Page 125 of Don't Let Me Go
“It’s a trainwreck,” I agree, basking in the bad taste. “I love it.”
Audrey smiles and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Happy birthday.”
I smile back, and to my surprise, it’s a genuine smile, my first since Jackson and I broke up. Maybe it’s because Dizzy World is a bigger shitshow than me, but for a moment, I don’t feel the endless crushing sadness that’s been pressing down on me since the breakup. Or maybe the emotional reprieve has more to do with Audrey and Tala, my two best friends, still caring enough about me to take me out on my birthday even though they’ve been on the receiving end of my shitty attitude for the past two weeks.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a mess,” I say, turning to them with a guilty sigh.
Audrey shrugs. “Breakups are hard. We get it. But you know you don’t have to go through it alone, right?”
“You sound like my dad.”
“Good. Your dad is smart as fuck. You should listen to him.”
I nod. I don’t know why it’s always been so hard for me to ask for help—and even harder to accept it. I guess it’s because I never feel like I deserve it. I never felt like I deserved anything—until Jackson came into my life. That was the first time I let myself want something.
“I’ll try to be better about asking for help,” I say. I know I made a similar promise to my dad only a week ago, but this time, I think I mean it.
Audrey and Tala pull me into a three-way hug, and once again, the numbing weight on my soul lifts for a moment. I know, of course, that it’s only a matter of time before it returns. But I also know that the only way I’ll have any chance of getting through the rest of this year, not to mention the rest of my life, is if I have my friends by my side.
“So, should we ride some rides?” I ask, pulling back from the embrace and wiping a tear from my eye.
“Actually, Duy and Caleb just texted,” Tala says, looking at her phone. “They should be here any—ah! There they are.”
Tala points to the entrance of the park, where I see Duy and Caleb strolling through the wide gates hand in hand. They spot us, and Duy waves excitedly. I’m just about to return the gesture when my eyes catch someone following in their wake, and my heart stops.
Duy and Caleb aren’t alone. A third person is walking behind them. He’s in such a daze, overwhelmed by all the absurdities of this insane amusement park, that he doesn’t register my presence until he’s right in front of me.
“Riley?” He gasps, stopping dead in his tracks.
“Jackson?”
Chapter 51
Jackson
When Duy and Caleb showed up at my house this morning and insisted that I go ride some roller coasters with them, they didn’t mention anything about Riley. In fact, the only reason I agreed to go was because I knew today was his birthday, and I was afraid that if I didn’t do something to distract myself, I’d go crazy thinking about him.
Now here he is, standing in front of me and staring at me like a deer in headlights. I can tell from his panicked eyes that every instinct in his body is telling him to run, but he’s too startled to move. And honestly, so am I.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Riley demands once he remembers how to speak. His voice is choked with fear, but Audrey simply smiles.
“Surprise!” she exclaims, beaming at us both. “Welcome to your intervention!”
“Our what?” I ask.
“A relationship intervention,” Tala clarifies.
“That’s right,” Audrey agrees with a nod. “We have no idea why the two of you broke up, but we do know that you’ve both been miserable. So we decided it was time for you two to stop avoiding each other and figure out your shit because you both clearly regret splitting up. And you can be as mad as you want at us for tricking you when you get home tonight, but right now, you two need to talk. Sotalk.”
Spending time with Riley—even only a few minutes—is all I’vewanted for the past two weeks. Given what’s at stake, I know it’s the stupidest thing we could do—especially on his birthday—but there are things I have to tell him. And I don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity. So despite every fiber of my being warning me that this is aterribleidea, all I say is “Okay.”
Riley’s eyes go wide with surprise. For a second, he looks like he’s about to protest. Then he shrugs in defeat, too tired to fight a battle against his own heart.
“Great! We’re gonna get some ice cream at Ye Old Ice Creamery. You two sit down and talk,” Audrey orders, pointing to a nearby picnic table shaded by a red-and-white-striped umbrella. “We’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”
Riley nods, but it’s not until we both sit down across from each other that Audrey and the others look convinced that neither of us is gonna pull a runner. Slowly they drift across the street and into the ice cream parlor, leaving Riley and me to stare at each other in awkward silence.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he says, gazing down at his hands in an effort to collect himself. “It’s not safe.”
