Page 55 of Stop and Seek
Jagger sighed, likeTheowas being dramatic. “You disappeared on me, Theo. Five minutes—”
It was too damn much.
Hearinghis nameout ofJagger’s mouthwas too damn much.
Theo shoved past him.
He couldn’t stay.
Not one more second.
Not with that voice pulling ghosts from the floorboards.
His feet hit the pavement hard, fast, loud enough to drown out the pounding in his chest. He didn’t bother to shut Alyssa’s car. He didn’t stop when Jagger called after him. He didn’t even stop when his vision blurred.
He just ran.
Because if he stopped?
He’d scream. Or cry. Or break himself more than he already had.
Or maybe—
Maybe he’d stop and listen to whatever the fuck Jagger was trying to say.
And that was the scariest thought of all.
“P—pair,” Theo gasped, inhaling too much stale gymnasium air at once. The floor tilted.“Pair these to my phone, please.”
He held out the earbuds, every ounce of his goddamn pride focused on making his handsnotshake.
“Did you like, go run a mile?” Alyssa asked, squinting through her lashes. “Are you okay?”
Theo shook his head. Then nodded. Couldn’t tell which was worse—lying, or saying too much.
Alyssa eyed him, uncurling each of his fingers from the earbuds and taking his phone from his back pocket.
She didn’t say anything.
Thankgod, she didn’t say anything.
After a minute, she handed them back. “Do not break, do not lose, do not breathe funny on these, you feel me?”
Theo nodded again.
His heart finally slowed. Breathing hurt, but it would have to do. Hehadto hold himself together—breaking down in public was the bane of his fucking existence.
Instead, he focused on his breaths as he scrolled through his saved bands.
MSI, Foxy Shazam, Hate in theBox, Rancid—the usual suspects.Anyof those were going to send him into cardiac arrest.
“Keep them safe,” Alyssa said. “Or the next time we talk, I’m upping your charge, like, thirty percent.”
It was supposed to be a joke.
It was supposed to befunny.
And god, Theo just needed a little bit of normalcy right now.
