that happen?” he asked incredulously.
“Oh, Celeste? She was just being nice.” I stood up and smiled at Chase.
“Wow. I didn’t know she could do that,” he murmured in a sarcastic tone, slowly getting to his feet as he watched her walk away. I shoved playfully at his chest, and he wrapped me up in a bear hug. “I need my good luck hug.”
I patted his back and forced a smile to my face. Despite my hard talk with Kai, there was something about Chase that just made me feel lighter. We’d come a long way. “You ready for the competition?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Chase answered while pulling away. “It feels kind of weird, though. You know? First one without Violet. Is it okay that I miss her still?”
I brushed my hand along my silver necklace, drawing Chase’s eyes there. “Of course you can still miss her,” I said, my eyes softening with care for my friend. “And she’s here. In her own way.”
Chase wrapped me up in another hug, this one full of meaning that couldn’t be put into words. I felt his pain in that hug. Chase had experienced so much this year. I wanted him to be okay. “You better win,” I whispered before peering over his shoulder. My eyes landed on Kai, and I was struck by his cynical gaze. Kai’s arms were flexed as he watched Chase and me embrace.
Chase pulled back. “Oh you know it. I gotta kick Kai’s ass.” I grinned. “After, let’s go get ice cream.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied before remembering the block of wax in my purse. “Oh! And here.” I bent over and grabbed it, handing the block to Chase with a sad smile. “For good luck.”
“You’re my girl, Honeybum. See you when I’m done.”
Chase ran off toward the staging area to prep his gear, and I watched with my arms crossed over my chest. He was right, it did feel weird to be here without Violet. And even though her memory stung still, I felt her presence now. The better parts of my memories with her filled me as I stared at the ocean.
And then something hard and cool pressed into my back. “Don’t move, Breeze.” Lex’s voice was like a knife cutting through my good mood.
I stood frozen to my spot, paralyzed by fear. I wanted to run or scream or do something. Do anything. But I just stood there, acutely aware of the spot the gun was making contact with my exposed skin, knowing that if Lex pulled the trigger right now, I wouldn’t survive. I would bleed out on the beach.
“Okay, Breeze, what we are going to do is walk back to the parking lot and get into my truck. If you scream or draw any attention to yourself, I will unload this clip into the crowd. Do you understand me?” Lex asked, his voice calm and controlled.
I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded my head and let him lead me away from the safety of the beach. I knew I should scream, that this was my best chance of getting help. I knew that I should kick him and run. And I knew that my chances of surviving dropped drastically if I let him take me somewhere else. But I had no doubt that Lex would follow through with his threat, and I couldn’t risk the lives of all the people here for the competition.
My heart was racing, I could feel it beating hard against my chest. I stared straight ahead as Lex guided my movements with an arm around me. Anyone who glanced at us would think we were lovers. Anyone who actually looked at us would see my wild eyes begging for help.
When we reached the parking lot, Lex opened the driver’s side door and made me climb in and over to the passenger side, the gun trained on me the entire time, before taking his place behind the wheel. Once we were inside the car, my body flooded with an overwhelming sense of dread. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders, trying to stop the trembling.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, my voice coming out weak and raspy. It was unrecognizable as my own.
“Anxious to get this party started? Don’t worry, you’ll see soon enough,” he answered.
Lex had one hand on the steering wheel and the other in his lap, casually holding the gun he kept pointed at me. He started singing along with the radio, tapping his fingers against the