She took it way too seriously. Threw her arms in the air, ran a victory lap, and did a celebration dance that looked like someone electrocuted a flamingo.
“You’re the worst,” I told her.
“And yet, I scored on you. History will remember this.”
That was it. I cracked.
I laughed—really laughed. Not a fake, polite chuckle. A full-body, no-holding-back kind of laugh. The kind I hadn’t felt in… too long.
She stopped mid-flap and turned toward me, clearly startled. “Did you just laugh?”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“Oh, I am writing this down in my notes app. Kieren Walker: embarrassed by my dance, destroyed by my skills.”
I shook my head, still smiling. My cheeks ached.
It was dumb. It was pointless.
It was the most fun I’d had in months.
For a second, I forgot it was fake.
And if it wasn’t… if this were real—I might even say I liked it. Her.
That was dangerous.
But I didn’t stop smiling.
We walked back to the truck in a lazy kind of silence, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the field. Daphne’s ponytail bounced with each step, and she still had grass stains on her knees from her dramatic falls. I should’ve been smug about that. Instead, I found myself kind of wishing the walk was longer.
Then I saw the car parked across the street.
Unmarked. Windows tinted. Just a little too conveniently angled.
I knew that kind of car. I’d had years of dealing with them.
Paps.
Cameron had said we might “get lucky” if we hit a public place. Bastard was probably already checking the wire.
I glanced at Daphne. She must’ve seen my face shift, because her eyebrows lifted.
“We’re being watched,” I muttered.
She didn’t miss a beat. “I figured. You’re not this charming on your own.”
I huffed out a half-laugh. Then did the only thing I could think of.
I reached for her hand.
It felt awkward, like I hadn’t done it in a decade. My palm was rough. Hers was smaller, warm, fingers curling instinctively with mine.
She glanced down. “Wow. Holding hands? You’re really committing to this.”
“Cameron said it reads well.”
“You could at least fake a smile.”
