Page 280 of Darling Venom
Turning, I moved for the staircase, ready to torpedo down.
“Wait!”
I froze, swallowed a deep breath, and faced him.
Then I pinched my leg.
This was real.
He was here.
Holy crap.
The shingles rattled as I strode toward him. I looped an arm around a chimney to steady myself, sitting about a foot away from Tate. The familiar suit he wore did things to my stomach, as it always did.
Nothing had changed.
From his hair, to his clothes, to his shoes, he’d stayed the same. I didn’t know how I felt about that.
I shifted on the tile, getting comfortable.
Tate held something in his fist.
A carrot cake, I realized.
But he wasn’t eating it.
He followed my line of sight to the orange, Saran-wrapped block.
“I don’t like carrot cake,” he admitted.
I held my hand out. “Cough it up.”
He offered it to me. “Happy birthday, Charlie.”
I flushed, unwrapping the cake and biting into the corner. The schoolyard seemed brighter below us.
“I’ve never seen this view in broad daylight.” I curled the plastic back over the pastry. “It’s better than I imagined.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to say.
I wanted to ask why he’d shown up, but I knew the answer. Held it in my hand. Why else would he appear with a carrot cake?
My palms grew so clammy I could open a water park with the sweat.
“I thought of what to say on the drive here, in case I saw you.”
“Yeah? What did you come up with?”
“Nothing. I ruled everything out.”
“What were the candidates?”
“I’m sorry.”
“A good start, but too short,” I agreed.
“I’m selfish.”
