Page 69 of Shapes of Love
Mia is in love—?
Suddenly, the door in the back of the room swings open with a thundering crack. “Arrr, well done. Ye’ve cracked me code. Venture into me chambers if ye’ve got the guts. But heed this, the door will be closing in five, four…” The announcement booms through the room, urging us to hurry. We dash toward the next room, but Mia trips over a loose floorboard and falls to the ground.
“Wait!” I sprint back to get her, but the door slams shut, leaving Mia trapped in the first room. “Mia! Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll play the code on the piano again,” she calls out, her voice and the sound of the piano echoing through the wall.
“We’ll wait for you before working on the next clue,” Jason says, throwing me a look that leaves me slightly puzzled.
I shove my hands in my pockets and shift from foot to foot, the weight of the silence pressing in on me. Fuck, I suck at small talk. I don’t know anything about him, so I’m not sure what to ask.
“Can I just say, you’re, like, mad talented, Sassy,” he supplies.
“Thanks,” I say, relaxing a little. “Do you like my music?”
He snickers. “Nah, I’m not into girly music, that’d be kind of gay.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, that came off the wrong way. I just mean, it’s not my thing,” he says. “I’m more into podcasts at the moment. Finance and like, men’s self-growth, you know?”
I don’t know, because you’d have to catch me dead before I listened to a podcast about any of those things, but suddenly the finance book on Mia’s bedside table makes sense.
“Got the code!” Mia calls out, and before I can say anything, the door slides open, and a triumphant Mia comes through. “Also, we forgot the treasure map with the clues. Guys! We need to do better.”
“Babe, you’re so smart!” Jason picks her up and spins her around.
“Thanks for waiting.” Mia ropes her arms around his neck.
Jason pecks her lips, letting his hands wander to her ass. “I missed you.”
“You’re such a sap. Put me down,” Mia says before kissing him back. The world melts around them, and I disappear along with it.
With a sigh, I reach for the treasure map and turn toward the next clue. It’s going to be a long escape room.
By the time we get back to her apartment, I can’t wait for Jason to leave. He mentioned something about needing to meet up with his friends, so I jump in the shower to give them some alone time, hoping he’ll be gone when I come out.
i hate this guy, I text the group chat between me, Kai,and Asher. And then, because my heart hurts and I can’t help myself,apparently they’ve been serious for a while. she didn’t tell me.
KAI
wtf. SINCE WHEN?
I find some strange relief in the fact that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know. But shouldn’t I? I mean, I’m still Mia’s best friend… aren’t I?
ASHER
are you mad she didn’t tell you?
ME
I don’t want to be, but yeah. I feel sort of betrayed.
“Are you for real right now?” Jason’s voice echoes through the wall, snapping my attention away from my phone. There’s a thud, like something just crashed to the ground, followed by the muffled sound of objects tumbling from a shelf onto the carpet.
A shiver courses through my body when I don’t hear Mia reply. I throw on some clothes and dart back into the living room in record time.
“Calm down,” Mia’s telling Jason. She has her hands up, facing him, while he paces across the apartment like a caged animal. “It’s taken out of context. There’s nothing going on between me and Asher. I kissed him on the cheek, and it was a joke.”
