Page 118 of Delinquents Turned Fugitives
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Zavier wasin the same type of outfit I’d first seen him in, a wifebeater that showcased his deliciously muscled and tattooed arms, and running shorts and shoes. His hair was still styled in that adorably mussed, just-climbed-out-of-bed look. He held out a single daisy that he’d probably plucked from some of the wildflowers that had grown up through the asphalt in the abandoned amusement park. His dark brown eyes flashed with both determination and excitement, almost as if he expected me to argue and as if he expected to win.
But as I stared up at my dirty, flirty friend, I couldn’t find a single reason to protest. The obvious wasn’t good enough. I’d done two incredibly dangerous things today to try to get assholes off our tail—and if something went wrong tonight, we’d only end up with more of them after us.
This could very well be his last shot at a date.
So, I reached out my hand and gently took the flower. “Thank you.”
“Just so you know, you’re totally making this up to me later. Like five times.” He wagged a finger in my direction.
“Ten,” I promised.
“A day? Your mouth might get a little sore.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “I didn’t realize we were talking per day.”
“Too bad, you already agreed to ten. It’s done. Over. You’re committed.”
“I’ll haveyoucommitted.”
“I thought we were against anyone getting committed,” he quipped. “I thought that was the point of tonight.”
“I’m about to commit a homicide.” I crossed my arms, needling him with my eyes.
“That’s cause you’re hangry.” He pointed at the ground behind him, where he had a picnic blanket, a bottled sports drink, and a bag of fast food. “I’ve got that problem solved. Leave your bag and follow me.” Zavier pointed at my duffel bag of toiletries, which basically contained all of my worldly possessions since I’d blown up the King mansion.
I dropped it and walked over to him with a smile, taking the picnic blanket when he handed it to me. “So, where’s our epic date?”
Z gave me a grin. “Someplace we can goreflecton our relationship.”
“You don’t strike me as the thinking type,” I teased with a grin, wondering what the hell he meant. He was clearly being punny.
“I’m not. Definitely not.” Zavier took my hand in his and then lifted it to his lips, placing a soft kiss there. “But I do have to say, the first day I saw you was one of the best days of my life.”
“One of? Not the best? I’m insulted.”
“Can’t be the best, because every day since has been better.”
His tone was so sweet, so sincere. And I just couldn’t handle it, the tears welled up in my eyes. How did he do it? How did he flip a switch and go from being such an obnoxious little jokester one moment to the most perfect, honest, romantic guy ever a moment later? After everything that had happened today, I couldn’t hold them in, the tears just came.
“Whoa! No crying on my date,” he scolded, but he stopped walking and pulled me in for a hug. “You’re supposed to be happy.”
“I am, can’t you tell?” I started to laugh even as tears streamed down my cheeks and onto my neck. “You ridiculous man. Gah! I love you so, so much.”
The smile that lit his face wasn’t typical Zavier. It was soft and gentle and almost shy as he softly swiped the tears from my cheeks. “Hey.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on each of my cheeks. “You know what?” he said, his deep brown eyes observing mine solemnly.
“What?” I asked, in a choked-up whisper as I tried to talk through my tear-clogged throat.
“You have good taste.” His solemn face was replaced by an overwrought arrogance in under a second. “I’m quite the catch.”
I laughed and jabbed his ribs. “No you’re not.”
“Oh yeah? Try and catch me!” Z used his power and was gone in the blink of an eye, reappearing twenty feet in front of me.
I stomped toward him. “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be using your—” He was gone before I could finish my sentence.
“Zavier!” I growled, spinning in a circle, the crumbling asphalt crunching underneath my shoe as I scanned the amusement park in the grey twilight, trying to spot him. He was leaning against the main post of a swing carousel ride. The swings had long since been stolen, but the dangling chains remained, giving it a creepy, clowny BDSM feel.
