‘Finding him is what I’m anxious about,’ she admits.
‘He sounded like he’s been drinking, so let’s try the bar.’
Steering Anya in the direction of the bar, we both scan all the faces we pass, trying to find someone we recognise. It’s so busy in here, it feels hopeless trying to find him. The neon lights splash across Anya’s face, and my heart warms, despite everything that’s happening around us.
‘I’m so glad we figured it out,’ I murmur.
‘Hmm?’ she says, turning to face me.
‘Me and you. I’m so glad it worked out, and we’re back to us.’
She smiles. ‘Me too.’
‘He will accept this,’ I say, trying to convince myself just as much as her. ‘He can’t not.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
Anya’s phone rings, filling us both with dread. We stare at the unknown number.
‘Let me answer,’ I demand.
‘No,’ she argues. ‘He’ll tire eventually.’ Declining the call, she releases a huff. Her phone pings, and we both look at the message. She clicks on it, and an image of us appears. I lean in close, my heart hitting the ground at my feet. It’s a zoomed-in photo of us in the pool: my arms are around her, and our mouths are pressed together. There’s a timestamp with the date in the corner.
‘What the ...’ I trail off, my eyes widening. ‘He’s stalking us? How the hell did he even take that picture?’ My stomach churns uncomfortably at the thought of him spying on us. Especially Anya.
‘What the hell is he doing?’ she exclaims, furious. ‘What is his game?’
I shrug helplessly. ‘I really don’t know. Is he threatening to tell Zayden? Wouldn’t he assume Zayden already knows, since we led Dylan to believe we’re dating publicly?’
‘Unless he’s calling our bluff,’ she whispers.
Running my tongue across my teeth, I try to slow my racing mind so I can think clearly. The phone starts ringing. Yanking it from her hand as fast as a whip, I punch my finger into the screen and accept the call. ‘Listen here, you low-life fuck, if you harass my girlfriend one more time, I’m going to fucking bury you.’
‘Hey, Mason.’ Pinpricks of ice spear my veins at the sound of Dylan’s voice. My insides curl when I hear the background carnival noise through the phone. ‘Good to see you again. I’m just here with my friends. You don’t happen to think Zayden is here, do you?’
‘What the fuck do you want?’ I seethe, gripping the phone so tightly I wouldn’t be surprised if I cracked the screen.
‘I want Zayden to know what pieces of shit you both are.’
‘Fuck you.’
‘And I think it would be an enlightening chat for everyone. You stab my back, I stab yours.’
‘I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.’
‘I know you and Anya were together when I was with her.’
‘I’m not sure how that’s possible, since I was travelling, you moron.’
‘I saw your text!’ He hisses, and I can almost feel the anger pouring out of him with each word.
‘One text, in a moment of weakness, when I didn’t even know you were together,’ I argue, thinking back to the night I got roaring drunk and was looking at old photos of me and Anya. Texting her one of my favourite pictures of us, sayingI miss this, seemed harmless at the time. I just wanted to hear from her. ‘She didn’t fucking respond.’
He scoffs. ‘Right. I’m supposed to believe that.’
‘What purpose does this even serve you?’ I snarl. ‘You did this. You broke her heart. You don’t get a second chance.’
‘Like you did, you mean?’
