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“I fucking knew it!” Maia fist-punches the air and points at Everleigh. “You owe me twenty bucks.”
My mouth drops open as I look back and forth between the two of them. “You made bets?”
“Back then, we did. Before everyone figured out you were hooking up. It was Maia’s idea. Now I owe her twenty bucks. Damn hangover made me miss all the good shit.”
“I can’t with you two.” I shake my head and laugh. “You’re lucky I love you both.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Maia waves her hand before placing it on her hip. “So Holden couldn’t resist you and wanted to be friends with benefits?”
“Yep, good guess.”
“Aha! I knew it again.” Maia cheers.
“He offered a sex pact. Basically friends with benefits. So now instead of hooking up with booty calls, I call him.”
“Damn,” Everleigh says. “And no feelings? I’d be falling in love.”
“You know me. I don’t do feelings. We made rules.”
“Whatever works for you two. Like I said, I love it. It’s a cool arrangement. And not one many can pull off.” Maia smiles.
“Now you two owe me some damn tea. Serve it up on the way to the party.” I nod my head toward the door and we leave the apartment together and make our way to one of the many celebrations of another school year ending.
The party isin a house a couple of streets over so we walk. It’s a nice night, the air warm and salty, the sound of the waves not too far off.
“I think I might stay here all summer with you, Len,” Maia says as we turn a corner onto another street.
“Really?” I ask, my summer now looking brighter. Everleigh always goes home. Maia usually does too, so it’ll be nice having her around.
I visited home this past Christmas, but I haven’t spent a summer at home since after freshman year. There are shifts in the summer at the lab I take advantage of, and something is always happening on the beach, from parties to carnivals to live music.
“Yeah, nothing is going on at home. I’d rather be bored here than bored there. I’m also thinking of finding a summer job.”
“That’ll be cool. You sure you don’t wanna stay, Everleigh?”
“Actually, I was thinking of only going home for half the summer,” she answers.
I clap my hands. “Yay! Last summer was lonely, so I’m excited.”
“You loved having the place to yourself, don’t lie,” Maia teases, and all three of us laugh.
“Well, maybe just a little. But it’s still better with you two here, hands down,” I say just as we arrive at the party. Loud music plays from the backyard and cars line up and down the street. Lots of people are hanging around, walking in and out of the house, and some around to the back.
“Let’s go this way,” Maia says, pointing toward the backyard.
Everleigh and I follow her along the pathway with bushes on each side.
Chairs and tables surround a huge in-ground pool. Further back is a canopy area with another patio set underneath it, close to the house.
We mingle our way in after grabbing drinks, and my eyes automatically scan the place for the one person I want to see. But there’s no sign of him.
“Is Holden coming?” Everleigh asks, and it’s like she can read my mind.
“I think so.” I brush off her question as casually as I can, but I know she knows my answer is a little bit of bullshit from the way she’s looking at me. I also know for a fact he’s coming. We talked about it over text earlier.
“So you haven’t spoken to him all day?”
I laugh. “Maybe.”
