Before Ryan could respond, Halley was there, one hand on his back, the other on his chest. “Come on,” she said, pulling him back, not toward the party but toward the tree line. “Let’s take a walk.”
Still staring at Beth, flabbergasted, Ryan’s feet began to move, and soon enough, he was gone, into the trees. With Halley.
“Oh, my God, Beth! Are you okay?” Carly and Jessica were there now, their hands grasping at her shoulders.
She spun around as Sammy started his car. They all took a collective step over out of his way, letting him pull out of the parking spot. “Did that gross Sammy Burk try to do something to you?” Jessica asked, scowling at him. “I’ll kick him in the balls.”
Beth dug way down deep inside of her façade and managed a giggle. “Yeah, right. Like Sammy Burk has any balls.”
