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I love seeing him like this. I love seeing him smile.
Really smile.
“I’m hungry, too. Get me one of whatever it is you’re getting,” Kendrick says.
“Me too,” Will adds.
“Same for me,” Alex joins.
And… I’m feeding them all.
The usual.
I laugh and watch them get inside the giant balls—no cute way to say it, sorry—as the worries on my mind slip away. It’s been so long since we’ve just been happy. No problems. No attacks. No crazy girl trying to ruin my relationship. There’s always some kind of disaster recently, but not today. Today’s our day.
“I love you.” Haze turns his head to look at me as he walks.
“I love you more,” I say right back. Kendrick starts gagging as Will and Alex break out into a fit of chuckles. They think we’re cheesy, but I don’t care. Right now, we’re happy.
And it’s all that matters.
I walk toward the food court, my stomach grumbling loudly, and stop in front of the soft pretzels stand. I get in line behind a family of five and fidget with my shirt, my only source of entertainment a rock on the ground. Intent on winning the no phone challenge, I kick it, roll it with the tip of my shoe, and wait for my turn to come. The young girl in front of me drops a teddy bear I assume she won today, and I pick it up, giving it back to her.
Then, I see him.
A few feet away from me.
The person I’d somehow convinced myself had stopped existing the day we left him behind. The one guy whose betrayal I will never forgive.
Blake.
He’s looking right at me, standing completely still in the dense and moving crowd. I can’t tear my gaze away, the deep blue of his eyes taking me back to the last time I saw him. He was going to pull the trigger. He was this close to killing me. Then he got shot in the leg. Kendrick told me about the rumors. The whispers on the street. People said that Blake had left town. He sure couldn’t come back to school anymore, not when Kendrick had promised to destroy him if he ever saw him again. But he’s obviously returned. Along with his ability to walk.
My fear turns into terror when he does the simplest yet creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.
He smiles.
“Miss, are you ready to order?” the stand employee asks, and I nod, stepping forward to tell her what I want.
By the time I look again… he’s gone.
I’m not hungry anymore, but I still order seven pretzels double the size of my hands for everybody. At the same time, I spot them in the distance. They’re laughing, radiating happiness.
“You have no idea what you just missed,” Kendrick says, wrapping his arm around my neck to tousle my hair. I have to punch him twice to get my freedom back.
“He’s right. You would’ve had the time of your life if you weren’t such a chicken,” Will mocks.
“Don’t listen to them.” Haze smiles as I distribute the food among the pigs—I mean, the guys.
I consider telling them about Blake. I made the mistake of not telling them about the unknown number texting me once, and we all know how that turned out. I’m about to, but when Will pies Kendrick in the face with the pretzel and the group howls with laughter, I can’t go through with it. Blake’s presence might be a pure coincidence. I know they’d want us to leave when there really is no need to overreact.
It can wait until we get home.
“Is everything okay?” Haze asks suspiciously.
He knows me too well.
“Yes, everything’s fine,” I lie, getting on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “For the first time in forever, everything’s fine,” I repeat.
