Page 83 of Uproot

She sighs, sitting back in her chair, “I know I can come across pretty cold to people.”

I give her a crooked smile, not bothering to deny it. “It’s ok. When you explain it all it makes perfect sense why you felt that way. I wish you would have clued me in on Beckett’s feelings though. I think I was pretty oblivious for a long time,” I laugh.

She laughs along with me, “Mr. Kade can be a hard man to read. But not when it comes to you, Selah. It’s obvious to anyone who is around you two how much he truly loves you,” she responds. “I wish you two nothing but the best.”

I get up to give her a hug and she stands with me. I’m so glad I decided to try to talk to her instead of letting the awkwardness between us continue. We just needed to understand each other better.

We sit back down and continue to eat, the mood between us lighter now. “These brownies are enough to make anyone fall in love with you,” she murmurs around a big bite.

I lean over towards her, dropping my voice, “I have a secret ingredient,” I whisper conspiratorially. “Potato chips.”

Her eyes light up with excitement, “Oh my gosh! My Nana used to put that in her brownies! No wonder these are so amazing! They taste like my childhood,” she sighs happily.

“Well I’m glad you love them,” I say, holding up my mug to clink it against hers.

???

That evening, Beckett insists we all go down to Coco’s for dinner. Dragana, Edison, Beckett, Helen, and I all share a meal together, talking and catching up with each other about our day spent apart.

When we leave, Edison asks to go across the street to the park, and Beckett agrees. Beckett takes mine and Edison’s hands to lead us across the street, and it reminds me of when I did this just a few months ago with the two of them.

I get the same butterflies now that I did then, and Beckett smiles down lovingly at me as if he is sharing the same exact thought. We get to the park and Edison takes off on a sprint to the playground.

Beckett leads me over to the area where we had Edison’s birthday party, and I stop short when I see two familiar faces staring over at us.

44

Selah

“Evy? Rocky? Hey, what are you two doing here?” I ask, as we make our way over to them.

Evy gives me a hug, squeezing me tightly. “We are here for a little scavenger hunt!” she chirps.

“A scavenger hunt? With who?” I question, looking around.

Rocky laughs, putting his arm around Evy’s waist. “Withyou, Selah. Beckett put it together. Here,” he says, handing me a pink envelope.

I look down at it confused before taking it from him and noticing my name is handwritten on the front in a familiar scrawl.

I turn to Beckett, who has a smirk on his face. “What is going on, Beck?” I ask.

Dragana and Helen come up next to us and I notice that no one but me looks surprised about what is going on.

Beckett wraps his arm around my shoulders, kissing me on the side of the head. “I thought it would be something fun to do this evening,” he says, casually. “Open it up, angel.”

I look over everyone’s eager faces, growing excited as I open up the envelope. There’s a typed note inside and I read it out loud:

You’re on a hunt, there is no doubt, by the end, you’ll figure this out. Take a walk over to the playground, there’s a boy there that will show you ‘round.

“Did you write this?” I ask, looking up at Beckett.

Dragana chuckles and Beckett cuts her a look. “Ok, I may have had a little bit of help,” he mutters, pointing over to the playground. “Go on.”

I leave everyone behind and jog over to where Edison is standing next to the rainbow-colored merry-go-round. He is waving a hand that is holding another pink envelope.

“I have your next clue, Selah!” he yells out eagerly, dancing the envelope through the air.

“Thank you, Edi! Are you going to help me get through these clues?” I ask, taking the envelope from him. He bounces up and down next to me and nods eagerly.

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