The Perfect Escape (The Perfect Escape #1) - Suzanne Park Page 0,36

the bench just as he got up. The newly minted couple rolled out to the rink together. She asked so only I heard, “So that’s him, eh? Your Nate?”

“Yup,” I answered softly. My Nate.

She scowled. “He could have asked you to skate, too, you know? It didn’t have to be you.”

Nate rolled past us in the second loop and waved. Blond bombshell looked over her shoulder and smiled at us. A look of glee. Triumph. Glory.

A sigh escaped me. “He’s definitely not my type if I needed to make the first move, right?”

Raina squeezed my arm. “I don’t know anything about that girl, except that she was pretty nice when I chatted with her, but I definitely hate her.”

I stood up and grabbed her hand. “Yeah. Me too.” The little happy flame that had ignited inside me on the drive there had smothered out. Shoulders sagging, I returned my skates at the counter with Raina and put on my shoes. My rubbery legs almost buckled, and walking straight proved difficult. As we passed the bathrooms, I mumbled, “He can have her. I don’t want to be with someone pining away for another girl.”

As we exited the building, we passed the Tesla getting towed from the fire lane. Even through my misery, it was impossible to keep my mouth from turning upward as the tow truck drove away, dragging the Tesla behind it. Probably belonged to some Clyde Hill asshole. I secretly hoped it was Bombshell’s car.

The threatening rain finally broke through the clouds and pattered on the roof and windows of Raina’s car. Light at first, then it went into full hailstorm mode. It was so bad we had to pull over until the road conditions improved.

Raina switched on her satellite radio to the “Top Hits” station. A Maroon 5 song came on. She yelled, “You suck, Adam Levine!” and turned it off with a swift, angry palm strike on the radio knob.

“Yeah, screw you, Adam!” I yelled.

We exchanged glances and laughed.

“Sorry it took me so long to come back around,” I said. “I missed hanging out with you.”

“Welcome back. I missed your face too.” She offered me a stick of gum and drove me home.

Raina was the friend every girl needed. Loyal to her very core, standing by your side through anything, even when it wasn’t deserved.

Chapter Eleven

Nate

When Annie and I looped around the rink a couple of times, Kate was still there with her friend. I waved every time we passed, but then she disappeared midsong after our third loop. I couldn’t blame her. The music in here was terrible.

“Looking for your friend?” Annie asked, an icy edge in her voice.

I stumbled forward when she called me out like that, then tried to focus harder on my strides.

Why couldn’t I give Annie my undivided attention? Why was I distracted by Kate when I should be high-fiving every guy in there, like, Yeahhh! Annie is skating with me! She chose me! But it didn’t occur to me until Annie and I were on the rink that I should have stayed on that bench. To make sure Kate wasn’t hurt. To make sure she got home okay.

“Who is she?” Annie’s tone softened a little. Just a little.

“She works at the escape room with me. She’s one of the zombies. I think she left.” I glanced one last time over where Kate had been, hoping Annie didn’t catch me.

Annie nodded and skated a little ahead of me, still holding my hand, but tighter now. She said calmly, “Let’s go a little faster. You’re pretty slow.” She smiled, and my innards melted into goo.

I didn’t know if there was strong airflow on the rink or if we were just swooshing fast, but Annie’s hair whipped back in the wind, sending the subtle smell of spring flowers my way. Her smooth treading made skating look effortless, especially next to my clackity-clack-clacking. My hair would never flow the way hers did. We went around and around in uncomfortable silence. I was uncertain of the rules of couples’ skate. Was talking forbidden? Placing my hand on the small of