305
Rooster leans against the frame of Studio 3 like he owns the damn building Canal Relaxed. Like this isn’t completely unhinged
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, low and sharp.
He lifts one hand in surrender, the other still jammed in the pocket of his jacket. His mouth pulls into a fazy smile.
“Listen,” he says. “Penny did something.”
My chest tightens.
He holds up both hands now, quickly. “Nothing bad. I mean–it’s Penny. So it’s insanely thought–out, emotional, and dramatic as hell.”
That tracks.
“She wanted to surprise you. But midway through it, she panicked.”
“Why?”
Rooster tilts his head and gestures to the studio door. “Because she realized who you are, and what surprises do to a guy like you. Her words were, What if he walks in and thinks it’s an ambush and shoots everyone in there?”
I stare at him.
He grins. “And honestly? She’s not exactly wrong.”
“I’m not carrying,” I mutter.
“I know,” he says. “I know. But Penny doesn’t always remember that your brain doesn’t have an off switch. So she begged me to intercept you and make sure you came in without, you know… deckin‘ anyone.”
My pulse is still off. I hate this. The unknown. The darkness behind the door. The instinctive tension coiled in my spine like something’s about to explode. I think of a thousand possible scenarios–training burns them into my head before I can stop them:
Someone’s hurt.
This is a trap.
The Vultures came back.
Penny’s missing.
There’s a body in there.
It’s a joke.
It’s a setup.
She’s saying goodbye.
1/4
pm
Chapter 305
She’s waiting. Watching me. Eyes locked on mine.
She’s not in a costume this time. Not in rehearsal gear. Just soft jeans and a fitted top, hair half up, thin plowing from reset and anobery
And then my face splits into a grin before I even know I’m doing it.
The tightness in my shoulders unwinds all at once. The storm in my head clears, and there’s only one thought left-
This girl.
I start walking, slow, deliberate, like I’ve been moving through war zones just to get here. The crowd blurs around her. The cake, the Fights, the ones they all fade.
1 reach her.
And before I can say a word, she raises her eyebrows and says, “So… surprise?”
I shake my head, jaw tight, lips curved. “You’re insane.”
“But happy insane?”
I grab her waist, pull her against me, and kiss her like that was the answer.
Behind us, someone whistles. Someone else yells “Awww!” and Rooster mutters, “Called it.”
But I don’t care. I kiss her just a little more, pulling away when I remember that her parents are probably watching, and hold her hand as I look around the
room.
Now that I’m actually taking it all in–really looking at the chaos around me–I start to catch the details.
Everyone’s in some kind of gear. Not like Halloween costume gear, but like… tactical. Camouflage pants, combat boots, aviator sunglasses inside (Max), full- blown bulletproof vests that are definitely not regulation. Mila’s wearing face paint. Anna has dog tags clinking against a glittery tank top. Even Boomer’s in
handed out his old uniform pants and a black shirt tight enough to show off his arms like a walking recruitment poster. Someone – probably Rooster patches and belts and fake radios to complete the look.
It’s like a SEAL team crashed a costume party and decided to stay.
–
And the decorations?
All black. Jet black streamers twisted across the mirrors, balloons floating near the ceiling like little warning signs. There’s a massive poster that says OPERATION: ASHER 2-4 with a skull on it. Classy. But what really gets me are the cardboard cutouts.
They’re everywhere.
In every corner, stuck behind tables and lurking behind chairs, are characters with one thing in common
Anger from Inside Out, arms crossed and teeth bared.
The Grinch, mid–sneer.
Squidward.
–
they all look completely done with life.
3/4
5:02 pm
Chapter 305
Batman.
The grumpy old man from that balloon house movie.
Even Eeyore made the guest list.
I spot a sign taped to a chair that reads: Reserved for Asher’s Emotional Support Mood
I blink. Then I grin.
And then I laugh.
Like, actually laugh
–
loud and sudden, from the gut – because it’s so stupid and specific and weird and over–the–top. But it’s also… weirdly perfect.
Comments
R Visitor
i thought something happened, Rooster lost it or something
7 days ago
33
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
