Page 66

Maybe that was dangerous in an entirely new way.

I hesitated long enough that his eyes shifted, disappointment slipping through before he could hide it.

Then I nodded. “Okay.”

We fell into step, side by side along the main path. Lights from the rides strobed across the packed dirt, bathing his face in rotating shades of red and gold and blue.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets, suddenly unsure what to do with them.

“So,” I said. “Do you just…walk around after you risk brain damage for fun?”

“Usually.” His voice had a hint of dry humor to it. “It helps me come down.”

“From the adrenaline?”

“From everything.” He flicked me a sidelong glance. “What about you? I bet this isn’t your usual Friday night.”

“No,” I said gravely. “I don’t usually travel to small towns, destroy their monuments, and watch strangers throw themselves at livestock. It’s very off-brand for me.”

His mouth twitched again.

We passed a line of teenagers waiting for the Gravitron, all giggles and neon crop tops. Two little girls darted in front of us, their braids bouncing and their hands sticky with cotton candy.

He shoved his hands into his own back pockets, his broad shoulders rolling slightly in a shrug. “So where’s home for you, actually, Sienna?”

I kept my gaze forward, ignoring that inappropriate feeling I got every time he said my name. “Boston.”

“Yes, you’ve said that before.” He paused. “But what part of Boston?”

“The…house part,” I said unhelpfully.

He gave me a look.

“The suburbs,” I amended. “On the west side. Where the houses have names and the trees are older than the people arguing over property values.”

“Fancy,” he said.

“So fancy,” I murmured, my lips pursing in disgust. So many people had turned a blind eye to what David did to me…all because he was rich. That was what fancy did for you.

He huffed a breath that might have been a laugh. “You miss it?”

The question hit harder than it should’ve.

Did I miss it? Did I miss the way David’s voice had filled every room, even when he wasn’t home? Did I miss how my reflection had shrunk over the years into someone I barely recognized?

Did I miss the tears?

“No,” I said, too quickly. Then softer, “Not at all.”

He watched my profile for a moment, like he could hear all the things I wasn’t saying. “I get the whole fresh start thing,” he murmured. “But what pulled you to California?”

The answer to that was very simple but of course…I couldn’t just say that.

“I decided I was tired of the sunrises and wanted some sunsets,” I quipped.

“Did you just try and answer me with reverse Augustana lyrics?” he asked, sounding intrigued.

“I blacked out and a 2000s playlist took over,” I said. “It sometimes happens to me under pressure.”