cover my face, and I stumble back, only to land against a random soft, warm body. Oh my God.
“Grey!”
It’s the only thing I think to scream. And I do scream it, loud enough for the whole building to hear. His broad shoulders barrel through the doorway, eyes locked on me. My arms are already outstretched as he scoops me up without stopping. I circle my arms around his neck as my legs wrap around his waist. I don’t even chance a single look up after hiding my face in his smooth neck because I’d much rather stay like a baby koala and let him carry me through the darkness.
“Scaredy cat,” he hums into the curve between my shoulder and neck. “Is this becoming our thing? Me carrying you around?”
“Shut up. Sometimes you need it, sometimes I do. Now we’re even.”
Tightening my hold, I focus on the smell of him. It’s different than when I first came back. The day he kissed my cheek when we were introduced, he smelled faintly of cigarettes. I didn’t mind it. It was like the perfect reminder of what kind of guy I was dealing with, but now, he smells like expensive soap or aftershave. It’s woodsy and rich. I want to bathe in it. In fact, he hasn’t smelled like cigarettes since that night.
He’s holding me up with an arm under my ass, keeping my school skirt in place, and I’ve never been so grateful, because I may be afraid, but I’m not down to show off my backside to the theater of creeps. His other hand is wrapped around my rib cage as he takes long strides.
“Are you going to make Grey carry you the whole way, you big baby?”
Liam’s voice is teasing, but I don’t miss the hint of jealousy.
“She’s fine,” Grey answers, and I smile against his neck.
“If your arms get sore, I’m happy to pick up where you left off.”
My eyes meet Liam’s grin over Grey’s shoulder, but I duck back down just as quickly as I looked up. Those were more words that mean something else.
We make it through the house of scares, and I swear I couldn’t be more wrapped around him. Grey pats my ass, causing my head to pop up and meet his serious face.
“Did you just pat my ass?”
“Time to stand on your own two feet.”
“Are your arms already tired?” I ask, as he lowers me to the ground, unapologetic for the ass pat. I look around at the lobby of the movie theater; it’s filled with people and random masked characters that are meant to scare you and keep everyone in the mood.
Jesus. If I don’t have a heart attack today, it’ll be a miracle.
Grey pulls my face back to his, holding my chin between his fingers. “Were you asking me to share?”
My eyes dart to Liam, who’s laughing with some other friends, then back to Grey.
“Answer my question, Donovan.”
But I don’t. I can’t. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.
“Fine, then I’ll give you my answer—I won’t.”
Grey’s eyes don’t meet mine as he says the words, but it doesn’t matter because mine have dropped to the cheap carpeting under my feet. Giggling from one of the other girls is accompanied by a push from behind. My eyes pop open as Liam urges me toward the concession stands. His stomach rumbles as he begins to name off all the things he wants, shelving the moment that just happened. “Popcorn, candy, hot dog, nachos—”
“And Icees,” Grey throws out, cutting Liam off. My head twists in his direction as he adds, “They even have my favorite flavor—cherry.”
Grey
I COULD BE BLIND AND still find her. But today it isn’t difficult because she’s lounged under her favorite tree watching us practice. She’s been here almost every day since we made her come the first time. Now we’re knee-deep into fall, and Halloween is right around the corner.
It’s like whatever energy she’s got rumbling around inside of her affixes to my bones and holds me in place. I can’t remember the last time a girl captured my attention this way. Yes, I can—when I was twelve.
Since our sleepover at the lake, where nothing and everything happened all at once, it’s been friendship slash flirtation as usual. That seems to be the version of “just us” she favors. But my preferences have shifted. It feels like I’ve been hit by a freight train. Because since that weekend, and every other after that, her words from the first day of