I stared at the clothes she was picking, but I wasn’t really seeing them. “Okay,” I finally said, my voice rougher than I meant it to be. “I’ll come with you. I’ll switch shifts with Liz at the cinema so I can go.”

She stopped dead in her tracks, her hand lingering over a glittery purse. “Blake, it’s fine,” she said softly, but there was something in her eyes that I couldn’t quite decipher. Something guarded. “You don’t have to.”

The air around me suddenly felt thicker, heavier.

“You don’t have to go alone.”

Beverly looked at me, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “I won’t be alone. Tiffany’s going with me.”

“What if something happens? What if⁠—”

“Blake, I appreciate it, I do,” she cut in, and I could see the way she was weighing her words carefully. She glanced away, shifting on her feet. “But I don’t want you to feel like you have to babysit me. I’m not... I’m not a kid anymore.”

The words hit me like a slap, though she didn’t mean them to.

I was silent for a long time, just watching her, trying to piece everything together. Did she not want me there? Was I smothering her? Embarrassing her? The possibility that she didn’t that she didn’t want me there suddenly made my head spin. Was I being too overprotective? Was she getting sick of me?

Maybe I had messed things up without even realizing it. God, the last thing I wanted was for her to be embarrassed by me.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out at first. I felt like I was sinking, like the ground beneath me was dissolving.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

She didn’t respond right away, and I couldn’t decide if that was worse than just flat-out saying no.

Finally, she spoke, her voice firmer than usual. “I just want to do this on my own, okay?”

It shouldn’t have hurt, but it did.

I took a step back, trying to regain control of my thoughts, but all I could focus on was that sinking feeling in my chest.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay,” I said, barely hearing myself. “I can’t just let you go by yourself.”

She reached over and squeezed my hand. “I know you’re just trying to help. But I need to try things on my own. I want to drink bad punch and dance and maybe make some mistakes.”

I stared at her, a bitter taste rising in my mouth. “What if I’m making a mistake letting you go without me?”

She sighed, shaking her head like I was missing the point. “Blake. I’ll be fine.”