“Well, that narrows it down,” I tease her. She takes it lightly.
“Let’s just say you won’t miss it,” Callie says.
“She’s right; the meteors are everywhere,” Brennan says, leaning toward Gavin. “It’s impossible to see it all, but it’s a pretty amazing sight when you try to see as much of the shower as you can.”
It seems obvious, but my eyes can’t seem to take in the entire sky, and by the looks of it, Gavin seems to be thinking the same.
“You good?” Brennan asks Gavin when he notices him shifting his head around.
“The trampoline is fun and all, but lying down on it is a different story.” Gavin looks awkward trying to tilt his head back. “It dips in all the wrong places, giving zero support where you need it the most.”
“Let me get you something to make you more comfortable.” Brennan lifts himself to a seated position.
“Nah, I should be okay. Just need to find the right position.”
“You sure? It’s really no trouble.” Brennan offers again.
My brow quirks. Brennan is being super attentive to Gavin. And his expression is similar to the way he gazed at Callie at the town hall meeting when he was completely enamored by her. Come to think of it, Brennan is like that with everyone. Me, Officer Hartford…even Hal. So maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’m not as good at reading people as I thought I was. Because I now realize Brennan isn’t flirting with me, or Callie, or any of us. It’s just his nature to be friendly with everyone.
“You stay. I’ll grab some pillows for us.” Callie pushes herself to a standing position.
“I’ll help,” Gavin offers, getting up to join her.
“Thanks, city boy,” Callie jokes. Watching the two of them disappear into the house to get the pillows, all giggles, I surprisingly feel relief for Brennan. Knowing that he isn’t interested in Callie, not in that way, means he won’t be crushed when he finds out that her interests lie elsewhere.
“How’s the search for tenants coming along?” Brennan asks when it’s just the two of us.
“Still searching,” I say. “Although my dad is hopeful the observatory will bring in a new resident soon.”
“And then you’ll go back to LA?”
“Yeah.” I can’t help but notice I say it with less certainty than usual. I was already skeptical about getting back my socialite status when I thought we’d win the appeal. Now I’m not sure what the future holds anymore. “What about you? Where do you see yourself next year?”
“I’m hoping to get into Caltech, since they have one of the best space science programs.”
I perk up when I hear he might be in LA next year. Once we’re able to go back to our old lives, it’s always been my plan to leave this place and never look back. It’s the people I’ve met here who will be harder to leave. But knowing Brennan and I might end up in the same place next year helps to think we could stay in each other’s lives. Then, a second later, I remember Brennan’s long-term plans.
“And Blaire is where you want to live?” I ask for confirmation. Surely this isn’t the only place that studies space exploration.
Brennan lies back, resting his head on his arm folded behind him. “You know when they ask kids what they want to be when they grow up? They say things like firefighter, policeman…astronaut.” He peers over at me with a boyish grin. “Well, I wasthatkid. When I learned that the radio telescope could reach the farthest parts of the universe, I was sold. But there’s no guarantee I’ll end up in Blaire. I still have a long road ahead of me. First I have to graduate college and then get my PhD. By the time I can apply for a job at the observatory, so much could happen. New discoveries could shift the demand within the field of astronomy, technological advancements could change the way we approach space discovery, or budget cuts could even shut down the observatory altogether.”
“Doesn’t that scare you?” Just thinking of what it might be like if I can’t get back to my influencer business makes me break out into a cold sweat.
“Nah. I’m in the business of exploring the unknown.” He gives me a toothy grin. “But one thing’s for sure. Blaire’s a place I want to call home. I’ll find a way to get back here, one way or another.”
I fall silent. I’ve never felt that way about any place. I’ve always looked to leave every home I’ve ever lived in. Even just last month, I couldn’t wait to move out of my house and be financiallyindependent from my family. To finally start living the life I wanted. Or thought I wanted. Now I’m not so sure.
Gavin and Callie come back with some pillows, and we get comfortable right as the meteor shower starts. The bursting lights are small but captivating, and the absence of light pollution competing for our attention makes the celestial objects shine brighter than anything I’ve ever seen in the night sky. As I watch the meteors, I can’t help but think that being away from the city is giving me clarity on other parts of my life too.
Although I can see the downsides of it now, I don’t regret my influencer lifestyle. It was the solution that got me out of a bad situation. Through it all, I discovered my real talent as an entrepreneur. And to be the envy of so many people is, I’m not going to lie, the biggest natural high. But as much as I try not to let it bother me, I can’t stop wondering if Gavin was right about me. It’s true: I’ve never been in a long-term relationship, but it’s always been my choice. Now time away has made me realize that most, if not all, of my friendships were superficial. And it’s making me wonder if being surrounded by shallow relationships for so long has made it so that I don’t know what it takes to be long-term material.
Being here has shown me I don’t need to be in the spotlight of many to feel valued. As long as they’re the right kind of people, I only need a few. It’s not rocket science, the whole idea of quality over quantity. But the point is, now that I’ve had a taste of what it feels like to make deeper connections, I want to keep going. And who knows? Maybe I can be long-term material too.
Chapter 28
Gavin and I get home at the same time as Mom and Dad. It’s late, almost midnight, but no one seems remotely tired. In fact, Mom and Dad must have had as much fun as we did, based on how they buzz excitedly as they recall their night watching the meteor shower.
“Dr.Blaire brought her homemade cheese, and we ate it with crackers and drizzled it with Annabel’s honey,” Dad says.
