“I’m going to blindfold you, okay? Then Lou is going to get your gift.”
She lets go of my hand, pulling a silk scarf from her back pocket before gently grasping Allie’s shoulder and spinning her around, forcing her to unlock hands with Declan. He appears uncomfortable, creating more space as he watches the scene unfold.
Lou begins walking toward the garage, and Liv heads toward the porch, lowering the music on the speakers set up in front of it. The rest of the party gets quieter, most guests turning their attention in our direction.
“I am like... not really into a blindfold kink so this better be good,” Allie says. Declan scoffs as if offended.
Willow laughs. “It’s worth it, I promise.”
Lou exits the garage, a beaming man beside her who closely resembles Zander. They have the same build and similar features, though his eyes are lighter and his hair darker than his twin’s.
Willow’s standing beside me, holding both of Allie’s hands as Allie faces us. Archer sneaks up behind her, and as Willow whips the blindfold off her eyes, he places his hands over them, leaning into her. “Happy Birthday, Allie Cat.”
Allie gasps as a visible tremble shakes through her body at the sound of his voice. She steps forward, and Archer’s hands fall off her face as she spins around, freezing when she takes him in. She’s damn near trembling, like she can’t believe he’s standing in front of her.
When the realization sets in, Allie squeals. Literallysqueals. Launching herself into his arms, Archer grabs her effortlessly, holding her legs at his waist and twirling her around as she sobs into his neck. It’s difficult to make out the words, but I’m pretty sure she’s crying something like, “You’re here. You’re home,” against his skin.
I can’t help but glance at Declan, who stares after them with a clenched jaw and flared nostrils, mouth flattened in an expression that’s more disgusted than a simple frown.
“So . . . Archerisn’tAllie’s boyfriend?”
“Nope.” Willow snorts. “They’rebest friends.” She holds up her fingers, making air quotes. “Except, they were each other’s first kiss, first time, first love, and they still have an active marriage pact.”
“Oh.” I nod, attempting to sound nonchalant, but . . . what the fuck. “That’s . . . interesting.”
“It’s messy as hell, but I don’t know... Archer plays football in Texas and has a great chance of going pro, and Allie wants to be a world-renowned pastry chef and eventually own my aunt’sbakery. She didn’t want to follow him to Texas when her life was here in California.” Willow shrugs. “So, they went their separate ways.”
“How long is Archer home for?” I ask.
“About a month. I’d place a bet that Allie’s relationship with Declan doesn’t make it that long, though. Archer eclipses Allie’s life when he’s in it, and she eclipses his even when she’s not.”
“Yep,” I say, popping the p. “That’s definitely messy.”
Willow hums in agreement, but when my gaze darts to her, she’s smiling misty-eyed as she watches them hold each other.
CHAPTER 18
WILLOW
“C’mon. It’s fun, I swear.” I tug Weston’s outstretched hand as I take a step down the stairs that lead to the beach.
Every year since we were teenagers, after the party at my parents’ house, us kids come down to the cove, have a bonfire, and camp overnight. In high school we’d smuggle weed and alcohol in our sleeping bags, but once we hit college, our parents stopped caring as much. Now, we’re all almost legal. Allie will be twenty-one on Monday, and the twins in November. Weston mentioned his birthday is in a couple of months, not that it matters in terms of drinking.
I admire the fact that he’s choosing to be proactive in his sobriety, though. Most people are willing to take the risk for the sake of fitting in. Weston doesn’t mind standing out in the spirit of protecting himself, and I think that’s a lesson I could use too. I’ve always felt like a bit of an oddball, especially once I moved to Berkeley and away from my family. Parker and his friends were preppy cool kids, and I was always his weird, artsy girlfriend.
“Just for a little while, Wills. I do have to get up in...” I don’t look back at him as we descend the cliffside, but I imagine he’s checking the time on his phone. “Six hours.”
“Dad will go easy on you tomorrow, I promise. He was definitely stoned when we left the house, and he’s eaten about his weight in Allie’s frosted brownies. I bet you he’ll oversleep.”
“I don’t want to take any chances by oversleeping myself,” Wes grumbles.
When we reach the beach, the fire is roaring, our tents already set up by Archer and Zander while the rest of us watched fireworks from the top of the cliffside. One tent each for the twins, and one for Allie and me to share. Declan apparently mentioned he doesn’t camp, so Allie uninvited him from our sleepover.
Other people our age sit around the bonfire. Former high school classmates that know about the party and attend year after year, a few coworkers from the boardwalk, and kids of our parents’ friends. I quickly find my cousins sitting side by side against a piece of driftwood, so I plop down next to them and pull Weston beside me.
“Where’s Allie?” I ask.
“She hasn’t come down yet,” Archer murmurs.
