Milo immediately gets comfortable, lounging next to me on his side, his long legs hanging off the edge of the blanket. “So, twenty-five, huh?” He pokes my knee with his finger, smiling widely.
“Twenty-five,” I agree, less cheerily. I start chugging, sucking in air through my nose between swallowing. “That one isbitter,” I say hoarsely as I lower the can from my lips.
He takes the can from me without so much as asking and helps himself to a sip. “Ah, yes, Little Rabbit…” He holds the can out toward me, and our hands brush briefly as I reach for it.
“These are your brother’s?” I say, admiring the blank can. “I should’ve guessed, I suppose.”
“Do you make a habit of drinking alcohol from nondescript packages?”
“Special occasion, and whatnot…” I drink again, turning my attention to the bouquet next to me. They’re really pretty, full of colorful blooms and stocks and greenery. They’realsostolen. “Quick question…” Milo grunts his response, opening his first beer. “How’d you get these? Everything is closed in town by now.”
“Uh…I—”
“And”—I cut him off, grinning—“why does the little card sayCongratulations on your not-yet-named baby! From, Aleks?”
He huffs a laugh, his tongue darting out to lick a drop of golden liquid off his lip. “Sef threatened my life when I said I was coming here empty-handed on yourbirthday. If I hadknown ahead of timeI would have gotten you a much better gift.” His subtle attempt to deflect from the matter at hand is, and will always be, unsuccessful.
“Sef has other things to be worrying about, no? Like the tiny baby she just popped out in a parking lot?”
“When you meet her, you’ll understand. She’s a different breed.”
I cannot help the very annoying little surge of pride when I hear that he’scountingon me meeting another member of his family. Like he thinks I’m worth introducing to them. It’s silly, I know, but feelings often are—as my mother used to say.
“I like them,” I say quietly. “Even if they’re stolen.”
“They’renotstolen. They’re…gently used.”
“I’ll be sure to thank Aleks for the flowers when I meet him someday.” See, I stole a little bit of that confidence from him already.
“You haven’t met him yet?” Milo asks. I shake my head no. “I figured you would have since he’s living above the bakery in town.”
“I don’t get out much.”
Milo laughs before taking another small sip. “He’ll love you.”
I scoff. “What?”
He smiles, parted lips meeting the edge of the silver can. After Milo tips his face up to the sky to finish his drink, he turns thatcome hitherstare on me. “You don’t mince your words either, just like him.”
“Well, maybe I should have invitedhimover then,” I say, quicker than my thoughts can stop it.
I watch carefully as Milo flicks through a few differentemotions before landing on his go-to arrogant smile. Butbriefly—like blink-and-you’ll-miss-it briefly—I think I saw a pang of jealousy crook his brow and twitch his eye. “I can text him and see if he’ll join us. Why not, right? We’re just friends, aren’t we?”
“Oh, so wearefriends?” I tease, holding eye contact.
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”Friends who kiss, maybe.
He leans in, smirking. “Do you usually get what you want, Prudence?”
“Mmm,” I say, before taking a much-needed, cooling sip. “Sometimes.”
“So why are you down here then? Instead of partying it up with Tom and all the cool cats?”
That answer is too long and far too complicated, so I settle for the easier one. “I thought I’d do them all a favor by giving them the gift of my absence.”
“Oh please, you’re not so bad,” he says, finally breaking our eye contact as he reaches for his second can. “And thank you for not sparing me.”
