Page 44 of Stop and Seek
“Why?”
“Because you like, magic tricked out of existence,” Alyssa added, handing over the cup and a straw. “Ray was calling.Iwas calling. And, like, radio silence.”
Myfucking phone.
“Noah took me home.” Theo opened the other bag and dug out a burger that smelled like heaven—greasy, cheesy, crap food. “And I crashed.”
Alyssa huffed. “You could’ve at least said bye. Or like, texted someone or—I dunno, Theo—acted like ahuman.”
Theo took a massive bite, struggling to chew and talk.
“Bitch,” he managed, nearly choking. “Youaskedhim to take me home!”
“Um, no? Babe, you’resocute to think I thought about you for like, longer than five seconds.”
“Yikes,” Rachel mumbled under her breath, her lips curled into a smirk.
“Seriously,” Theo laughed. “That was harsh.”
It took a moment for the words to sink past the dulling throb. Thoughts crawling back into place too slow.
“Back up. Youdidn’task Noah to take me home?” he paused. “Goth Dolly?”
Alyssa shrugged, plucking out another fry. “No. And I kinda like that nickname. Keep it. But, Max’s fingers were inside me and I saw heaven. You being super high didn’t even cross mymind.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. Shuddered. “That is the most vivid ass picture. Wow. Pass.”
“You can’t slut shame a slut. Ain’t that right?” Alyssa waved a fry in Theo’s direction.
Theo held up his middle finger, downing the soda. The carbonation and sugar were helping, but it had to be the fucking comedown from hell making all this sound… off.
Wrong.
He moved his leg, but the jeans tugged—stiff in all the wrong places, like he’d slept in someone else’s clothes.
Did he catch his zipper on his dick or something?
“How long were you and Max gone?” he asked, the burger forgotten on his lap. “Before I left. You got up. How long?”
“I don’t know,maybefifteen minutes?” Alyssa wiped her hands on the napkin. “We took some selfies with Kyran for his promo thing for Death whatever, and you’re like, poof.”
“What were we talking about right before? The stupid game, right?”
“How messed upwereyou?” Rachel asked, slapping his shoulder. “I’m gonna stage an intervention.”
Theo shot her a glare before turning his attention back to Alyssa. “I’m serious.”
Alyssa sighed and leaned back on her elbows. “Yeah, andlike I freaking said, I turn around and you’re gone.”
Theo pulled the wrapper around the burger, the taste of ketchup and onion twisting his stomach.
Alyssa didn’t ask Noah to take him home.
So why did he?
Noah acted sopleasantthe whole damn time like he was doing it out of the kindness of hisfucking heart. Some bullshitsaint.
He could have let me call a rideshare like I was planning.
