Page 107 of Fragile

He kisses me again, and I know that whatever happens next, whatever the future holds, we’ll face it together. Because this—what we have—is real. It’s solid, and it’s ours.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Chapter forty-nine

Miles

The sun casts awarm golden glow over everything it’s touching. The air is thick with the smell of pine trees, fresh water, and the unmistakable smoky scent of a fire burning in our little make-shift pit. It’s perfect, the kind of evening you only get in Oregon right at the cusp of summer down here by the lakes, where the days are long and the nights are just cool enough to remind you that spring hasn’t completely let go yet.

Quinn sits in front of me, legs tucked up as she plays with the label on her beer bottle, the condensation making her fingers glisten in the fading light.

“This view never gets old,” she says, her voice almost lost in the gentle rustle of the trees. She leans against me, her arm brushing mine, and I can feel the tension from the past year slowly melting away like it has been for the last few months. Slowly, but surely, I’m beginning to feel like myself again. I’m allowed to be the twenty-year-old—or I guess twenty-one tomorrow—who can live life the way I want to. And with her by my side is exactly where I want to be.

“Yeah,” I reply, taking in the way the sunlight catches in her hair, turning it into a halo of copper and gold. “It’s like everything else disappears out here.”

Across the fire, Seb crouches down, coaxing the flames higher with a few more sticks. Indie sat beside him, marshmallow skewered on a stick, her curly hair spilling over her shoulders as she grins at something Seb whispers in her ear. The two of them have always been a force together—quiet, steady, but with a spark that makes you think they could set the whole world on fire if they wanted to.

Hudson, meanwhile, is busy cracking open another beer—his fourth, maybe? He’s laughing at Jay, who’s halfway through telling us a story about his most recent gym trip.

“And then,” he says, shaking his head as if he still can’t believe his own stupidity, “I hit the ‘increase speed’ button instead of the stop button, and next thing I know, I’m face-first on the floor, the treadmill just spitting me out like some kind of—”

“Some kind of human slingshot?” Quinn suggests, her voice laced with amusement as she takes a sip from her bottle.

“Exactly!” Jay exclaims as he points at her with the hand holding his beer. “But, you know, less cool and more ‘please someone kill me now.’”

“Why you suddenly working out so much, man? Huh?” Hudson teases, nudging his arm.

Jay turns a shade of pink I haven’t seen on him before. “No reason, just you know…because.”

“It hasn’t got anything to do with G—”

“Hudson, shut it,” Jay interrupts and places his hand over his mouth.

Quinn chuckles beside me, and I feel the sound vibrate through her body and into mine. “I think maybe Jay’s got a secret crush…”

“Tell me all the gossip later,” I say, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m still not used to this.” Hudson waves his hand in our direction. “But you’re cute and I’m jealous. Just a little bit.”

“Aww, Huds, you want to sit in between Miles’s legs?” Quinn laughs.

“No, no, this spot is reserved for you only, Queenie. Birthday boy rules.” I hug her closer to my body, kissing the side of her neck.

“Maybe I want a little something like that.” Hudson pouts as he shrugs.

“My boy is growing up so fast.” Jay sniffs, wiping a fake tear from his eye, and everyone erupts into laughter. “Soon there’ll be no hookups at all, and then I can finally sleep soundly.”

“Shut up, you all suck. I need new friends.”

“Don’t be salty, princess.” Seb stands up, brushing his hands off with a satisfied smile as the fire crackles to life. He glances over at Indie, who is toasting her marshmallow to a perfect golden brown, and grins. “You’re up, marshmallow queen.”

Indie lifts the stick, the marshmallow glowing. “Who wants s’mores?” she calls out, her voice light, carrying a hint of that carefree joy that’s been missing for too long.

“Right here,” Seb says, reaching out, but Indie playfully pulls the stick back just out of his reach, sticking out her tongue.

“Patience,” she teases. Grabbing a graham cracker and a piece of chocolate to complete the s’more, she hands it to him. Seb takes a bite, and the chocolate and marshmallow ooze out of the sides, smudging the corner of his mouth. Without missing a beat, Indie swipes the goo with her thumb and pops it into her mouth, grinning.

“Okay, who’s next?” Indie asks as she looks around the circle.

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