Page 119 of Scars Like Wings

Lol! I feel that, trust me.

I had liked that text just before we reached the front of the line. Everything else was new and unread:

PUMPKIN QUEENIE ♥?

I wish I could have dressed up this year. I freaking love Halloween. It’s always so fun.

PUMPKIN QUEENIE ♥?

I bet we would have an awesome couple’s costume. We’ll have to start thinking of some for next year! Wanna see some of my favorite costumes?

Quinn sent over a few pictures. Some were just of her, some were of her and Nat, and others were her with the rest of the cousins and a stranger or two. They also covered the gamut when it came to age. One was a baby picture of her as a pumpkin. Another one was her as a teenager dressed in a bottle of mustard with Nat as ketchup, Cole as relish, Cody as barbecue sauce, and Cooper as mayo. I laughed when I saw them in that one. There was one with her, Nat, and a woman that looked just like Quinn but older and more feminine dressed as the Sanderson Sisters—Quinn as Mary and Nat as Sarah, which made me laugh again because their impressions were too good. My favorite that made me scream with how good it was had to be her Ms. Trenchbull costume. It was perfection right down to her facial expression.

I didn’t think I could like this girl more than I did already, but she kept finding new ways to make it happen.

PUMPKIN QUEENIE ♥?

I miss you, sweetness.

PUMPKIN QUEENIE ♥?

I know you are having so much fun. I bet you are winning. I can’t wait to hear all about it.

PUMPKIN QUEENIE ♥?

Call me when you get home! ??

She had sent that text only twelve minutes ago. All her messages made me so giddy I could squeal. I stood up and pressed the video icon while I walked around the living room. I straightened my half-ponytail in its scrunchie while I waited for Quinn to pick up. As always, I didn’t have to wait long.

Quinn appeared on camera looking cozy and adorable as always. She was laying down on a couch. Her hair was a pillow of curls around her head. The collar of her sweatshirt was over her mouth, but I could tell she was smiling at me.

“Hi, gorgeous.”

I scoffed. “Me? I look like I just need to put my bonnet on to go to bed. I have a naked face and my jammies on.”

“I think you have never looked more beautiful.” Then she looked further down at my outfit, and she raised an eyebrow. Her cheeks took on a soft blush. “What are you wearing?”

“It’s my favorite Halloween jammies! Do you like them?” I flipped my phone camera to face the standing mirror in our living room. I posed in my bleach-dyed cropped cami with two skeleton hands clutching my boobs, a matching pair of short booty shorts, and my thick black duster cardigan. I did a little dance to show it off.

When I rotated the camera back toward my face, Quinn’s smolder was blazing enough to make me melt. “Those are somecutepajamas. You are hot enough to serve up and eat. Do all of your PJs look like that?”

It was my turn to blush now. “You will have to find out, I guess.”

“Oh, I look for—Ouch, Clarkson!” Quinn cried out as a ball of chocolate brown appeared on screen, almost knocking her phone out of her hand. Clarkson crawled up onto her chestand dropped the tennis ball she was carrying to lick Quinn’s face. Quinn turned her face away back and forth, trying to push Clarkson away. She finally managed to get Clarkson away from her face. Now, she was on her back, tongue lolled to the side, loving Quinn’s belly rubs.

I laughed.

“How was Trivia?”

“It wassomuch fun! We won!”

“I would expect nothing less. You are smart as fuck.”

“And I got the winning answer!”

“I love that. What’d you win us?”

“We won a free bottle of wine to share for Trivia Night, and we each got a twenty-five-dollar gift card for winning the Costume Contest! I will definitely be back. Oh! We should go on a date there! It is such a vibe. I would love to take you and treat you for once.”

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