Page 90 of The Beta Test

“I think that’s just you,” Jake says.

She rips off a tiny piece and chucks it at him. “I bet Avery’s hungry. She’s always hungry. Right, Aves?”

She looks at me expectantly, but my mind is… blank. The mental number ticker is still spiraling, and Jake’s presence next to me feels overwhelming—his knee shifts under the table, his hoodie brushes my arm when he reaches for his water. The live-wire sensation in my body snaps tighter, like his mere existence is too much.

Hunter pipes up from the opposite side of me. “I’m starving!”

Jenna smiles at him and nudges the garlic stick basket in his direction. Then my dad distracts her by asking about her college plans.

No one is paying attention to us, so I edge closer to Jake and hiss, “What is going on?!”

Jake leans across me to grab two garlic sticks and puts one on the little plate in front of me. My hand rises instinctively to grab it, but the garlic smell, which I usually love, turns my stomach. I grab my water instead and try to focus on letting the cool water soothe my nerves. It does nothing.

“What do you mean?” he asks casually, then he nudges my plate closer to me. “Maybe you’re hungry after all.”

He thinks I can eat right now? Ridiculous.

“Why are you wearing that hoodie?”

He glances down at it. “Do you like it?”

I suppress another growl and turn fully towards him in my seat. “Jake!”

“Yes, Avery?”

“Answer the question!”

“What question?” Jenna asks. Her conversation with my dad must have wound down and her attention wandered back to Jake and me. Unfortunately.

I push back my chair and stand—the action is so abrupt the chair scrapes loudly across the wooden floor and my glass of water topples over. All conversation comes to a screeching halt as everyone looks at me in bewilderment.

“I, uh—,” I mumble.

The weight of everyone’s gaze overwhelms me, and I scramble to come up with a plan. There’s only one thing in the plan: I need to be alone with Jake so I can get the answers to the questions burning me up inside.

“—I, uh, left something in the car and I need to get it.”

The group at the table is still staring at me, breadsticks and cups poised mid-air.

“Ok, sweetie,” my dad says slowly, like I’m a cornered cat hissing at everyone. Which… I basically am.

“Jake, can you come with me, please?” I add.

“O.m.g. It’s happening,” Jenna whispers loudly. I cast her a look, and she wiggles her eyebrows meaningfully. Ignoring her stage-worthy performance, I walk briskly for the exit. The sounds of Jake pushing back his chair and following me cause another jolt of electricity.

Instead of heading for the car, I pivot around the corner of the restaurant towards an area with trees and a bench. The energy inside me simmers so close to the surface, it feels like it could explode. I sit, then immediately pop back up and start pacing.

Jake stands next to the bench, watching.

“Why are you wearing that hoodie?” I ask, still moving.

“Avery.”

“Is this all a joke?” Another turn and pivot.

“Avery.”

“This doesn’t make any sense⁠—”