What Happens After Midnight

by K.L. Walther

I felt like we were in the Hunger Games, creeping through the arena with all eyes trained on us.

chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

“Blair isn’t a girlfriend, Lily. Blair is a Band-Aid.” He paused. “Well, more like a box of Band-Aids.”

“What scares you?” “Never talking to you again,” he answered.

Don’t say friends, I thought. We can’t be friends.

there were only two options when it came to Taggart Swell: loving him with every bone in my body and beat of my heart or cutting ties with him completely.

The words were bracketed by an ivy wreath, which had been sketched by…well, me.

Although I never imagined he would someday ink it on his skin.

it would be impossible to trace the robbery back to Bonnie and Clyde. Unless we got caught.

Nothing about being the Jester seemed worth it if you couldn’t be my partner in crime.”

I wanted to see if you’d care.” He shrugged. “You didn’t.”

“That’s not true.” I swallowed hard, remembering. “I sat in my room and stared at my phone for almost the whole afternoon, wondering if I should call you.”

Our stolen moment at the boathouse meant nothing.

I wanted to crawl under my covers and cry.

there’s a goddamn house key on the goddamn key ring in my goddamn pocket.

“Please stop worrying so much.” Please stop giving me reasons to, I thought,

I’d never been able to pretend with Tag; it had always been all or nothing with him. But for the Jester’s sake, I knew I had to try, no matter how treacherous it already felt and how painful it would be in the end.

I DON’T NEED TO TALK TO BLAIR, HOPS, BUT I DO NEED TO TALK TO YOU AND YOU NEED TO TALK TO ME. OKAY?

the thread hadn’t snapped. It had never truly snapped.

“He keeps patching up the dark hole with the same bandage because he believes you are lost and that he’s never going to find you.”

“you’ve got Tag’s favorite smile on your face.”

Tag’s and my communication skills were terrible. We had to stop skirting around the truth, no matter how scary it was.

My heart dropped in horror as Alex pleaded, “Please don’t kiss the messenger.”

this time, someone else is going to answer the knock.”

I wanted to shout his name from the center of the Circle. Because I loved him. I loved him from my head to my toes, fully and faithfully—and dare I say it, forever.

Let the games begin.

We both had the right to crush on Tag, a wholeheartedly equal right. She had chosen to shoot her shot when it looked like Tag and I were drifting apart, and while their relationship hadn’t been healthy, it hadn’t caused the ruin of mine.

“Happiness, all because of you.”

Only with someone you love, Lily! To me, Taggart Swell was the only someone to love.