Page 86 of Until the Ribbon Breaks

She cocks her head. “I barely tapped your hand.”

“He’s going home on Monday.”

Her face lights up the way mine should have. “Wow, you’re so lucky.”

“Thanks,” he mutters before turning to me and lowering his voice again. “You okay?”

So many people have come and gone since I’ve been here that I don’t bother getting to know them or being their friend because, what’s the point? Friendships made here only live within these walls. And although Sebastian has assured me that ours will survive beyond this place, I still have my doubts.

He squeezes my knee, and I tell him, “I don’t want to be here alone.”

“If I could take you with me, I would.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Max watching us, puzzle forgotten.

“I want you to call me as soon as you get out,” he says.

“I don’t even have your number.”

“I’ll write it down for you and you can hide it in your bra next to the turtle.”

On a breath of a laugh, I shake my head. “You think I’ve kept that turtle in my bra this whole time?”

“You haven’t?”

I shake my head.

“Well, where are you hiding it then?”

“Inside the cushion on the couch by the games in the rec room.”

“Inside of it?”

“In the back of the far-left cushion, there’s a small rip.”

He chuckles at how ludicrous it is, and I do too. I swear this place is more locked down than jail.

“I’ll try to get a pencil today and write my cell number down.”

I nod, and when I turn back to Max, she already has all the edge pieces connected.

“Can I get a pile to work on?”

She hands over one of the sorting trays without looking up at me. I know my friendship with Sebastian makes her uncomfortable, and I feel bad about that, but I won’t ignore him.

“So, what are you going to do for the rest of the summer?” Max asks him while keeping her head down.

“Heck if I know. I have to figure out what I’m going to tell people when they ask where I’ve been for the past month.”

As I secure a piece in place, I murmur, “Too bad you can’t tell them you were pregnant.” When I peek over at him and see the frown on his face, I smirk to let him know I was kidding.

“Why would he tell people he was pregnant? That makes no sense.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I dismiss and then ask her, “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell people when you go back home?”

Max sets down the tray of blue pieces and starts working on the green ones. “I doubt anyone has even noticed I’m gone.”

“Why?”

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