Page 10 of Where the Little Birds Go (Little Bird Duet 1)

His chin dips in silent acknowledgment.

Taking a deep breath, I paint a smile on my face when I hear people’s voices getting nearer. Flattening the wrinkles from my dress, I turn on my heel and watch Corbin play with the candy I shoved at him.

Not knowing what else to say, I walk away and back toward the chair with my name on it. Buchannan is by his, greeting me with a big smile that gives me a weird feeling in my stomach. He stretches out his arms for a hug, which I reluctantly give to him.

He seems nice, but no hug should feel as slimy as his. His hold is too tight and too long and his eyes like to roam where they shouldn’t.

Clearing my throat, I say, “The set looks amazing. You guys have brought this to life perfectly.”

He touches my arm, and I try not flinching away from the contact. “I’m glad you like it, darling. We should talk more about what you think sometime soon.”

I know his intentions aren’t innocent, so I simply nod and say nothing as I take my seat. When I look up again, Corbin is glaring at Buchannan with a dark expression on his face.

And for some reason … I smile.

Chapter Six

Kinley / 16

It’s dark by the time I cloc

k out and say goodbye to everyone at the restaurant. The Friday night crowd has the bar in the back room packed and the kitchen smelling like onion rings. My stomach growls over the greasy scent as I zip up my jacket and walk out the front doors.

“Hey.”

I yelp and swing my arm out of instinct, nearly colliding my fist with the side of Corbin Callum’s pretty face.

He dodges the strike by ducking down and raising his hands up in defense. “Whoa! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

My heart is still racing in my chest when I take a step back and stare at him. “Then why are you lurking outside a restaurant at almost ten o’clock at night? That’s creepy.”

“I saw you inside earlier.”

“Still creepy.”

He chuckles, shoving his hands in the large pocket of his gray sweatshirt. Instead of the black jeans and tee he sports at school, he’s in blue jeans, worn sneakers, and a big hoodie with red AC/DC lettering and the drawstring missing.

His chin dips toward the door. “My family came here to eat dinner and I noticed you were bringing clean glasses out from the back.”

I shift my weight from one foot to the other and shiver when a gust of wind smacks into me. “Did you get lost or something? That doesn’t explain why you’re still here.”

His teeth dig into his bottom lip to suppress a smile. “I live across the street. Thought maybe I’d catch up with you when you got done tonight. Say hi.”

I blink. “Well … hi.”

I start walking down the gravel driveway that leads to the sidewalk. I’m not sure if I’m really surprised or not that he follows. His footsteps easily match mine until we’re walking side by side, coated by the darkness from the blown streetlight.

“Do you need a ride?” he asks, hands still in his pocket.

I shake my head. “I don’t live too far.”

He continues to follow me. “My mom would kill me if she knew I let you walk home alone in the dark.”

“Why?” My nose scrunches. “Is she afraid weird guys are waiting outside restaurants for their unsuspecting victims?”

“Har har.”

I grin down at the cracked pavement of the sidewalk the town keeps saying they’ll redo.

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