Benny Everhart was never meant to stand alone.
At thirty-five, she's a veteran of the industry with a voice that once helped define a generation. Raised on the coast of Maine alongside four childhood friends, Benny came up fast with NorthSide Bound...
The Walk Night Walk Through Hampstead Hampstead, London, England Later That Night...
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Benny's POV
The rain had stopped, leaving the pavement slick beneath the streetlamps as Fallon and Courtney walked ahead of us. Their shoulders brushed whenever the sidewalk narrowed.
Courtney's laugh carried back every few minutes, and Fallon looked way too proud of whatever she kept saying.
Amelia and Zia followed a few paces behind them, caught up in a conversation none of us could hear.
That left Ariana walking beside me. We both had our hands tucked into our coat pockets, moving slowly enough that the others started pulling farther ahead.
When I glanced over, Ariana was already watching me. The second our eyes met, a smile pulled at my mouth.
"What?" I asked.
"You looked at me first."
"I was thinkin' about something."
"That never ends well," she said, already fighting a smile.
I looked down at her for another second. "I was thinkin' about how short you are."
Ariana gasped and knocked her shoulder into mine. "Excuse me?"
"You carry yourself like you're six-two, but then I look over and you're all the way down there."
"It's called confidence, Benny."
"It's called a height delusion."
"Oh, please. I'm not even that short."
"What are ya, five feet?"
"I am not five feet."
"Five-one, then?"
"Five-two," she said, trying not to laugh.
I hummed like I didn't believe her.
Ariana pointed at me without taking her other hand from her pocket. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That little sound. I'm five-two."
"With shoes on?"
"Barefoot."
"Sure, Ari."
She bumped her shoulder into mine again, laughing as we kept walking.
