Page 57 of Fallen Joker

Vanilla ice cream, banana slices tucked into the sides, chopped peanuts scattered over the top, peanut butter sauce and hot fudge drizzled generously, a single cherry perched on top like punctuation.

“Damn,” Penny said.“That looks obscene.”

Adley laughed.“I regret nothing.”

Ever lingered a moment, wiping her hands on her apron.“Y’all holler if you need anything,” she said.

Her eyes flicked to Jude again.

He smiled politely.“Thanks.”

She walked away, shoulders slightly slumped.

I watched her go, then glanced at Penny, who raised an eyebrow knowingly.

“Poor girl,” Penny murmured.

“Shh,” I whispered.“He’ll catch on eventually.”

“Will he, though?”Penny asked.

Probably not.

We dug in, conversation drifting easily.Mason and Jude argued about who’d win in a stupid hypothetical fight.Penny tried to convince Jude to take a sip of her shake.He declined, amused but firm.

I took a slow sip of mine and smiled.

Ender leaned in slightly.“You okay?”

I nodded.“Yeah.”

He stayed close anyway.

I laughed more than I expected to.Ate more than I planned to.Let myself relax in a way I hadn’t since before the kidnapping.

When we finally stood to leave, Ender’s hand found mine without thinking.

I didn’t let go.

And for the first time since everything happened, I believed, really believed, that someday soon, life might feel normal again.

With an Ender twist.

Chapter Nineteen

Ender

“Church!”

The tone snapped the room in half.

Laughter died mid-breath.Someone’s chair scraped back hard.A pool ball clacked against the felt like it had been struck too forcefully.Even the air changed, charged with that familiar club-business edge that made your skin tighten.

I felt Clove stiffen beside me.

I turned my head slightly, checking her without making it obvious.

Her eyes were on the hallway.On the door to church.On the place she wasn’t allowed to go.