“I’m not a big socialiser.” Then I gesture. “After you.”
I swear she stamps her foot as she turns around, her feet slamming down on the pavement as she takes a few steps.
“You can walk me to the end of my street,” she tries to bargain. It’s actually pretty cute that she’s trying to stand toe to toe with me. “No closer.”
Frowning, I consider it. It’s a safe call. She doesn’t know me, after all.
“That’s fair. Lead the way, Gabrielle.”
We fall into uneasy silence as we walk through pitch black streets, the only light coming from the occasional streetlamp. Minutes stretch out, and I glance down at her from the corner of my eye. She’s chewing her lip as she looks around.
“Really close, huh?”
She flushes. “It’s notthatfar.”
“’Mmm. Pretty sure we’ve lapped the city twice by now.”
Her lip twitches. “Only another three to go.”
My laugh shakes my chest, startling us both.
“Think you’ll make it?” I ask, and she glances up at me. “You’ve got really little legs, you know.”
She looks outraged. “I am notlittle!”
“I’m twice your size,” I point out. “Need a piggy back?”
She sniffs indignantly. “No, thank you.”
“Well, the offer’s there.”
We reach the river, the streetlights dotting over us casting little sprinkles of light across her face.
“This is home.” She points down a street I’m not familiar with. Battered windows hang from broken frames in the house closest to us.
I take a deep breath. Can’t push my luck too far.
“How far down are you?”
She points to a spot just beyond my line of sight. “Just there.”
I don’t like it, but I don’t force it. “Okay. I’ll wait here for a minute, just in case.”
She nods, taking a few steps away from me. My sweatshirt swishes as she turns.
“Axel?”
“Yeah?”
She shrugs. “Thank you. For walking me… home.”
“You’re welcome, little spoon.”
The nickname slips out, and it’s completely worth it for the look on her face. Her mouth falls open. “Little spoon?”
I shrug, leaning against a lamppost.
“You woulddefinitelybe the little spoon.”
