Page 108 of Meet Me at the Metro

I lean over and whisper to her, “I’vebeengreedy, darling.”

A blush immediately forms across her cheeks.

“Please.Just one more.”

“You’re unbelievable,” she huffs, glaring at me. After a moment of contemplation, she blurts out, “Candy apples and kettle corn.”

“Seriously? Give me a hint other than food items.”

“No! I just gave youthreehints. If you can’t figure it out, then you’re a lost cause, buddy.”

“I’m not a lost cause. You’re just a shitty hint-giver.”

She shakes her head disapprovingly and lets out an exasperated breath. “A pumpkin patch, Teddy. A damn pumpkin patch.”

“See, was that so hard?”

“I gave you good hints. I’m disappointed that you couldn’t figure it out.”

“Well, considering I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch before, I’d argue that your littlehintswere more than difficult to decode.”

Her eyes widen. “You’ve never been to a pumpkin patch before?”

“Never. I’ve lived in London my whole life. There’s not exactly room for any of those in the city.”

“Well, that’s just plain sad,” she frowns. “I guess I’m going to break your pumpkin patch virginity then. Are you excited?”

“Ecstatic. Wouldn’t want my pumpkin patch virginity to be broken by anyone other than you, darling.”

She giggles, and I quietly admire how her smile takes over her entire face. It reaches her eyes, causing those charming butterfly lines to appear.

She’s so effortlessly beautiful that it should be a crime.

“You know, when I was back in the States, my parents and I had a tradition of going to one every year.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm. We’d have a competition to see which one of us could find the biggest pumpkin, and whoever was unlucky enough to choose the smallest one had to carry the winner’s home.”

“Sounds brutal. So, is that the plan for today? See who can find the biggest pumpkin? Cause I’m going to be honest, you’re playing a dangerous game.”

She raises a brow. “That so?”

I nod. “I’m very competitive, Nora.”

“Hmm, that’s funny.” She shrugs and looks up at me with determination in her eyes. “Because so am I,Theodore,and if I were you, I’d think twice about provoking me.”

“That’s a lot of big talk for someone who’s going to be carrying my heavy-arse pumpkin back to the flat.”

“We’ll see about that.”

The train continues right down the track, and after a few moments of shared silence, Nora asks, “What about you? Did your family ever have any fall time traditions?”

“Not much during the fall.” I think back to when my dad was still in the picture. Even though the memories I have left of him do me no physical harm, they hurt like hell to recall. I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. “During the holidays, we did, though. We would,uhh—”

I’m completely stripped of my ability to speak as my mind recalls the feeling of the brisk winter wind whipping past my skin, the sound of his laugh, and the warmth of his smile. So naturally, my brain recalls how quickly the light-hearted night turned into a living nightmare.

If I could, I’d wring myself dry until there wasn’t even a drop left behind of that haunting memory.

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