Page 26 (1/2)

Lark leaned back and tapped his full lower lip while he mused, “So, it’s definitely someone froht What’s the na? Cunning?”

I griotten Lark was much shrewder than he seemed

He bounced in his seat I was surprised he was actually in a chair for once “That’s it! Wow, you slept with your arch enemy!”

“It’s overstated to call hiet on each other’s nerves”

“Except when you’re boning, apparently” That ca

I turned to him and said, “You can’t tell your cousin Yolanda will flip if she finds out She can’t stand Koenig, so she’s going to think I’ve lost my mind”

Kel knit his brows and exclaimed, “You shouldn’t care what people think! It’s nobody’s business who you want to be with Even if they’re friends or faet a vote” He looked around self-consciously and added, “I think I’uess that’s what happens when you spend a year in love with a guy who’s still totally in the closet and treats you like a dirty little secret”

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Kel and offered hi it off by saying, “I’ll be alright Let’s notdeal out of it, okay?”

In response, Lark fished around in the pocket of his hoodie, pulled out a wrapped lollipop, and handed it to Kel, who perked up and smiled Sometimes the simplest responses were the best ones, apparently

When I arrived at the hospital and stepped onto the pediatrics floor, the first person I saas Koenig I had no idea what he was doing there on a Sunday He alking toward lanced up and saw me

A lot of different emotions played over his features in rapid succession, including embarrassment Eventually, he landed on horror, and he turned and fled in the opposite direction

Wow, okay So, in other words, this was going to be aard as hell

I dropped offto Oscar’s room “Hi, Casey,” he said with a smile “I like your T-shirt That’s funny” It featured a cartoon of a gray seal sticking its head out of the water, with a speech balloon that said, “I approve”

“Thanks, it’s a personal favorite” I pulled the chair closer to his bedside and asked, “So, are you ready to dive back into the book?” He nodded enthusiastically

We only read for about forty e of paindrowsiness, but it wasn’t a bad thing that he was getting some extra sleep I returned the book to his side table, slipped out of the room as quietly as possible, and went to the nurse’s station