***
“It’s just up here,” I assure Finn as Dad’s old truck climbs up the steep hill on my parents’ property. He has a death grip on the passenger door handle, with his other hand clasped around my thigh. “The view is worth it. I promise.”
At the top of the next hill, I stop the truck right before the flat, grassy overlook and turn it off. Finn helps me spread out a striped blanket, and I take off my sandals and lie down on it. The grass is long enough to push the fabric up, so it feels like a cushion under the cloth. I pat the spot next to me, and Finn slips off his shoes to lie down.
Our pinkies loop together on the blanket as we both take in the view. A clearing in the trees up here grants us a good bit of sky to see the stars. Away from the city, they shine so much brighter, and I spent many nights watching them from this spot as a teenager.
“You’re happy in Fern River,” Finn says, turning his head toward me.
“I love it here.”
A long, weighted sigh leaves his chest. “I can’t imagine growing up in a house like that. It’s so different from what I had.”
I wrap my hand around his. “What was your house like?”
“Silent. Sterile.” He clears his throat. “You know how at dinner tonight everyone was laughing and talking, like a family?”
“Yeah,” I say, remembering how Eloise held everyone’s attention with her detailed explanation of how raptors hunted.
“We had none of that growing up. My parents wanted us to be quiet or talk about what they designated as appropriate conversation. Most of the time, though, it was only Clara and me at dinner, and those were my favorite nights. But your family is so...lively.”
“You mean loud?” I chuckle. “My mom used to wear earplugs on the days we were particularly wild. We fought over everything you can think of. Clothes, shoes, boys, hair clips, who got to use the car. Be glad you weren’t around for those parts.”
“That’s what I have to look forward to, I guess. One day, I’ll be breaking up fights over who gets to wear the purple hair clip?”
“Well, Eloise probably doesn’t want that hair clip.” I laugh. “But, honestly, they seem nicer to each other than we were at that age.”
“Who knows what they’ll be like when they’re thirteen, though. I’m slightly terrified.”
“I have a feeling they’ll be best friends for life. It may be rocky through a few hormonal years, but then it gets better.”
We fall silent for a few moments, our gazes tracking all over the sky.
I thread my fingers through his, pressing our palms together. “Where’s the best place you’ve seen the stars?”
“New Zealand. The whole sky was filled with stars, so many you couldn’t pick out individual ones.” He points to a group above my head, outlining their shape. “That’s Lyra, Avery’s middle name.” He moves a little lower. “There’s a small cluster right there. That’s Delphinus, the dolphin. Eloise’s middle name is Delphi.” His voice cracks on the edges as he adds, “Clara surprised me with that the day they were born.”
My chest feels unbearably tight as I look over the constellations he pointed out. Releasing his hand, I scoot closer, cuddling into his side. “I love those names.” He rests his palm on my hip and takes a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath my cheek.
The moon peeks over the trees behind my parents’ property, making a few dimmer stars disappear in its light. We watch the sky for a while, listening to the sound of the crickets in the grass and an owl calling in the night.
Finn’s fingers slip under the hem of my sweater, and he draws hypnotizing little circles on my waist. “You and Theo... Did you ever...”
I slide my hand over his stomach, a knowing smile on my lips. “Date?”
He lets out an affirmative grumble.
“No. And I never wanted to. His sister and Fable are best friends, and our moms are also. They live down the road, so they were around a lot growing up.” I smirk against his soft shirt. “He’s sexy, though, don’t you think?”
Finn makes a low sound, deep in his chest, and it rumbles against my cheek.
“I’ve never met someone so muscular,” I say, trying to rile him up. “His voice is so deep, it gets my heart racing. And those forearms...”
In one swift movement, Finn flips us and leans over me, pinning me down with his leg shoved between mine. My breath picks up when I see his knowing grin.
“I like you jealous,” I whisper. “But Theo only has eyes for Fable.”
“He better.” He presses a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. “Have you ever brought a date here?” he asks.
