Page 10 (1/2)

He nods as the light changes and the crowd of people shuffle forward together, taking us up in a wave of momentum

When we reach the steps in Pier Plaza, there’s al is very popular in the suet here at least a half hour early on the weekends

"We’re late," ht, tugging oes And then he finds a seat for us, squished up against a pillar He sits down first and I look dubiously at the small space left for me He pats his knee "Sit, Harper"

He draws me towards him until I plop down in his lap

As if I had a choice?

When he wraps his arainst the concrete pillar, I tense up iht now

He leans into my neck "Relax," he says softly

"I can’t help it," I say back "I don’t even know your naed or so"

"Later, Harper Just enjoy the show It’s about to start"

I give in He -willed girl inside me wants to object

But I don’t Because I like it He feels so faer For the first time in over a year, I feel safe And since the one lesson I learned early was that safety was a gift, I decide to accept it

I lean back against his chest and I feel our heartbeats Mine, then his Then ether Everyone around us is talking and joking Babies cry Skaters do tricks off the wall on the other side of the bike path But we re

The fiery orange ball of fla darkens And then, like the sun was taking its tiest hurry, it disappears

People clap and kids cheer They do this every night Soular they are at the sunsets

I spy an older wo atwink and I blush She thinks this stranger and I are together And ouldn’t she? I’ ainst his chest Our hearts beating in synchronicity

We remain like this until everyone around us drifts away "Now?" I ask

"Do you want my real name? My associate na yawn

"Just one tonight Pick"

I have a very bad feeling about this "And the associate nareat "What kind of code?" I already know, but I ask anyway because I need to be absolutely sure