Page 86 of All the way home

“I think my mom would be pagan if she was going to pick. But she says she doesn’t believe in anything that requires a subscription to belief without mandatory existential dread, so.”

Kieran snorts. “They seem cool, though. Besides the name thing.”

“They are.”

“You miss them?”

“Constantly,” Zach admits, without his usual self-consciousness.

“That’s really nice.” Kieran almost sounds wistful.

He’s about to ask why when Billie returns with the drinks. Kieran engages in easy, buoyant conversation with her—the so where are you off to’s and have you had any other awful patrons niceties of the confident and pretty, which have always been some kind of foreign language to Zach.

His phone buzzes: Mara.

any updates??

I SALVAGED IT??

FUCK YEAH

not all heroes wear capes

did you fuck him nasty style

oh my god

consider shutting up

considering

conclusion: no

but for real what now

i’m truly riveted rn

he asked me to get a drink

he did NOT

omg

loren you sly dog

when are you getting married

i can’t believe you hate me

He sits back and sips and watches, relishing the bite of rum under the sweet zip of Coke. Around them, every table is full. The whole airport is still humming, smashed to full with people who were meant to depart and haven’t been able to.

When Billie leaves them again, Kieran turns back to him. His attention is an electric current, and Zach is abruptly locked back into his orbit.

As Kieran lifts his iced tea, Zach bites the bullet. “If you don’t mind me asking . . . Do you not drink?”

“Delicate machinery.” Kieran gestures to himself, tossing him a wink. “Not to be fucked with.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t ask any of the one thousand questions that statement sparks.