“Wow.” She looked at me. “Wow, Jett.”
“I know.”
“Like, wow.”
“Calliope.”
“If you don’t treat him right, I will literally hex you. I have the crystals and I’m not afraid to use them.”
“She’s not kidding,” Raven said, still staring. “She hexed our landlord last month, and his car got towed the next day.”
“Correlation,” Ellis offered.
“Magic,” Calliope corrected.
Thalia leaned toward Sierra and stage-whispered, loud enough to reach the kitchen. “Holy crap. He’s like a Greek statue come to life.”
“I heard that,” Ellis called over his shoulder.
“I intended for you to.” Thalia toasted him with her drink.
He laughed. His real laugh, the unguarded one, the one I usually only heard when we were alone. My heart almost gave out. He was giving it to them already.
Raven pulled me aside while Ellis was getting the friend interrogation from Calliope and Thalia.
“He’s gorgeous.” I paused.
“Fine. Admitted. But does he make you laugh?”
“Every day.”
Sierra caught me in the kitchen while I was grabbing beers. Pulled me into a hug that smelled of her lavender shampoo. Like coming home.
“You deserve someone who gets how amazing you are.” She spoke into my shoulder. “I think he might.”
My eyes stung. I blinked hard. “Don’t make me cry before the concert. I just did my eyeliner.”
“Your eyeliner looks perfect.”
“I know. That’s why I can’t cry.”
The line outside the venue wrapped around a full block. Bodies pressed close, phone screens glowing, someone’s vape cloud drifting our way. Ellis kept my hand in his like a lifeline, which worked for both of us.
Lauren stood near the front already. Black hair loose across their forehead. Sierra’s old Razor Braids tee hanging off their shoulders like they’d been sleeping in it since the day Sierra handed it over. A folded new one sat cradled in their hands like a peace offering.
Sierra got there first. Of course. The sight of Lauren undid her everytime, and she stopped pretending otherwise months ago.
I gave them their beat. Then I cleared my throat.
“Lauren.” I tugged Ellis forward with the hand that hadn’t stopped holding his. “This is Ellis.”
Lauren turned. They took him in, did the same half-second recalibration everyone else had done, then grinned like a cat spotting something worth chasing.
“We finally meet in person.” Lauren took his hand. “You’re taller than the phone screen made you look.”
“Phone-screen distortion,” Ellis replied. “Nice to officially meet you. Thank you. For, you know.”
“Don’t get sentimental on me at a Razor Braids show, Ashford. Save it for the cocktail hour.” A low, pleased laugh slipped out of Lauren. They lifted their eyes to mine over Ellis’s shoulder. “I approve. For the record.”
