Page 119 of Oh, Flutz!

With her name on it.

“I…” Any other time, I’d be more worried about the fact that my best friend is now apparently a stalker, but my brain is busy running a million miles a minute, trying to think of an explanation. “It’s probably just her ticket from when we went.” It makes sense. You should see all the shit in her bag. For such a neat freak, she’s terrible at throwing things away.

“Look at the date. It’stomorrow, Bryan. She didn’t say anything about this? Even about visiting her family again or something?”

I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “Seriously, man. Is this a prank or something? Did you and Nina print this out?”

Ollie winces. “Bry…”

My stomach plummets through the floor.

I slowly turn around, hearing the door swing open, and I see Katya there, walking back in with the girls, a laugh on her lips. She sees me, and her eyes brighten for a split second before she processes the look on my face.

And the look on her own tells me all I need to know.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

KATYA

“Bryan,” I try tosay, but I can barely get my voice to work.

He pushes past me back out through the door I just came in through, into the hallway, away from me.

No. No. Not yet. I’m not ready for this yet. How the hell did he find—I whip my head over to look at Oliver, who’s looking a little sheepish but holds my stare as if to say,you screw with my best friend, you get screwed.My lip trembles dangerously, and I bite down hard enough to draw blood. Ollie whispers to Nina and Juliet, who both turn to look at me, the look on their faces unmistakable, because it’s exactly like the one just on Bryan’s. Betrayal.

I turn away.

“Bryan,” I call, ignoring how my voice shakes, speed walking down the hall, glancing around at the open doors. But I know him. I know where he’d hide.

I break into a run, picking up the skirt of my dress, cursed heels pounding against the floral hotel carpeting, down the maze of hallways until I find a flight of stairs. I go up, up, to the fresh air, the place farthest away from everyone else.

I steady my hand on the wall, trying to steady my breathing, as if it would do any good, because that’s when I see him standing there on the terrace, hunched over the railing, hands digging into his hair.

What have I done?The thought grips me suddenly. All I want to do right now is run as far away as I can as fast as my legs can carry me. But somehow, despite the feeling like they’re about to fold under the rest of me, despite the voice in my head telling me to run, something forces me forward.

I step out, and the night breeze comes over me, crisp with a biting edge that makes me hug my bare arms to my chest.

“Bryan,” I say softly, my voice carrying in the stillness.

No answer. He keeps his back to me, but I can see every muscle stiffen through his shirt.

“You’re going to catch cold.”

Nothing.

“Come inside,” I say, and it comes out a little too much like begging.Please. Come inside. Forget this ever happened. Forget whatever he told you, just for tonight.

Bryan turns around slowly, and my chest shrivels into a tiny ball. He doesn’t look angry. It’s terrifying.

“Answer me one thing, Katya,” he says, voice horribly even, brutally calm. “Can you do that for me?”

My throat’s gone dry.

“Were you even going to say anything?”

Not now. Not yet. This was supposed to be one last perfect night before I had to break the spell—because none of this has been real, not really. It was all just a dream.

“Bryan,” I say, and I watch him split open.

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