Verona Comics - Jennifer Dugan Page 0,31

to calm down. If I blow this . . . I can’t. I can’t blow this.

getagripgetagripgetagrip

“Fuck,” I whisper, trying to keep my hands from trembling.

“What was that?” Vera asks from behind the counter.

“Uh . . . nothing. I just, yeah.” And I apparently lose the ability to speak in front of this woman. Awesome.

She laughs again, but it sounds warm, not mean, and I relax infinitesimally. “Did you just move here?”

“Yeah, a couple days ago.”

“Well, welcome to town, then.” She comes around the corner. “Your pull list is all set. I can’t sell you any of the new releases until tomorrow, but a couple of them just came out last week. Did you need those?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Normally, I would require a deposit for a pull list this big, but you have an honest face, so I’m gonna let it slide.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” I say, and try to ignore the way that makes my stomach hurt. Also, I should have expected this; we always take deposits for pull lists at our comic shops too. I look around a little bit, taking it all in. “I like your shop.”

“Thanks.” Vera smiles. “I made it myself.”

“I know; that’s awesome.” Because she really did. I read through all her old blog posts last night in a last-ditch effort to be prepared, including the ones about her making her own shelves by hand and personally sliding every book in place.

“Just skatin’ by, eh?”

“Something like that,” I say, realizing what I just said. I have definitely screwed this up, and there’s no coming back. She probably thinks I’m a total weirdo. I’m probably making her uncomfortable. I’m probably—

“Well, my door’s always open, Ridley. Come anytime the light’s on.”

“Seriously?” I sputter, because I’ve spent this whole time making an ass of myself, and still, she seems somehow completely unfazed.

“Are you going to school here? I have a daughter about your age. I’m sure she’d be willing to show you around and introduce you to people.”

Peak. She’s talking about Peak.

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“No, I don’t think so.”

Vera’s eyebrows draw together, but then she makes a little humming sound. “Well, maybe you two will cross paths some other way, then. In the meantime, why don’t you come back soon. I’m inking a new book, and I’ll let you take a look.”

My eyes get huge at the idea of seeing a Vera original in process. Holy shit. This is amazing. This is impossible. Be cool. Be cool. I take a deep breath. “Yeah, that’d be great. I’ll stop back.”

“You do that,” she says with the warmest smile I’ve ever seen.

“I have to go now.” I start walking backward toward the door. “But thanks. It was nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too,” she says as I hit the door and make the bells ring again.

I shove it open and step onto the sidewalk. I did it. It might have been awkward and messed up, and I wasn’t like a James Bond–level superspy or anything, but I went, and I did it, and I’m going to go back. And that feels like a win. It feels good.

And then my phone buzzes in my pocket, and it’s Peak checking in, wishing me good luck with whatever it is that I have to do today. And my heart sinks to the concrete, because every win comes with a loss for me. Everything good is also bad. Plus one with my dad means minus one with Peak.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Jubilee

HE’S BEEN IN the store for nearly five minutes, and other than getting startled by the bells—which Vera says he does every time—and then looking to see if I noticed, which I did, he hasn’t acknowledged me at all. Well, technically, he did that ridiculous grunt-slash-nod combo thing boys do when I said hello. Hardly counts.

Vera mentioned he’d be in soon to get his holds, but it’s weird he came in today, since the new books aren’t out until tomorrow. I guess he’s just into perpetually being a week behind or

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