Page 14 of Return Policy

“You sure?” Desmond cocks a brow. “The cheerleaders areveryflexible and always happy to help stretch me out.”

“Okay, fine, I’m calling an audible,” Theo says like a desperate quarterback. “I’m in.”

I wave a loose hand as they walk off. “See you guys.”

Andi, a brunette cheerleader, comes up next to me, placing a hand on my arm. “Glad you’re back.”

“Thanks.”

“Things go good with Mark?”

A heavy breath escapes me. “It was fine. A little weird… but fine.”

“Well, I’m proud of you for going even if you were scared as fuck.”

“I wasn’tscared,” I scoff, fighting a laugh.

“You pretended to have a stomach bug the day before you left.”

“I wasn’t pretending.”I was totally pretending.“Fine… well, I went, didn’t I?”

A wide smile spreads across her face. “And like I said, I’m very proud.”

“So happy I have the Andi Lyons seal of approval.” I throw my arm around her shoulders, and she laughs.

“But seriously, I’m sorry the trip was so weird. Wanna come over later? Get your mind off everything.”

It wasn’tallweird…

Thoughts of a pretty blonde run through my head, a twang of longing flashing through me. “Nah, not today. I’m exhausted.”

Sure, that’s it.

5

SOPHIA

Leah and I have traveled all over Europe the past month, and it’s been the perfect distraction for the parts of my life I’d rather keep buried. I wish we could stay here forever, never returning to the place where the worst moments of my life happened.

I canalmostunderstand how Jake and Mom felt all those years. But the difference is, even after adventuring in Wonderland, I know I have to return home and deal with the eventual fallout.

Last week we were on the Amalfi Coast—un uomo italiano sexy, per favore—and now we’re in Amsterdam visiting Jake for the last stop before returning to Longwood.

We exit the small tattoo shop owned by Jake’s friend Luuk, and I’m immediately hit by the warm sunshine. The bustling city surrounds us, with bikes flying by, people rushing around, and a view of the canal across the way sparkling under the sunlight. My eyes fall to the fresh ink on my pinky finger, and I smile at the word “Lovebug” now permanently in black script on my finger, matching Leah’s.

Jake’s heavy arm falls around my shoulders, pulling me in tight. “Love you, Bug,” he says, placing a kiss in my hair, and I nuzzle against him.

“Love you too, Jakey.”

Leah comes up, hooking her arm through mine. “See, it didn’t hurt too bad, did it?”

“Nope.” I let out a satisfied sigh, happy to have something permanent on my skin to remind me of my sister.

“Told you.” She quirks a brow. “We don’t lie to each other, remember?”

My stomach sinks, and I put on as convincing a face as I can muster. “Yep.”

“Where to next?” she asks, thankfully changing the subject off our honesty promise I’ve been blowing to shit.

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