Page 104 of Between Love and War
“Told you,” Richard says, ducking behind a hedge that leads toward the far side of the property. “We’ll loop around toward the old toolshed. Haley used to hide behind it when she was mad at Bon.”
“How often was that?”
“Every other weekend,” he says, then pauses. “Those two were dramatic teens.”
We keep moving, weaving between trees and skirting the fences around houses. I catch glimpses of movement—shadows ducking behind bushes, a whisper of fabric near the back patio—but no Kate. I know I should find the others, but Richard can handle that.
Eventually, we split up—unspoken agreement. Richard heads toward the patio. I follow the path toward the far side of the property, near the old mango tree that leans over the wooden bench.
And that’s where I see them.
Two figures crouched behind the mango tree, almost entirely swallowed by the dark.
“Stop squirming, you’re gonna give us away.”
“I have a cramp,” Kate whispers back, equally sharp.
“You’re twenty-seven. You don’t get cramps from crouching for five minutes.”
“Tell that to my thighs.”
I hold in a laugh and step quietly closer, until I’m just behind the tree trunk. I tap the tree gently.
Kate yelps and falls over sideways. “Oh my god—!” She almost stumbles until I catch her on her waist, and she stares at me in shock, maybe not expecting it to be me. Her cheeks instantly heat up again.
Emily sighs. “Adorable,” she says. She doesn’t hover, just dusts the dirt off her dress and continues to walk forward. “Consider me tagged,” she says as she walks away.
Kate immediately scrambles so she’s standing, but now she’s barefoot, holding her heels. “You got me!” She chuckles nervously. She smiles, but it’s tight. Nervous. She looks like she’s waiting for something. “You gonna tag me or what?” she asks, eyebrows raised like she’s daring me.
I grin. Then I lean forward, as Kate stumbles backward, hitting the trunk of the tree. She’s smiling as she looks at my lips, and I instinctively put them on hers. Just quick. “There,” I say. “You’re it.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Michael
It’s interview day. I’ve done interviews before—media training, PR-approved answers, the usual safe-scripted stuff. I’ve always been a nod-and-smile kind of guy. Keep it brief. Stay charming. Move on. But today’s different. Today, I sit in front of a half-circle of journalists with cameras and clipboards, and I’m expected to talk about my personal life—to strip off the calm, collected mask and actually let people in.
I guess it was only a matter of time. You can’t hide in Magnolia Heights forever.
But if I could, I would.
I would stay and ignore the world. I’d stay in that town, where everyone knows your name (not because you’re famous, but because they actuallyknowyou). I’d stay where kids leave chalk drawings on sidewalks and hand me drawings of me in a jersey. And most importantly, I’d stay where Katherine Cruz lives.
Because ever since that blackout two nights ago, something changed between us. One kiss turned into two. Two turned into a black hole I got sucked into. After that night, I’ve stuck to herlike glue. While she baked cookies for Lily’s, I was there eating raw cookie dough. While she reorganized her bookshelf by color, I handed her each paperback in order. One time I even sat in the armchair in her room and just... watched her nap. Like a creep.
But we haven’t kissed since that night. Not once. She’s still soft with me. Still looks at me like I might be worth trusting. But it’s like she’s holding her breath, waiting for the catch. Waiting for the moment the dream pops and reality rushes in.
“Excuse me, Michael, are you ready?” the facilitator asks me. I nod and smile, and scan the crowd for the giant curly hair and the big brown eyes that would guide me. There she is, tucked quietly in the corner, wearing a floral dress, but my hoodie over it. She pushes her glasses up her nose, and gives me a small smile. And somehow, I’m okay. Beside her are Chris and Vince, supporting me.
I settle into the chair at the center of the press line. Flashes go off. Someone coughs. The first journalist stands.
“Michael, thank you for being here. First off, where have you been spending time away from the city?”
I clear my throat. “A small town just outside Manila. Still close,” I say.
“And what have you been doing there?” he asks politely.
I shrug. “Volunteering at a preschool. Coaching Little League basketball. Meeting friends, getting close to neighbors, and… other people.”
