Page 38 of We Used To Be Magic

I regret those words the second they leave my mouth. They’re true, of course – I could leave any day, and there’s no guarantee that I’ll ever come back. But it sounds like a dismissal. Of this. Of him.

‘Sure,’ Ezra says after a beat. Then – ‘I haven’t told you where we’re going yet.’

‘Right,’ I say, slightly thrown by the abrupt change of subject. ‘I guess I didn’t ask.’

‘You didn’t.’ He nods. ‘But we’re at our first stop, so I can’t keep you in suspense much longer.’

He stops walking, and I follow the line of his gaze to …

‘A bodega?’

‘One of my favourites,’ he says, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. ‘We don’t live that far apart, actually. Here.’

He withdraws a small, crumpled wad of cash from inside, and hands it to me.

‘I thought we could have a picnic in Central Park. I’ve got a blanket and stuff,’ he says, patting his backpack. ‘But I didn’t know what you liked to eat so I figured I’d let you handle the food side of things.’

‘That’s so cool.’ I beam. ‘Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?’

‘Course not.’ He grins back, looking pleased. ‘And I’m asking you to do the shopping, so …’

‘With your money. Really, I don’t mind paying.’

‘We established the rich parent, I believe.’

‘Right – I guess you using a pack of cigarettes as a wallet threw me off a little.’

‘Wow. Are you wallet-shaming me?’

‘It’s not a wallet. That’s my point.’

‘All right, get in the bodega,’ he says, shaking his head. ‘I won’t tolerate criticism.’

‘It’s really more of a comment,’ I protest, but he’s already guiding me inside. I let him, my stomach flipping pleasantly at the feeling of his warm hands on my shoulders. Oh no. I’ve been trying to ignore the inevitable, but …

Goddamnit.

I have a crush.

EZRA

‘DO YOUTHINK WEGOT TOOMUCH FOOD?’AUDREY ASKS,DIPPINGa breadstick into hummus.

‘No such thing,’ I reply, producing my hip flask. ‘ Whisky?’

‘I’m good.’ She smiles, and I add a pour to my can of ginger beer, hoping that it’ll make me feel less violently self-conscious about the fact that this is a date in everything but name. I was trying to deliver something low-key, even a little touristy. But factor in one spectacular sunset and suddenly it’s the most romantic outing imaginable. The Pond is shimmering in the near distance and you can even see its storybook-looking bridge from here, the ends gently sloping into clusters of shrubbery – it’s almost sickeningly picturesque. And then there’s Audrey herself, who’s just soendlesslyendearing. The gruff old guy behind the counter in the bodega was so thoroughly charmed by her that he gave us both a free cup of coffee, and she even managed to look all glowy and fresh under those harsh fluorescent lights, the kind that make normal people look like zombies.

I’m aware that it’s pathetic to be veering towards full-blown infatuation already, especially seeing as Audrey’s made it all too clear she won’t be sticking around much longer.I shouldn’t get attached, she said – about herself, but she may as well have been warning me off. All this supposes that she’s even attracted to me in the first place, though, a significantif—

‘Where do you get alcohol?’ she asks then, watching as I sip my drink. ‘You’re not old enough to buy it, right?’

‘Or cigarettes,’ I say, pausing to clear my throat. ‘But some places are a little less bothered aboutIDthan others.’

‘You have to be twenty-one to buy cigarettes here?’

‘Yeah. You didn’t know that?’

‘Well, I don’t smoke, so …’

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