Page 27 of Craving Francesca

Otto looked at me. “It’s like fuckin’ clockwork. Beginnin’ to think we’ll never get a full night of sleep.”

“You love it,” Esther teased.

Otto shot me a look that indicated he did not love it.

As they went off to say their goodbyes, I took time to say hello to the Aces around the room. None of the older generation were there, but considering the way they’d procreated like rabbits, there were a lot of the younger generation at the party. I ended up sitting with Harper and our cousins Olive and Meg for most of the night. The sisters were only about a year apart, and they bickered constantly, which meant that no one really noticed that I was saying even less than usual.

I was too busy keeping an eye on Frankie, who’d steadily gotten wasted as the hours passed. She was loud and bouncing around the party like she was having a great time, but something about the way she was laughing seemed brittle. No one else seemed to notice that the life of the party was trying a little too hard.

Eventually the crowd thinned to mostly family. Myla and Cian, Lou, Brody and Bas, Meg and Olive, Harper and me. We migrated to the sun porch with the rest of the group, and I took it in as I sat down in a lawn chair next to the cooler. None of the furniture out there matched, but it somehow seemed to all flow together well. An old wicker love seat with a floral cushion sat next to a bright yellow metal bench. In the corner was a neon green metal table and chairs. An old white daybed ran along the outer half wall beneath the windows, covered with throw pillows.

“You came,” Lou said, plopping down on the cooler.

“Couldn’t deprive you of Harper,” I replied, glancing at her. Did she notice that something was going on with Frankie? She didn’t seem concerned.

“Well, good,” Lou said with a drunken nod. “Frankie was really excited to see her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep.” She hiccupped and leaned toward me. “I think it was a good party. You know, other than Slimy Scott.”

“You don’t like Scott, huh?”

Lou wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“What’d he do to piss you off?” I asked lightly.

“He’s pushy,” Lou said, her eyes on Brody as he burst to his feet and pounded his chest, making the women around him laugh hysterically. “He’s always here.”

“Frankie must be into it.”

“I don’t think so.” She burped and covered her mouth quickly. “Sorry.”

“She’s pretty hammered,” I commented as Frankie swayed from side to side next to the table. Her boyfriend sat in the chair next to her, talking to Olive and paying zero attention to his woman. I caught my cousin’s eye. Her face was emotionless. She wasn’t amused by whatever the guy was saying.

“I’ll take care of her,” Lou informed me. It didn’t fill me with comfort considering the hundred-pound pixie next to me looked like she was about to topple over. “And Bas is staying. Probably Brody, too. They usually crash out on the couch and the floor.”

I felt marginally better, knowing that the boys were staying, but I still hesitated when Harper told me an hour later that she was ready to leave. Meg had already dragged Olive away. Myla and Cian just had to walk across the street, but even they looked like they were ready to get going. If I insisted on staying longer it would look weird as fuck.

“Sure,” I said, pushing to my feet.

“Birthday girl,” Harper sang happily, opening her arms wide. “We’re leaving! Epic party. This is the most fun I’ve had in like a year.”

“Thanks for coming, Harp,” Frankie replied, half skipping and half stumbling over to us.

They collided in a tangle of drunken arms and unsteady feet but thankfully stayed vertical.

“Come see us again before you leave,” Frankie said quietly, her arms wrapped tight around my baby sister’s shoulders. “We miss you when you’re gone.”

“I will,” Harper said emphatically. “I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Frankie said, pulling away. She turned to me and gave a little half-wave. “Thanks for coming, Gray.”

“Happy birthday,” I replied, my guts clenching.

I didn’t want to fucking leave.

“Still too young?” she mocked with a laugh before spinning away.

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