Page 113 of Should Our Stars Collide

Apart from work, he’s spent the past few days getting more magic lessons from Gabe—which included free coffee—and visiting Dee. Kieran caught him mid-painting and got to watch him work. That alone solidified what everyone’s been trying to tell him since he arrived here: his closest friend is living his best life, and Kieran doesn’t have to worry about him anymore. Overall, it’s been a pretty good few days.

But now he’s stuck with Ash again, and his mind is as far from peaceful as can be.

Ash, on the other hand, is the epitome of carefree, lying under the blazing sun like he can’t even feel the heat. He’s only missing a drink with an umbrella in it to complete the look.

Kieran wonders briefly if he’ll ever stop being both infuriating and magnetic at the same time.

Annoyed for no specific reason, he decides to be annoying back. And the best way to do it?

Complaining.

“Why did we go to Fiji of all places? It’s not like we don’t have beaches here.”

“You don’t do winter sports?—”

“Any sports.”

“—and hate hiking. Options were limited.”

Smug ass. Why does he have to have an answer for everything?! Once, just once, Kieran would love to shake him up.

Annoyance intensifying, an idea pops into his head. It’s random, just this prank thing he saw on Insta one time and thought it was hilarious.

Worth a shot.

Hiding a grin, he compels a barrier to rise around his thoughts, just in case Ash tries to have a looksie.

“Speaking of hiking, how long do you think it’d take to walk to the end of the world?” he asks, keeping what’s hopefully a straight face.

“Hypothetically or literally?”

Kieran blinks. Okay, that clearly went over Ash’s head. He might need to be a little more specific.

“Hypothetically. Ignore the oceans and hostile terrain. Just think of a person, walking and walking until they reach the end.”

Ash goes quiet, but not like someone who’s wondering what the fuck is going on, but like someone who’s actually doing the math.

“You mean if they walked the circumference of Earth? That’s about 40,000 kilometers, so?—”

“No, I meantheend,” Kieran stresses, frustrated. “Like, the very end. The edge.”

“The edge?”

“Duh. Since the Earth is flat.”

Slowly, Ash turns his head towards him, and slides his sunnies lower to peek at him over the rim. “The Earth is flat?”

Kieran bites his lip to stop a grin.

“Sure is. Haven’t you seen the articles? It’s proven. The bullshit about the planet being round is just a government conspiracy. There’s evidence.”

Ash’s brows rise, then pull slightly together in a frown. “I’ve read the articles. I’ve watched the documentary. I don’t agree with the physics of it, though.”

Kieran’s not liking how cool Ash is about the whole convo, but at least he’s buying it!

“Physics.” He scoffs. “What they teach at school is made up. And all that crap about satellite images… Anyone with mediocre photoshop skills could do that!”

More silence. Longer this time.