Page 11 of My Summer Girl

Waving their hand, they prod me to continue. “We are raised to be gifters of love, romance, happily ever afters, and that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“That’s archaic. What about love and family?”

“We’re assigned mates.”

“You can’t just—” They stop and shake their head vehemently. “Mates are fated. Anything less isn’t real.” They grab a stick and toss it, seeking rocks in the sand like they’re anxious with the information I’ve just given them.

“It’s for procreation purposes,” I agree. “They don’t care about connection or friendship. Most times the couples take on playmates of some sorts. Their agreements are to the breeding purposes and the lineage continuance of our families. Everything else can be on the table if both sides agree.”

“That’s wild,” Opie gasps, holding a hand to their chest. “I’ve heard of others who practice this, but I’ve never met anyone who was forced to.”

“I didn’t realize how lonely or sad I was until my siblings broke the rules.”

Opie’s eyebrows practically touch their hairline as they stare openly at me. “They found love?”

Sheepishly, I nod, thinking of Xó and Val. They both went about it in very different ways, but the outcome was great. They found their loves and created mate bonds with them. I wanted that.

“They’re both married. My kid sister has a baby and another on the way.”

Their hand splays against their heart as they stare at me with both sympathy and shock. “Can I hug you? Might be weird, but you look like you could use one.”

I nod, thinking of how my siblings aren’t touchy—well, everyone besides Xó. She’s always been different. The baby of the bunch who went against all she knew for Arson. Maybe instead of being the lead, I should follow hers.

Opie wraps their arms around me and hums, reminding me of those people who use sound to soothe, and tears escape my eyes. It shocks me how intimate this feels.

The people around us stop talking, pausing to peer at us. One monster, tall with long braided hair and Basilisk-like eyes, stands.

“No sadness, dear one!” His voice carries, an almost bellow like he’s hollering. “It’s nearly summer solstice.”

“What’s that?” I ask, wiping my stray tears. Opie pats me, her hands gentle and reassuring.

“Only the best time for new beginnings.”

“But I—”

“Nope,” he stops me with a zipper over his fanged mouth. “No ifs, ands, or buts. Summer solstice isn’t celebrated by all, but it can be. For every culture, it’s a bit different. For mine, we specifically celebrate rebirth. It’s a time for us to burn the bridges that don’t suit us and seek things that do.”

“For us,” another starts. They’re stunning, wings massive and glowing, as if they’re not even real, twitch as they twirl. “We tend to bring a lot of babies in. Fertility is our specialty and if you go to specific fields in my home realm, you can be with a child by nightfall.”

“Oh, wow,” I mutter, thinking of how different worlds work. “We don’t celebrate anything in my realm. Not holidays or anything. The most we do is traditional weddings and Valentine’s twenty-four seven.”

Opie scrunches her face. “No spring equinox?”

I shake my head, thinking of Halloween and how I’ve always wanted to join in on the festivities. “Not even that.”

She pouts, her lip protruding like I’ve said the most offensive thing. “That’s a shame. In my realm, it’s always springtime. We celebrate all year round, and while outsiders find it a boring place, I see it as the most peaceful.”

“To get back on track,” the man wistfully interrupts, “you should create a summer ‘fuck it’ list.”

My eyebrows lift of their own accord, confusion filling me with unease. “What is a ‘fuck it’ list?”

They all laugh, not at me, but with an almost awe quality. I’m sheltered, sure, but I’ve never heard of this term.

“It’s basically a list of things you want to do because the people around you and the world’s opinions don’t matter.”

Thoughts ruminate as I ponder the things I’d want to add to mine. Maybe this is exactly what I need. “How the Hades do I accomplish this?”

Opie grips my shoulders. “Tell the world to fuck off, and then do it. Why not start by living for yourself? Learn what you like and who you want to be, Dulce. No one deserves to be miserable forever.”

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