Hailey's pov
We ended up at a small ice cream place tucked near the edge of the mall, the kind with bright menus and sticky floors and nowhere comfortable to sit for long. It didn’t matter. We took our cups outside and sat on the low concrete ledge by the window, legs stretched out, spoons clinking softly against plastic.
I ordered something ridiculous on purpose. Too many flavors. Too many toppings. Violet looked at it and laughed like I’d just told the best joke she’d heard all day.
“That’s a commitment,” she said. “You’re not even pretending to be sensible.”
“I’m done pretending today,” I replied, taking a bite and immediately grimacing. “Okay, that was a mistake.”
She grinned and leaned over to steal a spoonful. “Yep. Definitely a mistake.”
We traded bites back and forth, making
