It all started with a game

Chapter 6.2

And with that, we went back to the silence.

And I figured she would have dropped off after the first fifteen minutes, or maybe even after the first half hour but an hour passed by and she was still beside me. And then another half hour, still there. And one more half hour and she was no longer by my side, trailing slightly behind me, drenched head to toe in sweat and suddenly I was feeling worse than I did before. I didn't think she'd stay this long. We'd been walking in one large circle for the last hour and even I was exhausted.

I wasn't sure where she had moved from but she clearly wasn't used to the constant heat. I tried to ignore it but it was hard not to feel horrible when I could hear her struggling to breath behind me. "You didn't have to walk with me." Perhaps I should have said that two hours ago.

It took her a second to get the words out, her face pain stricken and red from the heat. "I know."

I sighed, turning back around to face her. She attempted to run to catch up but it came out as more of a waddle. "Here, get on my back." I squatted down so she'd be able to reach.

She stilled, staring at me. "What?"

"Get on my back."

I didn't have to ask a third time before she was scrambling onto my back and despite the fact that I had crouched down it was still unreasonably difficult. I stood, jumping her up and attempting to get a better grip on her thighs, the sweat that coated them making it difficult to hold on.

She rested her chin in the nape of my neck, her skin practically burning against mine. She didn't seem to mind that I was also coated in sweat and probably didn't smell the best, as she cracked open the book, resting it in front of her eyes.

I should have known.

"Where do you want to go?" I questioned, knowing the small town over was only a few minutes from here and had about everything.

Her eyes lit up. "Food!" She answered in a heartbeat.

I nodded, bumping her up again, knowing the perfect place to take her.

I stopped outside of the local diner, one of my favorite places. I set her down, managing to catch her waist before she hit the ground, her legs still trembling from the walk. She giggled, managing to stand up.

"Where are we?" She questioned, walking ahead of me and into the building.

"Henri's diner." I answered, trailing behind her.

This was my favorite place. I may as well have eaten here every night. The owner and I are on a first name basis. "Ryder!" One of the waitresses greeted me, pulling me into a hug.

"Hi, Caitlyn." I had known Caitlin since she was six. She was the owner's daughter and it's the only reason she got away with being a waitress so young, but everyone here loved her.

"I'll go get mom. She'll want to say hi."

She always does. It doesn't matter if I come here four times a week she'll be sure to greet me no matter what.

Caitlin stilled beside me, looking Beatrice up and down. Beatrice didn't even seem to realize Caitlin's present, too distracted by the buzzing scenery to focus on anything else. She stared at everything in awe, almost as if she was trying to memorize every last detail.

Caitlin looked back to me and then again at Beatrice. "Is that—" She walked a circle around Beatrice, who finally paid attention to her, giving her a small smile and then managing to get distracted as a wave crashed up on the shore just outside the diner.