Page 92 of Stop and Seek
Noah straightened up slowly, dragging a finger through one of Rachel’s curls like he hadn’t just nearly lost it.
“Only the cutest ones,” he said over his shoulder, throwing Benji a flash of teeth. He picked up the food and drinks again. “It’s a wash, anyway. She’s not interested.”
Only one person mattered, and it sure as hell wasn’t Rachel.
“Did you like, get stuck behind a dump truck?” Max asked when he dropped the bag in the audio visual room. “It took you forever.”
“Something like that,” Noah muttered, leaning against the console and rolling his shoulders until they cracked. “My back iskillingme.”
He tugged his phone out again, thumbing the screen even though he already knew it by heart. Still no reply from Theo. Not even a stupid emoji.
He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, tapped out a new message with one hand while the other massaged the back of his neck.
Noah
There’s a get-together after the game tonight. Can you come?
The dots popped up immediately and his chest actuallyjumped.
Theo
no
Noah
No big. Do you have plans?
The dots vanished. Nothing.
Noah set the phone face down in his lap. He dug the heel of his palm into his temple and groaned.
He’s mad at me. He’s mad and he’s not gonna say why and I’m not supposed to freak out about it but I kinda am freaking out about it.
“Did you rig the game?” he asked.
Max glanced up from her salad, half a tomato stuck on her fork. She chewed. And chewed. Andchewed. Until he felt like grabbing her fork and hurling it.
Then finally, she leaned back and swallowed. “Definerig.”
“Did you, or did you not, already decide who the winners are?”
“Before we started?” She grabbed her slushie, sipping loud enough to make his eye twitch. “No.”
“Max…”
“What?” she asked, stabbing another limp piece of lettuce. “Kyran suggested we make it into a romance story, and hell—sure. It sounded like a good idea. I do not give a shit.”
“A romance—” He dragged his hand down his face, “What does that evenmean?” He could already feel the headache pressing behind his eyes.
“Kayla, or something, is the Hider. Kyran said she had this big sob story about being cheated on, can't get preggo, blah blah blah.” Max rolled her fork, sloshing dressing across the table. “She used to date the Seeker here. He still loves her. Whatever. It’s good publicity. It looks charitable for my father, and it’ll pull in more views for our influencer. Win-win.”
Noah stared at the floor, his brain going too fast to keep up. None of this mattered. All he wanted to do was grab Theo, toss him over his shoulder, and leave. Justgo.Anywhere.
Jesus.
Everything was a fucking mess.
Watching the last few games washell. Actual, stomach-churning hell. Noah tried to keep his eyes on his phone, scrolled and scrolled like it would distract him—but he didn’t remember asingle post. His gaze kept dragging back to the damn camera feeds.
