I swallow past the lump rising in my throat and nod. “Yeah. I really do.”
She watches me for a beat longer, then nods once, firmly, like she’s come to a decision. “Good. Then don’t mess it up.”
I laugh again, softer this time. “I’ll try not to.”
There’s a pause as we both go back to working on the decorations. For a moment, it’s just the rustle of streamers and the faint thrum of Sorcha’s birthday playlist coming from the Bluetooth speaker in the living room. But I can feel Cara’s question lingering in the air between us, unspoken but heavy with curiosity.
So I answer it.
“We’re seeing each other again tonight,” I say, and the words feel like fireworks in my chest. “Nothing fancy. Just... seeing where it goes.”
Cara’s smile is bright enough to outshine the wonky fairy lights strung across the kitchen. “That’s my brother,” she says, reaching up to ruffle my hair like she used to when we were kids. “Chasing the good things.”
“Gotta keep life interesting,” I reply, swatting her hand away with a grin.
She opens her mouth to respond, but just then, the living room door rattles, and Sorcha’s unmistakable voice shrieks from the hallway. “Is it party time yet?”
Cara barely has time to laugh before Sorcha barrels into the room, a whirlwind of pink tulle and sparkly plastic jewelry, eyes wide with birthday excitement.
“Flyyyyyyn!” Sorcha’s shriek rattles my eardrums a full second before her small body launches at my legs like a missile. I just about catch her, scooping her up in a spin that makes her giggle, her tiny arms around my neck.
“Hey, birthday girl!” I say, peppering her cheeks with loud, obnoxious kisses that make her squeal with delight. “How does it feel to be ancient? What are you now, twenty-five?”
“Five!” she corrects me with a grin, holding up her whole hand like proof.
“Five? No way. You sure?”
She nods with solemn authority, and I play along, widening my eyes.
“Well, that explains the wisdom I see in your eyes. Very mature.” I set her down gently.
I watch her twirl away toward her pile of presents and inspect the wrapping with barely contained glee. And I realize something warm and certain is settling in my chest.
Cara’s watching us, warmth in her eyes. For a second, everything feels perfectly simple. Balloons, cake, family. Safety. Belonging.
But under all that, my thoughts keep drifting back to Jade. To the way his eyes softened when he looked at me across the table. To the way his voice dipped when he said my name like it was something precious.
Tonight, I’ll see Jade again.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels like maybe, just maybe, there’s something magical waiting on the other side of this day.
I hope tonight, I get to see that look again.
No, it’s more than that. I hope tonight, I give him a reason to stay.
Chapter nine
Jade
The summer air is thick with sugar and heat and music that blares from tinny speakers hung like bunting between food stalls. Everything smells like fried dough and grilled meat. And the colors, the neon signs, pastel paper lanterns, ribbons twirling in the wind, are too bright, too loud. The kind of overstimulation I usually avoid.
But Flyn’s here.
So. I’m here too.
He’s waiting near the entrance to the fair, a riot of color behind him and that same easy smile stretched across his face like he’s exactly where he wants to be. His hair is messy in a deliberate way, blond curls catching the pink and gold of the fading sky. He’s wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt with tiny flamingos on it like some kind of ridiculous invitation to happiness.
I hate how much I love it.
