Page 66 of Lured By Shadows

“Ira,” he said dramatically, “it’s literally the most popular app right now. Of course I have it. So does Sienna.”

“Right, right,” I muttered, flipping my hair with fake embarrassment. “Sorry for being sooo dumb.”

Oliver grinned and slung an arm around my shoulders as we headed toward an open spot near the lake, the breeze slipping through my hair.

“Aww, don’t be mad,” he teased, clearly enjoying himself.

Before I could respond, Sienna cut in, her voice cool and flat. “If you’re following him, you should follow me too.”

“Sure,” I said easily, already pulling my phone back out and tapping through the app. I followed them both, even though I could feel her eyes lingering on me.

We settled beneath a large oak tree, its branches shifting slowly overhead. The grass beneath us sparkled faintly with leftover dew while ducks drifted lazily across the lake, some venturing closer to shore while others stayed farther out. The park buzzed with soft conversation, laughter, and footsteps crunching along the paths. I let it all sink in: the sounds, the light, the easy rhythm of everything wrapping around me like a soft blanket.

“Oi, that’s mental,” Oliver said, scrolling through my page. “You’re proper close to a million followers?”

I leaned back on my elbows, letting the cool air settle against my skin as a genuine smile slipped free. The sky above us stretched bright and clear, thin clouds barely moving overhead.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “It’s been a journey.”

Sienna leaned over his shoulder, her eyes widening.

“Wait, did you just do a backflip off a wall? That’s bollocks.”

British people somehow managed to make everything sound aggressive.

I laughed, my wrists aching in sympathy just thinking about it.

“Nearly sprained my wrist in the process, but hey, silver lining, I can now backflip off walls. Not a bad party trick.”

Oliver had gone pink, his eyes darting everywhere while he kept scrolling.

“Erm, these are a bit… yeah, a bit saucy, aren’t they?” he said, his voice pitching awkwardly high.

Which was apparently polite British code for thirst trap. He didn’t stop scrolling, though, which somehow made it funnier. Sienna rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from his hand.

“Stop before you make her uncomfortable,” she snapped, glancing at me in a way I couldn’t quite read. Protective, maybe. Judgmental? It was hard to tell with her.

I smiled at her anyway, half amused and half grateful, feeling the strange tension threading between the three of us, where every shared moment seemed to pull things tighter together.

People drifted steadily around us beneath the sun. Parents pushed strollers while sleepy toddlers clutched juice boxes, couples wandered hand in hand along the paths, and dogs of every size trotted proudly beside their owners. Just as Sienna promised, the park was full of adorable babies and even sweeter dogs, and every time a little puppy wandered past, warmth curled quietly through my chest.

“Ooh, look at that one,” I said without shame, instantly locking onto a tiny corgi in a striped sweater strutting proudly across the grass. “You weren’t lying about the dogs. Aw, I love animals.”

I smiled, tucking my windblown hair behind my ear as I glanced between them.

Oliver tugged at the hem of his hoodie and shot me a sideways look. “Uh, random question, Ira… do you drive?”

I blinked, confused by the sudden switch.

“Yeah. I mean, I did. Back in the U.S.” My voice dipped slightly before I added, “Had to leave my car behind, though. So… no car right now. What about you?”

There was a pause. Just long enough to feel suspicious.

Oliver froze like a deer in headlights, and that was all Sienna needed. Her lips curled into a slow, smug smirk.

“Blud here has failed his test several times,” she said smoothly, gesturing toward him as though she was presenting evidence.

“Blud?” I repeated, lifting a brow as Oliver’s face turned bright red.