Julian and I toss our empty bottles in the recycling bin and head toward the rest of the group for our photos. We start with our usual group photo then move on to individual ones. The girls take their trio pictures then more with Grace while making silly faces.
Lana insists that Julian and Grace take a photo together, so they do. Then it’s Christian and Lana posing, smiling and kissing.
“Do you, um, wanna take a picture with me?”
I snap out of it and stop watching everyone take pictures. My head turns and looks down, following the voice. Even in her pumps I tower over her. Nat is the shortest out of all of us—not including Grace, of course.
“Are you asking if I want a picture with you?” I arch a brow, both amused and slightly confused.
“Never mind,” Natalia grumbles and turns on her heels.
“No, wait.” I catch her hand in mine and she stops. “Yes. Yeah, let’s take a picture.”
“It’s fine.” She blinks, tossing her curls to the side. “I’ll?—”
“Come on.” I wrap my hand around hers. “Let’s take a picture.”
She follows me behind the cameras and I don’t miss theway the girls wiggle their eyebrows at her. I smirk as she steps next to me.
Did she pull back because she thought I was regretting her?
The thought plagues me as I put my hand around her waist and pull her into my side. I don’t think I’d ever have the willpower to reject Natalia.
Her arms remain at her sides for a moment, her eyes staring down at her hands like she’s trying to figure out what to do with them. “Um…”
“Just put them around me, Natalia,” I say in her ear.
“Yeah.” Her right arm comes around my waist. “Okay.”
“Okay!” Isabelle bounces on her toes, even in her matching pumps that are only a different color, and holds up the polaroid camera—Lana holding up a phone. “Smile!”
My smile comes easy to me with the only girl I’ve thought about by my side. The phone’s flash goes off and I look down at Natalia just in time to see a small, weak smile on her lips.
“Hey,” I whisper.
She turns her head up to me, batting her lashes. “What?”
“Just…” I smile and the flash of the polaroid goes off. “Hey.”
“Justhey?”
“Justhey,” I say again.
“Perfect,” I hear Isabelle exclaim. “Got it.”
But I hold onto her a little longer, taking advantage of the moment, and take in her face. I count her freckles, all seventeen of them, and connect the dots of the constellation.
The moment is stolen from me when Christian shouts, “Dinner!”
Natalia blinks and pulls back too quickly, and I’m forced to drop my arm. “I’m going to go set the table.”
I nod. “Yeah, of course.”
Her eyes avert from me just before she turns and strides away. With a sigh, feeling the lack of her, I go over to help with our food as everyone gathers at the dining table with the outdoor heaters we helped Christian install.
Julian and Nico come around for the rest of the appetizers and some of the pumpkin pies Natalia baked, and together, we fill the table with food.
“Next year, we’re going trick-or-treating,” Lana says as we sit.
