97

KATHERINE

~DAYS LATER~

I hadn't intended to go on a walk, let alone drag Bryson out of bed for it, but somehow, I had convinced him—or rather, forced him—to accompany me. His mood was less than pleasant, but I couldn’t say I blamed him.

Bryson, who had been silent for most of the walk, finally spoke up, his tone half-joking but still laced with frustration.

“Right now, I don’t know if I want to hug you or shove you off a bridge.”

I glanced over at him, catching the faint scowl on his face.

“Can I pick?” I replied, grinning as I gave him a playful nudge.

He didn’t respond immediately, but the scowl softened into a smirk. I knew I was getting to him.

“Shoving you off a bridge sounds appealing right about now.”

I chuckled.

“I’ll tell you, though—jail is no fun.”

That got his attention. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was trying to figure out if I was serious or not. “You’ve been to jail?”

I winked. “Once. In Monopoly.”

Bryson groaned but couldn’t help the laughter that escaped h