Chapters (58)
- Cover
- Dedication
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- CHAPTER THIRTY
- CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
- CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FORTY
- CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
- CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FIFTY
- CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
- RESOURCES
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
“No!” he says, his eyes huge. “I heard you calling her, and she ran by. I didn’t want her to get away, so I tried to grab her, but, you know.”
“Wait here,” I say, walking back toward the deck. I deposit Miss Harry Potter inside the house, tossing her a handful of treats before walking back to the railing. Ridley has followed me, at least as far as the foot of the steps, his face illuminated by the motion-detecting light over the door. So much for following directions. I pull my hoodie tighter. “Why’d you come here tonight?”
“I missed you, and I couldn’t take it anymore,” he says.
I blink at his honesty, my breath escaping in a little huff.
He crosses his arms and then uncrosses them, opening and closing his mouth like he doesn’t know what to say. “Peak,” he says finally. “I majorly messed up; I know I did. But if you don’t completely hate me yet, can we please talk? If you don’t want to, I get it, and I’ll go, but if you do—”
“How did you get my address?”
He looks down. “It was in the file my dad gave me about Vera.”
“Right, of course. Every spy has a portfolio.” I cross my arms. He’s got a small plastic bag around his wrist; I didn’t see it before in the chaos with HP. “What’s in that? Are you here to bug my house? Maybe set up some spy cams?”
“Oh.” He looks down like he forgot he even had it. “No—peanut butter cups. And Sprite. They’re for you.”
“Why?”
“You always pick the peanut butter cups out of the candy jar at the store, and Vera gets you Sprite from the Chinese food place, so I thought maybe they were your favorites.” He drags a hand through his hair and then drops his head back. I almost don’t hear his whispered F-bomb.
He’s absolutely right—those are two of my favorite things in the whole world, and when you combine them, it’s next level. I can’t believe he noticed, but it’s really the F-bomb that seals the deal, or rather the little anguished exhale that follows it. It feels sincere in a way words never could, and I melt a little. Or maybe I’m just looking for a reason to forgive him. Probably a little of both.