Page 42 of Fragile

I nod. “But we haven’t talked about anything properly. I don’t know if we’re a thing or not. Or if I should ask him.”

Indie twists her mouth, thinking. “So why are we having all these guys over for this party if you might or might not be a thing with Miles? Are you going to talk to any of them?”

Biting my lip, I say, “I’m not going to be rude, but I don’t know…”

“I think you should keep your options open for now. You haven’t made any promises yet.”

I shrug, because is that even what I want? I don’t think it is. But we haven’t exactly figured it out either.

“Wait,” she says, grasping my arm. “What do we do about Seb?”

It’s one of the main questions I’ve considered, but I’m not ready for him to know. “I don’t know. I hate to ask, but…”

She groans. “You’re going to ask me to keep a secret, aren’t you?”

I force a pleasant smile and flutter my lashes at her, my hands tucked under my chin. “Pleeeeeeeease. Only for a little while. I don’t even know if there’s anything to tell yet.”

She frowns at me for a second. “Fine. But you owe me…again. First, this decorating, and now, secrets. I’ll add it to your tab.”

“I love you,” I say, wrapping my arms around her.

“Yeah, yeah.” Rolling her eyes playfully, she moves to the corner to hang the lights.

I turn my attention to the glittering foil curtains that one of my girls, Lily, from the cheer squad brought by earlier today, hoping they aren’t too tangled. Indie fusses with the fairy lights, muttering under her breath about the tape not sticking properly. “Why can’t we just use those command hook things?”

“Because we’re out,” I tell her, holding up the curtain to assess. “Just do what you can.”

She grumbles some more, but goes back to work. I manage to get the foiled curtains hung by the doorway and near the kitchenette entrance, then head over to the snack table to make sure everything is set up. The table is piled high with chips and cookies, while solo cups line the edges, along with several mixers and a couple of bottles of vodka that Lily had from a party she threw recently. Oh, and my favorite gummy worms, of course. But that has a memory playing in my head like a home movie.

“When I’m big and old, like Mom and Dad, if I sell all my toys and buy you a ring, will you marry me?” I ask, chewing on a gummy worm he bought for me at the store. They’re my favorite candy now.

“You’d sell all your baby dolls for me? Even the ones that burp and poop and stuff?” Miles asks with his mouth full. Mom says he shouldn’t talk with his mouth full, but he does it anyway.

“I’d do anything for you. You’re my best friend.”

Miles passes me another candy, the red and blue one, and I smile because that’s my favorite. “You’re my best friend too. You and Seb.”

“Yeah, but you don’t wanna marry my stinky brother, right?”

He shakes his head. “I think I’m supposed to buy you a ring, instead of you buying me one,” he mumbles, shoving too many gummies in his mouth, but it’s okay, because I only like the red and blue ones and he’s eating the other colors.

“So, you’ll marry me?”

“Sure.” He shrugs, swallowing the big mouthful.

“Good,” I say as I reach for another candy. “Because you make my heart beep real loud.”

“I do?” he asks, looking at me strangely.

“Yeah.”

“You’re weird.” Laughing, he stares into my eyes, and my heart thumps so loudly in my chest I want him to hear it so he’ll believe me. “I’ll get us some more gummy worms.”

“Quinn, where do you want these?” Lily asks, snapping my attention back to the room. She’s holding some white and gold balloons.

“Over there by the couch.” I point it out, trying to refocus on the tasks in front of me.

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