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“Steph.”

“They’rejust creepy legends that cause more harm than good,”Ifinally answer.

“C’mon, it’s just spooky fun—”

“No, it’s not,Ty,”Isay, raising my voice asIglare at him. “Badthings have happened because of these legends, andIdon’t want you going around that shit and getting hurt.”

“Hey,” he starts softly and reaching for my hand. “Youdon’t have to bite my head off.Allyou gotta do is tell me it scares you, okay?”

Imake myself take a deep breath, slowly exhaling to calm my fried nerves. “Okay.I’msorry.”

Hesqueezes my hand. “Iknow you aren’t a big horror fan, but damn.”

ThesmileItry to force doesn’t show as he starts theJeepand takes the long way home.

“Sohow is it bein’ back inTimeless?”

Ishrug. “It’sa shit show, but it’smyshit show.”

Thesilence between the two of us is as tense as it was whenIblew up at the store.Itworsens whenIrealize we’re passing theRamosestate.ButtheHellcatandTacomaare gone.

BeforeIcan open the door once we park next toRobbie’struck,Tygrabs my hand again.

“Steph,I’mnot gonna lie,” he starts, “I’mnot here just to visit.”

“Iknow.”

“Ireally do miss you.”

Hisstare is serious, butIgive him a small smile. “Imiss you, too.Gotused to hanging out atDirtyPeachtwenty-four seven and you bringing me coffee all the time.”

“Mhmm, you’ll always come back around for your caffeine dealer.”

Isnort, laughing softly, and he turns in his seat to face me, hand touching my cheek and lips meeting mine beforeIhave a chance to move away.

Hiskiss is soft and gentle and long—even ifIwanted to pull away,Idon’t thinkIwould because this is as close to normal asI’llever get the rest of my life.

MaybeAtlantawould be normal.

Myhand covers his on my cheek, and my lips part, allowingTyto deepen the kiss and whisk me far away from here, all the way back to the dimly-lit coldness ofDirtyPeachwhere the world didn’t exist outside of riffs, mics, and sound boards.

Nothingmattered outside of music there.

Hebreaks away, murmuring, “Ithink we’d be good together, you and me.Forreal.”

Despitethe hopeful twinkle in his eye, the shadows slinking between trees outside theJeeppush me away from the prospect of normalcy and toward the house.

Ibreathe in deeply of sulfur before stepping inside.

Chapter20

“Sidewinder”

–Avenged Sevenfold

RobbieandTyholler at one another over the clanking of horseshoes and a metal mix playlist in the backyard.Dad, permanently sun-kissed with a deep tan, yells at them from the grill to tone it down when “SweetLeaf” starts to play.Mom,Brandy, andIlounge on floats in the pool,Momand me with frozen margaritas in hand,Brandywith any icy lemonade.

Itmight beSeptember, but this could be the start to the best summerI’vehad in a while.