Page 19 of Fauxmance

"Seriously? I really like it.You guys are good."

"Thanks."

I crunched on a few more carrots. Once they were gone, I moved onto my pile of Sour Patch Kids. Seeing Hayden staring at them longingly, I handed him a few more. It wasn't the most balanced meal, but it hit the spot. My stomach stopped growling almost immediately. I was content to lean back against the wall, listening as Hayden's band played. After the song came to an end, I wiped my hands with Hayden's handkerchief. The cotton was soft as silk. As I went to hand it back to him, I noticed there were some initials sewn into the material: H. B. D.

"What's the B stand for?" I asked. "I thought you said you didn't have a middle name."

"I don't," he said. When I raised a brow, he added, "At least not one I'm going to share voluntarily."

I threw the handkerchief at him. "Hey, I told you mine."

"And I was glad to listen, Magnolia Wilhelmina."

The music suddenly cut out, and Hayden's screen went dark. Since it was the only other light besides the emergency bulb, shining dimly overhead, the space seemed that much darker.

"Damn, no battery," he said.

Tugging my phone out, I put it down next to his, opened the music app and played one of my songs.

"No worries," I said. "I'm down to ten percent. But the music should help us pass the time."

After about a minute, Hayden was tapping against his thighs, and my nerves were starting to get to me again.

"Hey, Hayden? Someone must've noticed we're missing by now. Right?"

He tilted his head from side to side. "Even if they did, my parents wouldn't be concerned."

"I bet you're wrong."

"Nah, my mom and dad are pretty chill. I've been known to skip out, especially on family gatherings. I'm sure your mom's thinking about you, though."

I sighed in relief. "Yeah, she'll know something's up."

Unless…

"Mom sometimes gets carried away by her work," I said. "She's a seamstress, like the best in the south. Making people look and feel beautiful is her passion."

"That's cool."

"I know, she's awesome." My eyes filled a bit as I thought about her. "Mom was supposed to be working on my bridesmaid's dress tonight. Then there's dress rehearsal for the wedding. Maybe if she's distracted she won't be so worried when I don't come home."

But once she realized?

Gah, it wouldn't be pretty. I was her youngest child, her baby. We'd lost my dad to cancer eight years ago, and I still felt his loss every day. I knew Mom and Jas did, too. It had been just Mom and me for a few years since my sister went off to college. Mom was going to freak when she discovered I was missing. Jas was already stressed about the wedding. This might push her over the edge. I hated thinking of either one of them in distress. I didn't like being the cause of that stress.

Hayden stayed quiet, but I could feel him looking at me.

Trying to shake it off, I suddenly stood. My melancholy thoughts were bringing me down. I needed to move. It was either that, or I'd start crying—which was so not happening.

"What are you doing?" Hayden asked.

"What's it look like?" I said. "I'm dancing. Carefully."

"That's not dancing."

"Yes, it is."

His brows lifted as I moved my body. "It looks like there's zero gravity and you're walking on hot coals or something."

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