We reach the end of the trees then, and I quicken my pace to a jog. River does, too, and before I know it, we’re both running down the sidewalk at full speed.
Every time a car passes by, tension ravels through my body at the probability that it could be Drew. But we manage to make it into the store safely, shaken and a little out of breath.
I don’t stand at the front of the store. Instead, I wander back toward the cookie sections in the farthest corner. Then I release River’s hand and exhale as I slump back against one of the shelves.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize, frustrated with myself. Yes, I wanted to get the necklace, but was it worth it? It’s not like I believe I belong to this royal bloodline.
River’s cheeks are flushed, strands of his hair are sticking up all over the place, and his brows are knit. “For what?”
I gesture at the brightly lit up aisle of cookies and the dingy linoleum floor. “For bringing you into this mess. I should’veknown better, but I got too curious. And you know what they say—curiosity helped capture the north-sider with the bounty.”
He slouches against the shelf behind us and crosses his arms. “You’re forgetting it was my idea to do this.”
“So? I’m the one who was more than aware that that”—I point my finger at the entrance doors that lead to the outside where Drew could be waiting—“could happen. But I ignored that little voice in the back of my mind.”
His eyes search mine as he remains silent for a heartbeat. “How about we stop blaming ourselves and put the blame on the person who caused this?”
“My dad?”
“Yeah.”
I waver, fiddling with the zipper on my jacket. “I guess I can do that.” But I still feel a drop of guilt over bringing River with me.
The corners of his lips pull into a dazzling smile. “How about we buy some cookies and milk while we wait?”
I cock a brow with a smile on my face. “Cookies and milk? What are we—five?”
He shrugs, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Cookies and milk always calm me down, whether I’m five or nineteen.”
Again, he’s so cute I almost can’t stand it. I’m not used to this type of sweetness.
“Fine, let’s get some cookies and milk,” I agree, pushing away from the shelf.
His smile widens, and I can’t help laughing.
“I’ve never seen anyone get so excited about cookies,” I remark as we amble down the aisle.
As we stop in front of the cookie section, he assesses the selection with his head angled to the side. “It’s because I don’t eat them a lot. I try to stick to a specific diet during training sessions.”
“Does it help?” I wonder. “I’ve done it before.”
“It does.” He picks up a box of frosted sugar cookies. “It’s always good to have a cheat day, though.”
“Or cheat night.” I tap the box.
“Or cheat night,” he agrees, showing me the cookies. “What do you think? Do you like sugar cookies?”
“They’re my favorite,” I reply, and that makes his grin shine through even more.
“Let’s go find the milk then.” He nods for me to follow as he walks off toward the right back section of the store.
I follow, my head spinning with confusion. Tonight has been bizarre. I went from hanging out to feeling betrayed by my mother to running from Drew to hanging out with River and talking about eating cookies and drinking milk.
“I’m not used to this,” I announce suddenly.
River flicks me a confused glance as he opens the refrigerator door where the milk is. “Used to what?”
I lift a shoulder. “I don’t know, like hanging out, feeling chill.”
