"Max didn’t ask me anything."
I was going to check on her once I got back to San Francisco anyway—not just because Max asked me to.
"And even if he did—we’re friends, Rora. I care about you."
She tucks a loose strand of hair back into the pink clip. "I don’t want Nova to think there’s someth—"
I cut her off quickly. "Nova won’t think anything. And in any case, she’s dating Steven now."
It feels like nothing’s changed since that afternoon I went to see her. Like we’re back to when we were seventeen. The only difference is now she’s my best friend’s girlfriend.
She’s with the guy who trusts me enough to bring me along to doctor’s appointments before his lung surgery. And all I can do is dream about being with his girlfriend.
Aurora nudges me gently, trying to lift my mood. "We’re really good at abandoning the people we love, aren’t we?"
The fact that she can’t see me right now helps—I don’t have to pretend I’m not falling apart inside. "You’re right. You ready?"
"I’m just... a little worried," she admits as I open the door to the crowded room.
The lights are off, and the ceiling glows with the galaxy projector Nova had Sam and me buy for Will’s birthday.
Aurora and I had gone in together on his gift. I spot Will at the counter mixing cocktails with Steven, while Maggie perches on a stool next to Sam, who gestures wildly as usual. But there’s no sign of Nova.
When I finally spot her, my chest seizes. My heart beats so fast it feels like it might tear out and run to her just so I can kneel at her feet.
She’s rocking a sheer green floral top with a denim miniskirt. Her new bangs frame her curls, giving her a fresh edge that somehow makes her look even cooler. Short as she is, her glittery legs sparkle like disco lights. She always says a life without glitter is like a life without chocolate donuts: empty—and honestly, she might be right.
She’s handing out drinks and chips, smiling and laughing. I get why she has everyone enchanted by her presence. She’s got that smile... And that laugh. She’s a torrent of life—fierce, unstoppable, free and utterly beautiful to watch.
I stay rooted, pretending I don’t look at her the way her boyfriend does. Pretending I don’t feel everything I shouldn’t.
Aurora pulls me back to earth. "Can’t find her?"
"Hm? What are you talking about?"
She gives me a playful shove. "You can’t lie to a pathological liar."
"She looks like a dryad tonight," I murmur.
Aurora smirks. "A dryad, huh? I’ve always wondered what it feels like to be loved by a musician. Nova’s lucky. Every time you talk about her, it sounds like a poem. You’ve got that dreamy, tortured-artist vibe."
I roll my eyes. "Look who’s talking."
Her own notebook’s full of love poems she wrote for Max. She’ll always be a hopeless romantic—there’s no stopping her.
With my help, Aurora leans against the wall and crosses her arms. I’m about to say something when a tornado crashes into her and Nova throws her arms around her.
"You came!"
Aurora stiffens at first, then relaxes as she recognizes the voice and hugs her back. When they pull apart, Nova’s hands stay on her hips, and Aurora slowly traces her arm up to her flushed cheeks, over her lips, brushing the glitter dusting her eyelids.
"Yes." Aurora smiles softly. “Still glowing, still sparkling, still Nova. I swear –if glitters were a person, it would be you.”
Nova giggles and pulls her into a hug. Aurora whispers something against her ear, and Nova strokes her hair.
“I missed you so much,” Aurora murmurs when they finally part.
Nova stays at her side, looping their arms together. She throws me a look that dares me to follow her lead.
