“Remy, Pooh, meet Cade and Seba.”
Cade waves. Seba up-nods. “How’s it going?”
Win gives them a slow blink.
Jesus fucking Christ.My best friend and I sigh at the same time.
“Be nice,” Remy hisses to Win.
His boyfriend arches a dark brow. “I didn’t say anything.”
The look Remy levels at him says,Your face is saying it all.
Win crosses his arms over his chest and mutters, “Sup.”
Remy rolls his eyes, extending a hand to Seba first, then Cade. “Sorry about him. He’s worse than my cat with new people.”
“You have a cat?” Cade gasps, turning those puppy eyes to Seba. “I want a cat. We should get one. Or a dog. Or a duck. Oh! How about a snake? They live in a terrarium, so it wouldn’t be messy and they’re super chill. And they don’t make any noise.”
Seba smoothes a palm up his back to gently massage the back of Cade’s neck. “We’ll see.”
“Oh come on, you know I’d be an amazing snake dad. I’d make a sick enclosure too with all kinds of branches and shit for climbing. And little hats to wear when the danger noodle is feeling fancy. It can even star in my vlogs!”
“You vlog?” Win asks.
Cade’s entire face lights up. “Hell yeah! Mostly about being psychotic.” Seba cuts Cade a look. “My bad, about DID. So many misconceptions, because all my alters, except for Mom, are just other Cades. But we're working on merging. Anyway. Vlogging trumps journaling, hands down. Got a channel and everything.” He digs into the pocket of his checkered shorts, pulling out the new camera Sebastian bought him yesterday and sidles up to Win. “Check this out.”
Remy winks at me behind Win’s back, stealing two cookies from the bag of treats and handing me one as our group begins migrating around the festival. Seba drapes an arm over my shoulders; I deflate against his side, grinning as Cade geeks out to Win over specs, angles and lighting.
“You’re getting him that snake, aren’t you, big guy?”
“Like I have a choice. You saw his face.”
I snicker, rising on my tiptoes to kiss his stubbled cheek. “He’s gonna lose his shit.”
He just smiles, sighing, “The things I do forlove.”
I loop my arm around his back and squeeze.
Cade spins to walk backwards in front of us. “Ay, church girl, you didn't tell me Pooh plays theviolin. Fucking sick!” Elbowing Win, “You should definitely post those covers. People love covers.”
Remy chucks a piece of cookie at his boyfriend. “What’d I say earlier? You don't need to go back to school. You're ridiculously talented. Put your stuff out there.”
Win is blushing like mad. “I'll think about it.”
He's saved from more nagging when the manic blonde notices the petting zoo again and takes off.
“Theydohave ducks!”
Seba sighs for the millionth time. “Fucking menace, I swear… but damn if he ain't adorable.”
Bubbles pop in my brain. I'm made of them— little iridescent spheres of joy, lifting me higher and higher… maybe all the way to heaven.
Seventy-Seven
SEBA
Sweat.Creamy petals. Sticky cotton candy fingers. Sunburnt cheeks. If I could, I’d bottle today up in a jar like the fireflies I caught as a kid behind our old trailer.
