Page 31 of First Chance

Back to the cryptic riddles that I cannot interpret with a buzz. “I think I need to go to bed,” I stand suddenly, not able to contain a yawn. Three other people mimic me.

“I’ll walk her back,” Lochlan announces, standing from his chair. Everyone else sits.

“I don’t need an escort.”

“Non-negotiable.”

We match pace all the way back to the big house in complete silence. “See uneventful. You could have stayed down there with them,” I finally say as it’s time to split paths, except I wobble slightly on one of the paving stones. He steps forward to steady me, but I correct my footing before he can. “I was just testing you.”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “What am I going to do with you?” He mumbles it to himself before walking up the porch steps. “Go inside.”

“I’m going.”

“Lock your door,” he adds when I continue standing in my doorway, looking at him.

“Ayay, Cap’n.” I salute him as I shut my door, and barely catch him shaking his head at me. Maybe I’m drunker than I thought.

I just need a snack. My favorite thing in the world is a late-night treat.

Except that the basket of snacks I keep on my little counter is empty, other than a few sad granola bars. And, my mini fridge only has cans of sparkling water.

My bare feet scamper across my path to Lochlan’s front door and I twist the knob hesitantly, tiptoeing to the kitchenonce I’m inside. I’ll be in and out quickly; he won’t even realize I’ve been here.

Freezer. Freezer. Freezer. I stick my face into the icy air, then groan in disappointment.

“No ice cream in there,” he says from behind me, making me jump.

“How’d you know I was looking for ice cream?”

“Wild guess.” He’s leaning against the door frame, watching me as I shut away my hopes and dreams of a sweet treat.

He’s still in his same clothes from earlier, but he looks more casual now with no boots and his hair even more askew than normal. He looks tired, but not like he had been about to go to sleep.

“Who only keeps frozen vegetables in their freezer?” I continue my mission to find something to cure my buzz, and he watches as I open and close various cabinets, inspecting the contents within.

“Someone who needs an ice pack on a semi-regular basis.”

“Why not buy ice packs?” I ask as I find his whiskey cabinet, sighing as I shut the door. He only shrugs in response.

His crossed arms barely move as he lifts a hand to point above my head, and I follow the path to the cabinet above the fridge. I don’t bother to confirm before pulling one of the kitchen chairs over and stepping onto the seat. He watches on silently, letting me embark on my journey.

“Girl Scout cookies?” I ask in astonishment, pulling out one of the green boxes.

“And, Boy Scout popcorn. Marching band chocolate,” he adds.

“You didn’t strike me as a sweets guy.”

“I’m not. That’s my poison.” He points to the whiskeycabinet. “But, I can’t walk past those damn booths without letting them rob me.”

“Aw, Lochlan Dane is a philanthropist.” He rolls his eyes as he comes over to steady the back of the chair as I transfer my loot to the countertop.

I plop down on the counter once I’m done and crack open the thin mints. My knees nearly brush his knuckles where they grip the chair.

He seems very concerned that I’m going to fall off this counter and hurt myself, but I am absolutely not that intoxicated.

“Should I expect to be ransacked like this regularly?”

“Yes.” I bite into my cookie and sigh happily. “But I’m celebrating because I had a big exam today and I aced it.”

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