Page 74 of Between Us

“Yeah, I’ve started to wonder that too,” Adrian admits. Turning around, he grabs my waist and pulls me into him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m better than I thought,” I admit. “But this isn’t my ideal situation at all.”

“I hear that.” He looks around only the fake corn stocks are taller than him, and my stupid hair. “We’re going straight, and I’ll shove a clown if I have to.”

With a grateful smile, I grab onto his shirt and hand again, nodding. “Please.”

We do come across another actor except this time, Adrian tells the guys that he’s about to have a panic attack. I’m partially hidden behind his back, but with the calm tone he uses, the employee definitely knows I’m the one they should be worried about.

He doesn’t say anything, just moves to the side and points behind him. We only walk about ten more feet when there’s a small clearing and a door.

With his hand on the doorknob, he throws it open and pulls us through.

I take a deep breath and look up at him with a grateful smile.

One that quickly slips off my face when I realize I’m still in the haunted house and the three high-pitched giggles coming from behind Adrian are all too familiar.

Dipping my head to look around his back, I can’t help laughing at the sight of Mikey dressed as a mini-mad scientist pretending to saw off his brother’s head. Luke is strapped to the table with fake blood spewing out of him. And Shawn is giggling manically from his place on the right of them, set-up to look like a floating head in a jar.

Adrian turns around, instantly recognizing the boys too. Their performance seems to get even more exaggerated once they realize we’re their current audience. Grabbing his hand, I move toward the next door when something that’s taller than Adrian pops up in front of us.

Screaming, I fly backward into Adrian’s chest. He catches me before I twist my ankle again, not doing anything to protect me. Actually, when I look up, he’slaughing.

Turning, I catch all three of the boys as they break character and laugh at my expense too. But it’s Kevin Paulson’s deep chuckle that pulls my attention to the stupid fucking skeleton that he’s using as a jump scare.

“Oh myGod,” I mutter and clutch my chest.

“Got you!Again!” Mikey calls out from behind us. I just shake my head and try to catch my breath.

“I’m so sorry, Blake,” Kevin grins. He’s casual enough to make me assume we’re some of the last people in here. “The boys were just so excited to surprise you tonight.”

I huff out a dry laugh. “You guys succeeded,” I tell them and lean into Adrian as he wraps his arms around my waist. “This is the worst yearever.” That’s directed at Kevin.

Laughing, he claps his hands once. “Stanley will be so happy to hear that.”

“Bye now,” I step forward, giving the skeleton a wide berth.

Adrian shakes Kevin’s hand quickly and tells the boys, “See you guys later.”

After two more, slightly less scary rooms, we finally step out of the back. Immediately, two bodies crash around me.

“I’m so sorry,” Meera cries out around me. “You know I have the attention span of a chihuahua when I get excited.”

Laughing, I wrap my arms around them and move them out of the way. “I do know that. And I’m fine.”

Margo looks at me. “You’re sure? I didn’t think it would be that bad. It’s like a hundred square feet at most.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I imagined.” I’m not saying that just to make them feel better, but it’s not on my bucket list of things to give another try either. “How long were you in the corn maze?”

“Like ten minutes,” Meera admits with a triumphant grin.

“What?” I laugh.

“I just followed one of the actors until they got freaked out and led me to the door.”

Stunned for a second, I finally sigh, “You’re so weird.”

Looking at Margo, she rolls her eyes and says, “I think twenty-ish.”

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