Page 242 of Barinov

“Tonight is not just a special night for us graduates,” Cal says, shoving a full shot into Knox’s hand. “Tonight August and I get to crown the new King of the Row…” he continues his voice growing louder with each word as he raises his shot glass high in the air. “Knox fucking Calder everyone!”

“No way,” Knox laughs.

“Holy shit,” Haley blurts out with tears in her eyes, locking her arm through Rez’s.

The three of them clink their glasses and shoot them back.

“The King of the Row!” August beams.

The screaming is deafening when Cal and August both bow at Knox’s feet. Especially from Haley who is jumping up and down so hard she’s pulling Rez with her. But the pain in my ear is worth it to see the smile on Knox’s face as everything hits him all at once.

“Our king…” Cal says, rising from his knees. “What is your first decree?”

Knox glances around at everyone. He winks at me when he locks his eyes on mine. “I say it’s time to turn this shit up to the Row level. What do y’all think?” he roars over the commotion.

“Yes!” August screams, immediately ripping off his shirt and throwing it in the grass. Ellie’s already cheering, grabbing another fresh bottle of tequila from the outdoor bar while Haley orders Rez to go grab another speaker.

A heavy baseline pulses through the yard as this formal dinner disintegrates quickly into a Row pool party. A mass migration heads straight for the water, shoes being kicked off left and right.

“No one drown out here tonight, please,” Savannah calls, picking up her wine glass and pulling Irina to her feet. The two of them head inside to get as far away from the chaos unfolding as they can.

♥♥♥

About an hour or so later, the sky has bled into a deep, twilight purple. The golden patio lights have flicked on, reflecting off the rippling blue water of the pool.

Escaping the splash zone, I find myself sitting at the far end of Savannah’s garden, tucked away by a small glass fire pit. The flames dance softly as they cast a warm glow over my dad and Luciana. He wraps his arm around her to let her fully lean into his weight on the cushioned outdoor couch.

“I cannot tell you what a joy it’s been to finally sit across from you, Bella,” Luciana says, her voice soft as it cuts through the distant thumping bass. She smiles at me, her honey-brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Your father has shared stories about you for so long now, but to finally see you with my own eyes… darling, you’re even more beautiful than he promised.”

“She gets it from her mother,” Dad says.

To my utter surprise, Luciana nods. “So it seems,” she says.

I honestly figured any Izzy talk would’ve sent her into a tailspin like Irina. But the woman seems oddly chill with the whole thing. I guess Lex was right when he said that she handled all of this well.

“Thank you both for coming,” I say as a genuine warmth blooms into my chest, the lingering nerves finally melting away.

I glance past his shoulder, my eyes naturally drifting back toward the bright and chaotic oasis of the pool area to check on my world.

Right on cue, a dark silhouette comes into view as Zeke launches himself into the air, tucking his knees tight to his chest, and executes a completely unhinged cannonball. A tidal wave erupts, intentionally drenching Marisol and Lex who were drinking poolside. Zeke surfaces a second later, throwing his head back and laughing as Lex yells something I’m sure is threatening in Russian.

Near the outdoor bar, Ellie and Haley are holding martini glasses, their hips swaying as they dance like absolute fools to the music with Caleb and Knox.

And further out on the lawn with Rez, Cade is entirely out of his element. He cuts across the grass tracking a high-arc pass from one of the Briggs brothers I can’t identify from here.

A soft chuckle draws my attention back to the fire pit.

Luciana is watching the same exact scene. Her lips are curved into an amused, yet slightly bewildered smile as she watches Cal try to flip August in the deep end. She leans her head gently on Dad’s shoulder.

“You really weren’t kidding when you said chaos, Bella.”

“I told you,” I say, grinning.

Luciana hands my dad her wine glass and pushes herself up from the cushions. “Excuse me for a moment,” she whispers before heading off toward the house.

“You seem happy,” I say, watching Dad stare after his wife as she disappears further up the garden path.

His eyes meet mine. “How can I not be?”