Page 53 of Break Your Fall

I don’t have to be with Tommy to know that we are. To trust as much as he does.

It would be so easy for me to fall.

All I have to do is jump.

But he didn’t jump to tell me.

I pushed him.

“Blondie,” Banks hollers as he barges inside, stealing away my somber, making my heart jolt for a new reason.

“Oh, no,” Mom erupts with a raised finger that makes me chuckle. “You just turn right back around. I’ve seen enough of you.”

“No one sees enough of me,” Banks says with a face.

“We won’t be here,” I assure my now frazzled mother as I hurry over to a beaming Banks.

“I’ve come to rescue you,” he states, displaying himself with open arms.

“I don’t need to be rescued today,” I say with a smile that makes his fade. “But thanks.”

“Well, rescue me, then,” he complains with a frown. “I still don’t have my best friend back and Cruella switched out my toilet paper with a black roll, and I didn’t notice until I was already done shitting. I don’t even know if I’m clean!”

I fold my lips around a laugh, then tease, “Camille’s really trying to get you out of there, huh?”

Banks steps closer to me and leans in. “Well, if I had somewhereelseto stay. . .”

I press my hand into his chest and push him back. “Can’t.” He smacks his lips in protest, then studies my dress, his face scrunching. “What?”

“You’re wearing another one of those,” he says with judgment in the last word that makes me snicker.

“What’s wrong with these?”

“Are you gonna start wearing that dark eye makeup now, too? Because I don’t date raccoons.”

I scoff a laugh. “You’re not datingme, either. And you’re such an ass,” I add as I smack his arm.

“Ow, I’m a funny ass,” he corrects as he rubs the spot, then groans. “Come on, date me.”

“I have a better idea,” I say with a mischievous lilt that goes over his head as he makes another face.

“What’s better than being with you?” Banks grins victoriously with a pointed finger. “That was smooth. You know that was—”

“Let’s go,” I cut in with a laugh as my hands redirect him toward the door.

“Say I’m smooth!”

16

Chocolate and Cheese

Thomas

I’m getting dressed after a shower when I get a text from Camille.

Incoming, it says, with a devil face attached.

I finish tugging on my shirt, then slip into a pair of jeans before I respond with a teasing,Where’s your boyfriend?, only because of the devil face that blatantly lets me know she’s up to something.

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