Marco
Try me. Turn your caps back on like a normal, functioning GROWN UP.
Callum & Aurélie
Popping in to say that it’s nice to see drama that isn’t ours. K thanks. Byyyyeeee. -C
Ivy
20M ETA
Marco
you know i love it when you’re a brat
My stomach dipped.
Callum bumped his shoulder against mine. A shiver slithered down my spine. “Twenty minutes,” he said calmly. “We can handle that.”
“That’s enough time for me to spiral twice, check Instagram three times, and accidentally like a conspiracy reel from four days ago,” I said.
“Which is why you are not touching your phone,” he said.
“I’m a grown woman.”
“You are a brat with a Wi-Fi connection,” he corrected. “Catastrophize later, baby.”
“Fine,” I said.
“Stay in your bliss,” he said.
“Stop making that sound hot,” I complained.
“There is nothing about you coming that’snothot.”
I sighed, but the anxiety in my chest had eased again, pushed back by his ridiculous certainty. Friends. Pasta. Then war, probably. But at least we’d be going into battle full.
Callum kept my mind busy by conversing. Small topics while he kept subtly refilling my wine glass. I didn’t mind.
“Marco outed a praise kink in the group chat, Cal, and I don’t like that you just brushed right over that,” I said, my head floaty from wine on an empty stomach.
“I didn’t brush over it,” he said dryly. “I filed it away for weaponization at a later date. Preferably when he’s trying to act like he’s the emotionally stable one.” He lifted his wine to his lips, then added, “Besides, I’m not surprised. Marco’s been a good boy since Silverstone.”
I nearly choked on my sip. “You should tell him how proud Daddy is when they get here.”
As if summoned by the thought, headlights swept briefly across the far edge of the terrace. Gravel crunched faintly in the distance.
I stilled. “That… might be them,” I said.
He listened for a second, head tilted, then nodded. “That’s the drive,” he confirmed.
Suddenly I was acutely aware of everything—how short the romper was, how bare my feet were, how warm the ring was where it rested against my skin. I curled my fingers into my palm on instinct.
“We’re okay,” he said softly. “Remember?”
I swallowed. “We’re okay,” I echoed.
“Bliss, baby.”
