Page 55 of Finding Her
“Something you want to tell us, Mia?”
Mia stammered, her mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. I was under no illusion that it had been her plan to take the photo or threaten Poppy the way she had on the trip—that was all Claire’s doing. Who better to do your dirty work than your little sister?
“So,” I said, “I suggest you don’t try to bother my girlfriend or me again. Because if you do, all those photos of you are getting sent to your parents. And I’m sure they will be thrilled to know what you have been up to while you’re at school.”
Claire’s face drained of all color and I smirked, knowing that I’d just won the final round of the game we’d been locked in for years. I looked at Mia again. “And for the record, you’re a brat. And, if you try to bother Poppy, too, I am sure that I will find some way to get back at you as well. Don’t underestimate me.”
“Don’t threaten my sister,” Claire snapped.
“Maybe you should have kept her out of this if you didn’t want me to,” I responded immediately. Claire’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, she glowered, then grabbed Mia by the wrist and dragged her away, muttering something under her breath. Mia glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes wide and panicked, but I didn’t feel bad for her. Not after what she’d done.
I turned to Poppy. “There. Problem solved.”
Poppy laughed, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But that’s why you love me, right?”
Instead of answering, she cupped my cheek and kissed me, her lips warm and soft against mine. The hockey boys erupted into cheers and whistles behind us, but I didn’t care. Without breaking the kiss, I raised my middle finger in their direction, earning a fresh round of hollering.
Because in that moment, there was nothing and no one in the world that could take Poppy away from me.
CHAPTER 36
poppy
“Are you ready for this?”I asked, bouncing on my toes.
I wasn’t sure if I was trying to stay warm or burning off excess energy. Probably both. My hands were cold, but my pulse felt like it was running a marathon. This wasn’t just gym class—it was the gym class midterm. The big test. And unlike regular tests, there were no Scantron sheets or equations to solve. Just me, my very un-athletic self, and whatever obstacle course Mrs. Dixon had dreamed up.
Bear stood next to me, looking like the human embodiment of calm. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders relaxed, his face unreadable. How was he not vibrating with nerves? Did nothing faze him?
“Of course I am,” he said, reaching over to take my hand. His fingers were warm, steady—like he could loan me some of his confidence if I needed it.
When he gave my hand a quick squeeze, the knot in my stomach loosened a little.
“We’re gonna do great,” he added, his voice calm and steady, like it wasn’t even up for debate.
I tried to channel that calmness, but it wasn’t working. Today was huge for him. If he nailed this, along with the camping triphe’d somehow survived—lake incident and all—he’d pass gym. No more stress, no more scrambling to save his grade.
But for me? My stomach twisted just thinking about it. “I’m kind of nervous,” I admitted, rubbing one hand against the other before awkwardly shoving them both into my hoodie pocket.
Bear turned his head slightly, his lips twitching like he was fighting back a smile.
“Are you nervous? I’m nervous. Are you nervous?” The words tumbled out in rapid succession.
I said it again. And then again, like repeating it would make the nerves disappear. Spoiler: it didn’t.
Bear laughed softly and leaned down, brushing his lips against mine.
I tried to keep talking, even as he kissed me. “I just don’t know if?—”
He cut me off with another kiss, slower this time, until the words dissolved on my tongue. My heart was still racing, but now it had nothing to do with gym class. For a few seconds, the world narrowed to just him.
When he pulled back, his grin was so confident, so Bear, I almost believed him when he said, “We’re gonna do great. Trust me. There’s no way you can fail a gym midterm.”
I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. “I don’t know,” I said, my tone teasing. “Considering you’ve already failed gym once, it seems like your ability to screw this up is unmatched.”
His laughter rang out, warm and low, as he shook his head. “I failed because I didn’t show up, not because I couldn’t pass.”
