“She does not,” Benji said, but he couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice.
Max flipped him off joyously. Then he started up a secret handshake that Benji hadn’t seen for years, which Daphne completed with such glee that there was no need to fake it.
It was too cute. Benji dropped his head onto Noah’s shoulder, stifling his grin.
Noah stroked his hair. “What do you think? Good surprise?”
Benji lifted his head. He had to swallow twice before he could speak.
“It’s okay,” he said, strained.
It was too much. He shoved down the instinct to run and threw his arms around Noah instead, squeezing him so hard he wanted to be embarrassed. But it was hard to care about the employees waiting for them to board when Noah was holding him like this, so solid and comforting.
“So,” he heard Daphne ask. “Why a resort in Bali?”
“I’ll be totally honest,” he heard Max reply. “I Googled ‘super fancy expensive resorts,’ and this was the first thing that showed up.”
Benji hugged a champagne flute as they soared seamlessly through the sky. He knew he should be staring out the window—he hadn’t been on a plane since he was in grade school, after all—or failing that, at the plush seats or the ice bucket of champagne or the fucking chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
But he couldn’t tear his eyes off Noah. Noah was sitting on the other side of the jet, losing a game of travel-sized chess to Max and having such a great time that Benji’s heart was doing somersaults.
Daphne sat down heavily in the seat across from him, startling him out of his staring.
“Even thebathroomsare huge,” she whispered, delighted.
Benji nodded, fighting the urge to turn back to Noah’s stupidly charming smile and attentive nodding.
Daphne’s lips pursed. She twisted to look at Noah. “He said he wanted all your people on this trip. Didn’t let me pay for anything.”
Benji swore, dropping his head in his hands. “Fuck. What am I gonnado, Daph?”
“I don’t know. Enjoy the free holiday?” Daphne’s smile dimmed. She leaned closer, flicking Benji’s hair out of his eyes like she used to do in freshman year, back when he spent his life looking out behind a sea of scraggly curls.
“What are you going to do?” she repeated. “Honestly? I say you marry him.”
Benji looked over, panicked. But Noah was still at the other end of the plane, nodding along as Max gestured wildly through another story about whatever crazy things his friends had done last week.
Benji lowered his voice. “Would you?”
“Yes,” Daphne said immediately. “Even if we got a divorce, it’s still a good move.”
Benji made a disgusted face against his champagne glass. The idea of Noah looking at him with coldness, let alone active loathing that he’d seen on so many divorced couples made him feel physically sick.
“I don’t want to do it for money,” he confessed. “Plus, I might notneedto, if I actually get into the art world like Mrs. Presley is promising.”
Daphne squealed, only quieting when Benji shushed her.
“That’s insane,” she whispered gleefully. “I’m so excited for you! Everything’s coming up Benji!”
“Everything’s coming up BenjiandDaphne,” he corrected. “I’m showing her your stuff as soon as you sign off on something.”
“Right! Great.” Daphne gnawed her lower lip, her blue eyelids fluttering nervously. “I just don’t want to overwhelm her, you know? And I want you to show her my best stuff. I’ll have something ready next year. Probably.”
Benji rolled his eyes fondly. He wanted to berate her for always pushinghimforward, but now that she had the chance for him to help her up, she was getting cold feet. But then he caught sight of Noah laughing over her shoulder, and his gaze stuck.
Daphne turned again, smiling softly. She turned back and covered his hands, which were still clutching the champagne glass.
“Ben,” she said. “I know I’m all, like… practical and whatever, about this sugar baby stuff. But you guys were never typical sugar. You love each other, right?”
