“I bet my life savings you made way worse jokes,” Sterling whispers harshly.
How does this emo murder machine know that? For a second, I just stare at him. Like my brain blue-screens.Traitor brain.
Sterling’s mouth curves up one side, subtle but smug. “Knew it,” he mumbles. “You owe me double my life savings.”
“You’re such an asshole,” I hiss.
He ignores me completely and moves toward Elle, one hand resting on her back.
“Zero times two is still zero!” I call after him. “I think! I skipped math class a lot, so I dunno!”
A hand slaps over my mouth. “Stan,” Kaye chides at my side. “Donotruin this.”
I pry her hand off, scandalized. “I wasn’t trying to ruin it. He rage-baited me.”
Kaye bites her lip, shoulders shaking. I squint at her, daring her to rage-bait me too.
She smiles instead. “But aren’t you happy everyone’s home? I mean, look at them. Nil’s finally with family. You brought him home to us, Stan.”
And that’s the final straw.
Ibreak.
My chest caves in. I’m sobbing so hard my knees threaten to fold. My face twists up, and I make a noise I would bully someone else for making.
I’m surprised when I feel thick, strong arms around me. Smells like fresh air and salty sea. When I open my eyes and lift my head,he looks like the love of my life in the shape of a fallen angel.
Ocean Eyes. He doesn’t say anything at first. He just pulls me in, one hand firm at my back, the other cradling my head.
I bury my face into his chest and absolutely lose it. “I’m sorry I ruined your moment,” I gasp between sobs. “I’m so stupid.”
“You didn’t,” he says. “You’re not.”
He lets me shake it out until my breathing starts to slow, and my tears turn hiccuppy instead of catastrophic.
Kaye claps her hand once really loud. “Alright! That’s enough Hallmark moments for one day.”
I sniffle. “Meanie.”
She smirks. “It’s been quite aday. I say we all rest up before dinner.”
I pull away a little to look at Nil. My eyes feel swollen. My pretty face is probably blotchy. “Can we go to our room, babe?”
He brushes his thumb under my nose. “Yeah, we can go.”
Kaye points down the path with that mean smirk of hers. “Bedroom. Both of you. Before Stan starts crying again, and I water the plants with his tears.”
I pout at her. Nil squeezes my hand.
Elle steps closer to Nil and reaches up. Her hand brushes his hair back, tucking it behind his left ear, where there’s a wink of gold. “Let’s catch up later?”
Nil repeats it like a promise. “Yeah, later, ate.”
Ate. It’s said like ah-teh, and I kinda recall Elle telling me a long time ago that the Tagalog word means older sister. That’s so damn cute, I almost cry again, but I don’t want to give Kaye the satisfaction.
So we exit the greenhouse right after. Still, I can hear Kaye talking to the newlyweds, asking how their honeymoon went.
I wanna know too, but I’m emotionally drained to the bone. The trip’s caught up. I miss taking remixed Kys. But I miss kissing Nil more. It’s all I wanna do once we get to our room.
