Devon squeezed his eyes shut and sat on a mossy rock. “I’m worried about you.”

“Oh,” Lia said. “Don’t be. I’m fine.”

He stared at her.

“I’m mostly fine.” She shrugged. “I need something to do. I don’t have anything else to think about except sad things—Abby and graduation and Mark—and I want to do something good. I want to finally be the best at something.”

Devon cleared the dirt off the rock next to him. “Come here.”

“Why?” She sat next to him, a not-uncomfortable shudder in her spine. “What’s wrong?”

“If you keep standing,” he said, “Leo will see you.”

Lia grinned. “Thank you. And now we wait,” she said.

After the first five minutes, Devon slouched. His shoulder rested against hers, and she pulled her binoculars from their case, cleaning a smudge from the lens. He didn’t bring up his feelings on the game again, and Lia didn’t push her luck. It figured that he hated it and thought she had bad taste. That was the implication, anyway.

She hated implications. They kept her up at night, reminding her of all the missteps she had ever taken. She had always hoped he at least liked her as a person.

“Lia,” he whispered suddenly, “I think I—”

Her phone vibrated, and he shook his head.

“He’s on his last lap and last in the pack,” Lia said, reading Gem’s text. “Stopping traffic now.”

Lia rose to her knees on the rock. Devon braced against her side, keeping her steady. The stragglers ran past, and a single figure bringing up the rear came into sight. Leo slowed a bit, shaking out his ankle, and glanced up and down the street. The runners ahead of him turned the corner. He froze.

Lia pulled the trigger, and water splattered against Leo’s chest. He stumbled back and shrieked. Lia leapt to her feet.

“Yes!” Her water gun hit the ground, and she grabbed the towel from her bag. “Leo, you are officially out.”

He stared up at her, mouth a wide O.

“The hell, Prince?” he shouted, and laughed. “Did you clear the road or something? How long have you been back there?”

“Not long. Sorry, but you’re out,” Lia said, tossing him the towel. “No hard feelings?”

“Man, I hope the rest of my team gets you next.” But Leo snorted as he said it and threw the towel at her. “Solid, though. I didn’t think anyone would just wait around on the off chance I’d be alone for a few seconds. Am I your first?”

Lia nodded.

“I got to get back,” Leo said after a minute of laughing and drying off. “Nice shot.”

“Thanks.”

The moment Leo vanished over the edge of the creek, Devon wrapped Lia in a hug. His arms pinned hers to her side, and his hands clutched the back of her coat. Lia froze, nose to his shoulder and heart in her throat, and he squeezed her once. His breath ruffled her hair.

“Your plan worked,” he said. “You were right.”