Page 82 of Even in the Dark

“I know. Just don’t go expecting me to start opening doors for you and stuff. And don’t pull any more stunts where you jump out of the car while it’s still moving.”

His head tilts. “Then don’t be staring at my crotch.”

“I was staring at your pocket, asshole. Where you’d just put your sister’s lucky number six.”

He scoffs. “Sure.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re hot, Dylan Braun, but not so hot I can’t contain myself from ogling your crotch while I’m driving.”

“Good to know.”

“Actually, it’s really the kind of thing that’s only good to know if you’re the sort of dude who jumps out of moving vehicles when he thinks some girl is staring at his crotch.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he quips, throwing my line back at me. “I’d jump out of a moving vehicle for a lot of reasons besides that.”

“Good to know,” I volley back.

He bites the tip of his tongue through a sly grin. “Only good to know if you’re the sort of girl who gets all bent out of shape over guys jumping out of your car while you’re driving."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dylan

“I’m so excited for you to see Chloe and her friends dance, Dylan! They’re sosogood!” Kenzie tugs at my shirt to get me to lean down, so I can hear her through the chatter in the crowded fancy-ass theater lobby we’re in, waiting to watch some dance recital thing.

Kenz places her sticky palms against my cheeks—this thing she does when she’s extra excited to tell you something. Pulls you in until her nose is almost touching yours. I would deck anyone else who wrenched me in this close. But it’s Kenz. She’s okay. She smells like the strawberry sucker Phil just bought her at the concession stand for five bucks.Five bucks—for a sucker the size of a large grape.

“Are you so excited?” she asks, eyes wider than the overpriced sucker clutched in her fist that’s now sticking to the chest pocket of my flannel shirt.

I would be more excited about a redo of the family therapy session I was dragged to a couple weekends ago than I am for this bullshit.

“Yeah. It’ll be cool,” I lie. Because no way I’m gonna burst Kenzie’s bubble.

She’s been talking about this thing all day. Spent fifteen minutes just choosing which necklace to wear, running in and out of my room with a different one every two minutes. And it wasn’t just some “pick a winner” situation. More like an American Idol-style narrowing down kind of thing. Until we finally landed on the sparkly pink beaded one with a unicorn charm, which she’s wearing now. I’m wearing the lucky six. Haven’t taken it off since she gave it to me, unless you count the time it got ripped off when I trashed my room. Which I don’t.

“You want to sit next to me?” Kenzie beams, bringing the sucker back towards her mouth. It’s collected a bunch of fuzz from my flannel, so I reach out with my unbandaged hand.

“Sure… Hey, you okay if I have this sucker and you ask Phil to get you another one?”

Yeah, five bucks is a rip-off, but Phil can swing it. I don’t want Kenz putting that shit in her mouth.

She hands it to me with this huge grin, like I’m the one givingherthe sucker. “Okay, Dylan. You can have this one. It’s strawberry!”

“My favorite.” I grin, popping it in my mouth just as Phil appears next to me.

“We’ll head into the auditorium in just a few minutes, alright?” he says. “Just waiting for the Thiels to get here. They’re parking their car now, so they’ll be in any second.”

I nod, swirling the sucker in my mouth, and Kenz asks Phil if she can get another one since she gave hers to me. Which puts a huge smile on his face.

“That was nice of you, Kenz.” He turns to me. “So, you like suckers, huh?”

“Sure.” He’s probably gonna buy me a case of them now. Kinda hope he does. This thing is pretty good.

“Oh, hey!” Phil lifts a hand at a couple by the concession stand, then looks back at me. “You two come with me. I want to introduce you to the Jenzens, Dyl.”

He’s been doing this for the past twenty minutes, beaming the entire time, showing me off like I’m some kind of prized golden boy instead of a recently freed head case.

We go over and Phil makes small talk. I stand there like his mute sidekick. Wishing we could go back over by the wall. Fucking hate crowds. Piles of people pressing up against each other. The way it feels like you’re trapped when you’re in the middle of it. Also, the way everyone is ogling me. Every time I turn my head, I catch people staring. Whispering about me. Looking away as soon as our eyes meet, embarrassed to be caught gawking. Not too embarrassed to stare again when they think I won’t see, though.

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