Page 95 of Pretty Thing

I look over my shoulder and watch him go, breathing a sigh of relief when I notice the stools are empty.

I’m happily dozing in a food coma when Felix returns.

“You ready? We still have another hour,” he says.

I nod, and he tosses cash down on the table before holding out his hand. We are just walking out the door when someone yells for help, and a waitress runs toward the back.

“Should we help?”

Felix looks in the direction that the waitress has gone and shakes his head.

“It’s best not to get involved.”

Felix takes my hand and forces me to keep walking. My heart pounds wildly in my chest.

“But it feels wrong to leave.”

“Trust me, they have it handled.”

The problem is, I have a feeling whatever it is has to do with Felix and that guy. Still…I get in the car and watch as he walks around and gets in the other side. We pull out in silence, but my pulse is pounding in my ears.

I want to push him for answers about what happened back there, but I’m not sure if I want to know. Because I’m not sure how I’ll respond, and that scares me more than what he might say.

My eyes keep darting to the side of his face, and curiosity finally breaks me.

“Felix…did you…”

“Want some music? That’s a great idea,” he says, jumping in.

Felix turns on the radio and starts singing along to the song playing.

Holy shit…he didn’t. Did he?

My brain races as he gives me a little smile, confirming my suspicion without him saying a word. And as I suspected, I don’t know how I feel.

twenty-six

​. . .​

Eden

Other than Felix singing or pointing out landmarks, the rest of the ride is quiet. My head is a total mess. Every time a police car passes in the other direction, I tense and hold my breath. I don’t even know for certain that Felix did anything, but my gut says yes.

Most of my friends describe me as a tree hugger or a hippie living in the wrong era. But on the other hand…I’ve never had someone defend me like that before. Even Kyle would rather tease me for being oversensitive then defend me. It would be a lie to say there isn’t a part of me that likes the idea of Felix standing up for me.

I pinch the bridge of my nose to keep the headache at bay, jumping when Felix touches my leg.

“Hey…are you okay?”

Forcing a small smile, I nod.

“Yeah, just a headache brewing.”

It’s a half-truth. It’s been there since we left the diner, but the worrying is making it worse.

“I’ll massage your neck and shoulders when we get inside.”

I look up and realize we’ve stopped and parked outside of what looks to be a large hunting cabin in the middle of the woods. If I wasn’t already feeling like this might be a bad idea, I am now.