Cal’s eyes were trained on the sky, tracking a white blur hurtling toward the earth. Manic screams trailed behind it, rising in tempo as the object neared the end of its death spiral. Moments before it would have broken against the rugged field, two brilliant wings snapped open.A gust erupted from them, sending dirt, rocks, and uprooted grass at him. He held his ground in the face of it, but as a feathered scythe careened toward him, he was forced to a knee lest he lose his head.“Wooohoooo!” Lily hollered, whooping as she blasted past him.If someone were to ask him how he ended up here, Cal wouldn’t have a straight answer for them. He was in no mood to entertain Lily right now. He wasn’t in the mood to entertain anyone.Yet he still found himself in a pasture, watching the crazy chick take the future meal out for a spin.Behind her, the sun hung on the horizon, its golden rays spilling over him as a constant reminder that the day was destined to end. It felt agonizingly slow, and Cal desperately wished for night to take hold, welcoming the uncertainty it promised.Cal spat on the ground, trying to get the figurative and literal bad taste out of his mouth. His muffins had sucked. Dry, chewy, misshapen—he’d overstirred the batter, probably added the baking powder twice, and somehow botched the pouring.It was a tragedy in the form of baked goods, and he couldn’t even blame Olivia’s interference for it. She hadn’t said a word during the process, observing it with trepidation. There were certain points where he was sure she’d say something, but each time, she seemed to lose her nerve.Cal (...)