Becket Drive - h.s.

Chapter 31

Harry

I guide Vera around the crowd of strangers that gathered around once they heard Ethan shouting.

I start heading in the direction I remember the parking lot to be in but Vera stops in her tracks, heading further into the festival.

"What are you-" I start.

"We still need to get funnel cake," she says blankly. Her tone doesn't match her expression, which is annoyed.

Vera steps into a line of people waiting for funnel cake. I drop my hand from her back as we wait, the line slowly moving forward. When we reach the front, we're greeted by an overly cheery employee. Vera orders one funnel cake and I hand over my card before she can reach for hers.

Stepping aside to wait for our order, Vera stays silent. Not that I'm fucking saying anything either. Before I can even think of something to say, our number is called and she goes up to the counter.

Vera comes back holding a plate with a huge doughy mound covered with powdered sugar on it, forks and napkins in her other hand. She walks past me to head to the tables they have set up, finding a spot and sitting down. Her silence is starting to get to me.

"Are you-"

"What were you thinking?" she breathes.

"What was I thinking?" I ask. Ethan was the one who came up to us and started fucking insinuating things.

"You didn't have to punch him," she says, sticking her fork into the funnel cake and ripping off a piece.

"He called you a whore," I say incredulously, "What was I supposed to do?"

"Not punch him," she deadpans, chewing on her bite of the cake.

"Why are you defending him?" I ask. After he cheated on her and came after her again, I thought she would be less inclined to fucking stand up for him.

"I'm not defending him," she says.

"It sounds like you are," I watch as she sets her fork down and finally meets my eye.

"I'm not," she says again, sternly this time.

"Then why does it matter? If anything he deserved it," I say.

Vera sighs, "I just didn't want it to end badly for you."

My eyebrows furrow at her words, "How could it end badly for me?"

She gestures back toward the carousel, "You saw how many people stood by to watch," she says, "And what if Ethan calls the cops or something?"

I shake my head, "He won't call the fucking cops, his ego will see to that."

"Really?" she asks skeptically.

I nod, "He won't want to admit to himself, let alone a fucking cop that I broke his nose."

"You didn't break his nose," she rolls her eyes.

"I definitely heard a crack," I say.

A smile creeps up on Vera's face, moments before it turns into a laugh. I smirk, watching as she reaches over and grabs the second fork in front of her.

"You still have to try the funnel cake," she says, holding the fork out to me.

I hesitantly take it from her, digging it into the cake and cutting off a small piece. I bring it up to my mouth as Vera watches for my reaction once I take a bite.

It's sweet, but not unbearable. I haven't had powdered sugar in a long time so I'd forgotten it was this good. I go in for a second bite once I'm done with the first.