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Tanner

″You did what?″

Tanner, stunned by the thick venom that laced Emma′s tone, echoed feebly, ″I ran away.″

″So let me get this straight,″ she went on, to which Farissa added an unhelpful, Tanny isn′t. ″You ghosted us at the Haunted House to go stalk some guy －″

″And a kid,″ Farissa chimed in. Once again, unhelpfully.

″－ for three whole hours, didn′t answer any of our calls, and ran away when he saw you?″

Admittedly, he did sound like a jerk. Slowly, he nodded. Lights from the Ferris wheel casted a dim glow across the girls′ faces, illuminating the edge of the pier where they stood. Distant screams from the rollercoaster accompanied Emma′s voice.

″Asshole,″ Emma hissed, but followed with, ″you could have at least brought us with you.″

Tanner blinked, confused. ″Huh?″

″We′re your wing-girls,″ she explained, as if that were an explanation. ″I′d never let you run away from any guy cute enough to turn you into a creepy stalker.″

Not cute, thought Tanner absently. Beautiful.

″Hell, I would′ve told you to bag his ass sooner,″ said Farissa. ″I′d have ditched Malec and made you guys my OTP.″

At this, Emma gasped. ″Malec cannot be replaced,″ she breathed defensively.

″I can′t believe I said that.″

″Wait.″ They both faced Tanner. ″You′re not mad I ditched you?″

″Honey, I′m just mad this bitch threatened to ditch Malec.″

Farissa looked appalled. ″Honestly, though,″ she said, ″you know we love you, right?″

Emma nodded. ″We′re on Team Tanner, sis. We live for this shit.″

″Oooh,″ Farissa cooed, like she′d been struck by brilliance. ″I just realised, this is a lot like how Sem stalked Connor.″

″Sem never stalked Connor.″

″Girls, too many references. And you read way too much gay fluff on Wattpad.″

But the corner of his lip twitched. Albeit reluctant to admit it, he was glad that Emma and Farissa had his back. Not that it does any good now, he realised, and his nerves twanged as it dawned upon him that he′d never see Bill and Georgie again. Never get to know their real names, or hold them in his arms.

″Quit sulking,″ Emma shot distastefully. ″Where did you last see him?″

She had phrased the question like a detective. ″Hold your horses, Nancy Drew,″ Tanner chuckled, but he could not mask the longing in his voice. ″He′s －″

″Do not compare me to Nancy Drew. I′m Joe Hardy.″

″I′m Frank,″ Farissa threw in. ″Look, Tanny. We′re either going to find this guy, or we′re going to put up Lost posters all over LA until we do.″

″Split up,″ said Emma, and Tanner couldn′t help but hear it in Nancy Drew′s voice. ″Call a rendezvous as soon as you spot them. Do not engage individually. Subdue if necessary.″

″What?″ said Tanner lamely, dubious, but the girls had already set off in opposite directions. Left with little choice, he picked a direction and started walking. Let′s hope, he thought in resignation, they don′t run away from me this time.