I shook my head, dismissing her question as I turned away, feeling an overwhelming urge to escape the scene. I made my way to a nearby bench, where I sank down, hoping to catch my breath. But as I shifted my weight, a sharp pain shot through my back heel.
Glancing down, I was dismayed to see blood seeping through the fabric of my shoe. Just my luck.
Landon, buoyed by his ability to splurge, quickly bought three cones of ice cream. He handed one to me, but I politely declined. “Thank you, but I don’t need it.”
His expression darkened at my refusal. “Can you be a little nicer? I bought them for you!”
Brittany, ever the opportunist, grabbed the cones, one in each hand. “Landon, you’re such an idiot! Olive just got out of the hospital—of course she can’t eat cold food! How could you forget that? But I guess you remember my menstrual cycle just fine.”
With that, she skipped ahead, taking playful bites from both cones like a carefree child, her innocence shining through. Landon’s embarrassment was palpable as he hurried after her. “Brit, you can’t eat so much cold food! You’ll end up with diarrhea!”
Just as he finished his warning, a sudden scream echoed nearby, slicing through the air.