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Her eyes brighten a little bit. Or maybe it’s the Christmas lights twinkling in her irises.
“But…” I add, “as…lovely as the other night was, I think we should stay just friends while you’re here.”
The light in her dims. But her smile remains intact. “Of course. Whatever you need.”
“That’s what I need.”
She extends a hand. “Friends?”
“Friends.”
We shake on it.
“Also. Whatever is going on with you and Jason…”
“It’s stupid,” she says quickly. “Insane. With…you know. Otto. It makes no sense. I know I need to step away.”
“Don’t,” I tell her. “I haven’t seen him this happy since Nadine. I think he needs this as much as you do.”
“Right.” She’s looking off to the water again. That ten-mile stare.
“Anyway,” I add, “maybe Jason and his big dick will convince you to stay.”
She laughs at that. It’s a beautiful sound. “Asshole.”
“Slut,” I retort.
She rests her head on my shoulder, and the both of us look out into the limitless inky black of the ocean, the smattering of stars.
“I missed you,” she says, so quietly I almost don’t hear it.
My heart kicks. “Missed you, too.”
A flurry of movement lands in Kenzi’s lap. “Mum!” Otto grabs at her arm, tugging her. “I got to steer the ship!”
Kenzi gasps audibly. “What? That’s so cool!”
I can’t lie—seeing her in mom mode makes a smile tug at my lips.
Pearl and her fur coat step beside Kenzi and lean over. “It has Fireball in it,” Pearl whispers fugitively as she extends a paper cup.
“Pearl, seriously?” Kenzi complains.
“Whoa!” Jason dramatically bursts into the scene—he splays his arms out suddenly, as though he’s catching himself from falling, and his whole body sways as if we’ve hit an iceberg. “Do you guys feel that?”
“Feel what?” Otto asks, entranced.
“The music in your bones!” Jason grins—a dopey fucking grin—and starts snapping his fingers to the beat. “C’mon! Let’s dance.”
A grin splits across Otto’s mouth. Jason—the ball of cheese he is—has gotten everyone excited now. He gets Otto dancing, and Pearl, and takes Kenzi’s hand and gets her to her feet as well.
I cross my arms and dig my hands into my armpits. But it’s no use. Between the four of them, they manage to drag me off the bench and pull me into their dance circle.
49
Kenzi
My head feels like a lead balloon.
