Page 58 of Outdrawn

I frowned, knowing full well she was bursting at the seams.

"You got a little," Seline whispered to me as she gestured to her mouth.

I pressed my hand to my lips, wiping at the corners. When I pulled back, I saw red. "Right. Thanks."

The others started toward the stalls, ready to take their pick. Seline lingered back, though, watching me watch Noah.

"You sure about this?" she asked. "It's the definition of shitting where you eat."

I scoffed. "Tell me about it."

"She's sweet, you know," Seline said gently. "I don't think a fling will end well."

"That's not an issue." I shook my head and wiped the last bit of lipstick from my mouth. "I’m pretty sure I already fucked it up.”

Chapter Fourteen

Noah

Pulling away from Sage had been a defense mechanism. I needed a minute to process everything—the kiss and my visceral reaction to her criticism.

I was ninety-nine percent sure she'd been joking, but my mind couldn't help but steep in anger. I felt silly and vulnerable at how her critique pierced my heart. I'd grown a thicker skin over the past few months; comments on my work didn't send me in a spiral anymore. I could take Tyson's and every other editor's notes without thinking their words were personal. Finally, my outside calm matched the inside. Except that didn't work with Sage. Her words bypassed my armor, cutting me without effort.

Kissing her had been a split-second decision, and in doing so, I might as well have shed all my clothes for her, allowing her to see parts of me few have seen and even fewer have treated kindly. I’d been nitpicked by my parents, my sister, and past girlfriends. At this point, the common denominator was me. What was I doing wrong? How could I be better so people didn't feel like I needed constant correcting? My eyes stung at the thought.

I ate more. With my mouth stuffed, I had an excuse to not take part in the conversation. I didn't trust myself to say something without my voice breaking.

Tyson and Harry were in a good mood. They led the conversation, re-counting their time trying to figure out how to make their way through the house of mirrors.

"If you would have listened to me." Harry cut up his sister's hotdog as he spoke. "We would have been out of there in less than five minutes."

Tyson chuckled. "No, you had us going in circles."

"It was part of my process," Harry scoffed.

Tyson raised a brow. "Some process."

Seline snickered and mumbled, "I think Marissa and I are playing third wheels tonight."

The guys quickly tore their gazes from one another. Marissa frowned, looking up at her brother. “What's a third wheel?"

Harry glared at Seline. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"But if that's what I am, I want to know what it is," Marissa argued.

"You're not one," he insisted.

I begged to differ. The looks Tyson and Harry exchanged between their sentences said ten times more than words ever could. A pang of jealousy twisted in my stomach as I watched them sneak glances at one another throughout the meal. I wanted something like that, something gentle.

I refrained from glancing in Sage's direction while we were eating. She'd taken a seat next to Seline and stayed quiet, only speaking when spoken to, but her presence was still loud. I squirmed when a cross breeze carried her scent in my direction. My chest tightened anytime one of them said her name. I had to hold out for a little longer—then, after an escape, I'd keep my distance.

The crowds were thinning, with the carnival prepping to close in the next hour. By the time everyone was finished with their food, most of the lines were nonexistent.

"How about we go on Venom one more time?" Seline asked Marissa.

"Yeah!" the girl cheered as she hopped up.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Harry said. "You ate a boatload of fries doused in cheese and meat."

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