As her lips move against mine, I wonder why I kept denying these feelings for so long. Being wrapped up in Rue without any false pretenses is better than anything I’ve ever experienced.
“Does this mean you’re not down for the staged breakup?” she asks between kisses.
I laugh against her mouth. “Please. Don’t ever bring up a breakup and us in the same sentence again.”
She pulls back to smile at me. “What about when we go off to college?”
“What about it?” I playfully tap her nose. “Nothing is gonna change. We’ve spent the past four years apart, and I still remember you only eat your bananas sliced, no exceptions.”
She blushes. My words seem to strike somewhere deep inside her. “How do you always notice the things about me no one else does?”
“Easy. I never stop looking.”
I kiss her again, and this time, she doesn’t interrupt. I just float in my happy bubble of kisses with Rue.
I know there’s a chance trouble will still find us again. Maybe even in the form of a new Little Birdie.
But for the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid of what comes next.
Because this time, we’re not facing it alone.
Epilogue
Rue
3 MONTHS LATER
I set the video game controller down and yawn. “Ezra, we’ve played three rounds. I’m done.”
He grins and tucks a stray curl behind my ear. “Why? Because I’m the best?”
“Yes. You’re the best.” I place a kiss on the tip of his nose. “Let’s get out of here. I need movement. My legs are stiff from sitting so long.”
Ezra chuckles. “Fine. Let’s go.”
On our way out the front door, Mrs. Davis gives me a hug. “You’re coming back again tomorrow, right?”
“Of course. Thanks for having me over so much.”
She laughs. “Are you kidding? I’ve never seen my son smile so much.”
From the kitchen table, Olivia chimes in, “Because he finally has someone to torture with video games all summer.” Then she slips Chai Guy a bite of her sandwich.
Rolling his eyes, Ezra holds the door for me. “Alright, bye everyone. I’ll be back soon.”
We walk outside together, hand in hand. This has become a bit of a routine of ours over summer vacation. Video games at his house, Ezra teaching me how to play basketball, driving downtown for lobster rolls and a walk through the park, and iced lattes at Sip of Joy. This time, I’m too full for lobster rolls thanks to his mom stuffing me with delicious food not too long ago, so Ezra drives us straight to Sip of Joy.
The bell over the cafe chimes as we step inside, and the familiar scent of espresso and vanilla wraps around me. Some things haven’t changed, like the soft hum of conversation, the mismatched mugs, or the sunlight spilling through the windows in golden squares across the floor.
But Ezra and I have.
We slide into the corner booth, the same one we sat in months ago, when everything between us felt complicated and fragile and unfinished, and I was under pressure to post as Little Birdie. Thankfully, no one at Fallbrook has touched the app or entered their name after the spectacle that was made of me by the school and the app itself, and now, it feels so good to be able to hug and kiss him whenever I want without being afraid of my feelings.
While Ezra orders our iced lattes, I pull my laptop out of my bag, flipping it open as a document fills the screen.
Title: Untitled (for now)
It’s the first thing I’ve ever written that actually feels like mine. I’m not fixing someone else’s story for once, or hiding behind an anonymous gossip app. I’m just being me.
