Page 23 of Stop and Seek (Our Childish Games #1)

Max.

The way his whole body had been twisted in knots the whole damn time.

Benji’s voice caught him off guard as he went up the first step.

“Please tell me something in there is for me.”

“You can thank Kyran for reminding me you existed,” Noah said, digging for the right order. “If you ask if I got it wrong, I’m eating it myself. Kyran sent me a novel. ”

Benji tilted his head, clearly amused, then shrugged. “I’ll tell him thanks.” He stamped out his cigarette and motioned behind him. “I found company while I was dying of heat exposure.”

Noah’s gaze flicked up—and oh.

Her.

He hadn’t even seen Rachel standing there. His brain must’ve tuned her out. She gave him a small wave.

“Have you two been outside chain smoking the entire time?” he asked, voice flat.

Why the hell was she looking at him like that?

She was Theo’s friend. Theo’s friend.

“For an hour, maybe,” Rachel said. “I was killing time waiting for Teddy, and we’ve been shooting the shit. I’m Rachel, by the by.”

“I know who you are. Theo’s talked about you. Theater kid, right?”

“And you’re a fellow Will Wood fan.” She tapped the ash off with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I figured the jocks had something buried beneath hair gel and letterman jackets. Fun little secrets, right?”

Benji laughed.

If it was a joke, it didn’t land. Something about the way she said it, all soft and knowing, made his skin crawl. Like she was daring him to admit it. Like she already knew something.

He couldn’t stop watching the way Rachel held her cigarette, the way she tilted her head, the way her perfume clawed its way through the smoke. Bubblegum and warning signs. She wasn’t just being cute—she was clocking him .

Leave it to Benji to not notice a damn thing that wasn’t himself, Belle, or Kyran.

“I have to get Max her food before she loses it,” Noah said dryly, looking back to Benji. “She’s in a mood today.”

Rachel ground out her cigarette with her heel and smoothed her hair back, stepping closer.

“I’ll walk with you. I was going inside anyway.”

Of course you fucking will.

“Teddy’s my best friend, you know,” Rachel said as they walked into the hall.

“Figured that out.”

She stepped in front of him suddenly, and Noah had to pull up short to avoid bumping into her. She looked up at him, all chin tilt and attitude. “Have you?”

“Yes,” he sighed, shifting the cup holder to his other hand. “Whatever it is, just say it. I’m not a total idiot, and I’ve got zero patience left today.”

“Nope. I’m not either. Every time I’ve turned around today, I see you watching him.

Not to mention how upset he was about Friday night.

Actually,” she gave a bitter little laugh, “this whole weekend has been a rollercoaster for him, hasn’t it?

Adding it up, it’s a little creepy when it keeps coming back to you, Noah. ”

Creepy? She thought he was the creepy one ?

There were way shadier people than him in Eunice. Noah knew most of them.

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea,” he said, voice strained trying to keep cool.

“I don’t think I do. Theo’s been through enough shit, and I’d appreciate if your little posse left him alone.”

Your little posse—

What the hell was she even talking about?

Noah laughed. “Sweetheart, listen to me. Your imagination’s going full villain mode . Everyone’s been great to Theo. If he’s saying otherwise…” He shrugged and let his voice drop. “Maybe you’re not listening close enough.”

Rachel’s sugary tone hardened into something that tried to match his. She wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Don’t bullshit me. I know the kind of person you are. The type who fucking preys on people for jokes or kicks. I’ve seen it before. Is it a dare? Some stupid prank for the reunion?”

Noah tightened his grip on the bag, and it took every ounce of restraint not to fling it in her face. “ Watch your mouth. ”

“There it is,” she said, almost satisfied. Like she wanted to make him snap. “Right there.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I’m serious as a heart attack, Noah. I won’t hesitate to call the police if I think something is going sideways. Do you hear me?”

Every inch of Noah was buzzing, thoughts looping like static.

You don’t know him. You don’t fucking know him.

The echo of the hallways went quiet, like it had been vacuumed out of the building. He sat the bag and drinks on the bench beside them and reached out before he could stop himself .

Her face was colder than he expected. She didn’t flinch when he cupped it.

“Don’t threaten me. Do you understand?” he whispered, leaning closer to her ear. “You’re lucky you matter to Theo. That’s the only reason I’m being nice. But that luck?” He pulled back. “It won’t last if you keep pushing.”

Rachel didn’t blink, but there was a change in her. That tight little pinch around her mouth. The twitch of her fingers like she wanted to slap him. She was rattled.

Good.

“Can you not hit on all the women? Please and thank you, Noah.” Benji’s voice came from behind, dramatic and jealous as hell.

Noah straightened up slowly, dragging a finger through one of Rachel’s curls like he hadn’t just nearly lost it.

“Only the cutest ones,” he said over his shoulder, throwing Benji a flash of teeth. He picked up the food and drinks again. “It’s a wash, anyway. She’s not interested.”

Only one person mattered, and it sure as hell wasn’t Rachel.

“Did you like, get stuck behind a dump truck?” Max asked when he dropped the bag in the audio visual room. “It took you forever. ”

“Something like that,” Noah muttered, leaning against the console and rolling his shoulders until they cracked. “My back is killing me.”

He tugged his phone out again, thumbing the screen even though he already knew it by heart. Still no reply from Theo. Not even a stupid emoji.

He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, tapped out a new message with one hand while the other massaged the back of his neck.

Noah

There’s a get-together after the game tonight. Can you come?

The dots popped up immediately and his chest actually jumped .

Theo

no

Noah

No big. Do you have plans?

The dots vanished. Nothing.

Noah set the phone face down in his lap. He dug the heel of his palm into his temple and groaned.

He’s mad at me. He’s mad and he’s not gonna say why and I’m not supposed to freak out about it but I kinda am freaking out about it.

“Did you rig the game?” he asked.

Max glanced up from her salad, half a tomato stuck on her fork. She chewed. And chewed. And chewed . Until he felt like grabbing her fork and hurling it.

Then finally, she leaned back and swallowed. “Define rig . ”

“Did you, or did you not, already decide who the winners are?”

“Before we started?” She grabbed her slushie, sipping loud enough to make his eye twitch. “No.”

“Max…”

“What?” she asked, stabbing another limp piece of lettuce. “Kyran suggested we make it into a romance story, and hell—sure. It sounded like a good idea. I do not give a shit.”

“A romance—” He dragged his hand down his face, “What does that even mean? ” He could already feel the headache pressing behind his eyes.

“Kayla, or something, is the Hider. Kyran said she had this big sob story about being cheated on, can't get preggo, blah blah blah.” Max rolled her fork, sloshing dressing across the table. “She used to date the Seeker here. He still loves her. Whatever. It’s good publicity. It looks charitable for my father, and it’ll pull in more views for our influencer. Win-win.”

Noah stared at the floor, his brain going too fast to keep up. None of this mattered. All he wanted to do was grab Theo, toss him over his shoulder, and leave. Just go . Anywhere .

Jesus.

Everything was a fucking mess.

Watching the last few games was hell . Actual, stomach-churning hell. Noah tried to keep his eyes on his phone, scrolled and scrolled like it would distract him—but he didn’t remember a single post. His gaze kept dragging back to the damn camera feeds.

And every time he caught sight of Theo, something in his chest pinched.

He’d look at Theo for two seconds and then force himself to stop.

It was too much.

Theo had been so excited the other day. All lit up. Clapping, screaming, glowing. Noah had hung back in the gym, pretending not to stare like an idiot, pretending it didn’t melt him a little every time Theo smiled.

Now he had to sit and watch as all of that got stomped out.

He couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

Maybe Max was right. Maybe he was too emotionally involved.

But what was he supposed to do? Hit the emergency brakes? Jump off the ride?

That train left the station hard and Noah had zero regrets.

And Theo wasn’t Callie. He wasn’t cruel like she was. Wasn’t manipulative. Wouldn’t lie straight to his face.

Theo was kind and soft.

Theo was perfect.

“Congratulations!” Kyran’s voice exploded from the crackly PA system, too loud and way too cheerful. “I’ll see my winners back in the gym. To all those still hanging around, I got some more fun announcements for you dolls, too!”

Noah didn’t move .

Max popped her gum and gathered her stuff like nothing had happened, but he just sat there, hands gripping the sides of his phone. His thoughts were loud. Messy.

“Come on slow poke,” Max said, shoving his shoulder. “I wanna be there to see this go down.”

Maybe—

Maybe Theo was alright. Maybe he’d take it better than Noah was thinking.

Inside the gym, Kyran was still rambling into the mic about prize money, wire transfers, after parties—blah, blah, who cared ? Noah didn’t hear a word of it.

Not when he saw Theo.

Crouched against the wall. Soaked in sweat. Head buried in his hands like he was trying not to break apart.

Noah’s chest squeezed tight, something white-hot and awful crawling up his throat. He started toward him on instinct, but Rachel’s glare stopped him cold.

She was already beside him. Hand on his shoulder. Comforting him.

That was supposed to be him.

He stood frozen, fists clenched, watching her lips move while Theo shook his head. When Theo’s hands dropped and he leaned back, the expression on his face wasn’t just hurt or angry—it was something deeper. Something crushed .

Noah hated it. Hated her . Hated that he’d been too slow.

No. Not this time. He wasn’t just going to watch .

He closed the distance fast, planting himself in front of them. “Are you doing okay?”

“Okay,” Theo echoed, voice dead inside. “No. I’m not fucking okay . I don’t—I don’t fucking get what happened.”

Noah sank down onto his heels. “What happened?”

“I. Don’t. Know.” Theo shoved his glasses to the top of his head and rubbed his eyes. “ I don’t know , and that’s the problem. There were two other fucking Hiders around me— two —and somehow—somehow, I’m the only one that gets caught? Two times in a row by two different fucking people? ”

“I’m sorry, Theo.”

It wasn’t much, but it was all he had. He sucked at comforting people—he knew that—but he’d rip his own heart out if it would make Theo feel better.

“We’ll get some cheese fries and shakes on the way to Cleveland, okay?” Rachel said gently. “You can vent, and we’ll go back to your place and binge all of the Scream movies. Sound good?”

Noah wasn’t going to fight her here. Even though all he wanted to do was shove her out of the way and pull Theo into his lap. Hold on until Theo was spitting angry comments and struggling to get free.

“I don’t care,” Theo muttered, voice hollow. “I don’t really give a fuck.”

Noah’s throat burned. He reached out without thinking, letting his hand settle on Theo’s shoe.

“Do you need something? Anything?” he asked, softer now. Hoping. Begging .

Theo shifted, curling tighter, like he was trying to protect what was left of himself. Then he swallowed—hard—and when he spoke again, his voice cracked right down the middle.

“A second fucking chance.”