?”

I nod and grab his hand.

“It was fun, but better with you there.”

He smiles, and his eyes light up.

We drive in silence, and it’s nice after the noise in the club. I drift in and out of consciousness as we slowly make our way across town.

“What the hell,” Felix says, pulling me out of my daze.