Page 41 of Enter if you Dare: Part Three

Both our families get in their cars, and we all stand there and watch as they leave, tears clouding my vision. I hate that they have to go already. Wiping my eyes, I turn to the last one left—Leni. She has a bag over her shoulder and a suitcase at her side.

“Ready?” I ask.

“No.” She drops her bag and throws herself at me.

Leni has become a good friend—someone I confide in when I think I have annoyed Valli too much with my questions. She doesn’t seem to mind.

Valli and Leni said goodbye earlier this morning, but I know it’s still not easy for either of them. Leni grabs her sister and pulls her in for one last hug, and they hold on tight for a long time. Valli whispers in Leni’s ear, and Leni nods. When they pull apart, Leni looks at Cave.

“You,” she says. “Look after my sister.”

“Always,” he replies, and Leni’s face lights up.

“You too,” she says, pointing to Cipher.

“I would take a bullet for her.” Valli slaps him in the stomach, and he laughs. “Too soon?”

“And you . . .” she says to me.

“You know I will.”

Leni laughs. “I was going to say, keep being yourself. You are amazing, Noa, and someone I am proud to call a friend. I couldn’t imagine my life without you now.”

“Stop it,” I say. “You’ll make me cry again.”

She throws her arms around me in a quick hug before stepping back.

Khodi lingers nearby; they have gotten close while she’s been here. Leni walks toward him, and he smiles. They face each other for a second, and Leni is the first to step forward. She grabs his face as his hands come out of his pockets, and she presses her lips to his.

The kiss doesn’t last long, then Leni pulls back with a smile and walks back over to pick up her bag.

Nails pulls up in his truck, and she smiles at him. “My lift is here. Be good or be good at it,” she says, before taking her suitcase and walking over to his truck. He gets out and helps her load her bags into the back, then she turns one last time and waves before getting inside.

We watch them drive away, then once Khodi has left, I turn to Valli. “He is absolutely gone for her.”

“Completely,” Valli says.

“I’m super invested in this.”

Valli laughs, and I clap my hands. “Right, everyone is gone, and it’s just us. I have plans.”

“What plans?” Cipher asks.

I look at Cave and smile. “How do you feel about a chase through a thousand Christmas trees tonight?”

The corner of Cave’s mouth curves into a smirk, and he nods.

The rest of the day flies by, and we spend it fixing things around the house. Valli moves the furniture around so many times there is no way it’s not perfect, but only time will tell. I won’t even try to understand the mechanics of a woman’s mind when it comes to decorating.

Waiting until dark is the hardest thing I’ve had to do besides saying goodbye to my family and Cave being gone. I called Nixie and told her the plan, and she sent out an island-wide notice for everyone to avoid the cornfield tonight. There are a few other areas that are also out of bounds, so it seems everyone wants to get their freak on tonight.

Cave left an hour ago, pointing to nine p.m. on the clock before he headed out.

I have no chill. It’s eight forty, and it takes less than five minutes to walk to the field from here. Valli says we can’t be early, that we need to do this right.

“Noa, your pacing is making me dizzy.”

“I’m sorry, I have a lot of pent-up energy.”