Page 98 of Can't Always Get What You Want

We munch on nuts, cheese, and sugar snap peas for several minutes, the only sound is our chewing and swallowing and the occasional sip of wine.

Nova lets out an ahh after a satisfying gulp of red.

“Tell me something dumb,” she says suddenly. “That you’ve done.”

I blink. “Eh?”

“Something dumb. Light. You know. To keep the spiral at bay.”

“Okay.” I think for half a second. “I believed until age nine that the moon followedmespecifically.”

She chokes on her wine, laughing into the glass. “Stop it right now.”

“Dead serious. I was that stupid.”

She shakes her head to disagree. “No, pretty sure that’s normal.” Nova hesitates. “Growing up there was a bright star I could see out my window on clear nights. And I would pray on that star, but instead of praying to God—I prayed to Justin Bieber.”

Of course she did.

“Dear Justin,” Nova begins. “My mom said I couldn’t get bangs. Please tell her to change her mind.” She giggles. “Dear Justin, pleaseplease please let Will Parker ask me to the fall formal or at least notice I exist.”

I laugh. “Did he answer?”

“She did indeed let me get bangs,” she admits with a nod. “They were tragic—but not the point.”

“I’m sorry. This information changes everything.”

Nova lifts her head, cheeks pink. “What information?”

“I can’t un-know the fact your childhood religion was a Canadian pop star.”

“Pfft. He hadswag,okay?” she says defensively, wagging her wine glass at me. “And he waslistening.”

I raise my glass to propose a toast. “To the Church of Bieber and misguided childhood choices!”

We take a long sip in unison, the wine warm and heavy now. I feel it in my shoulders, my fingers. Everything loosening, softening.

Nova sighs. “I think this wine is going to my head.”

“I think this night is going to mine.”

She smiles, lazy and loose, the kind that makes me want to kiss it right off her face. Instead, I reach for the last of the sugared pecans and toss one at her.

It hits her hoodie and rolls into her lap.

“Excuseyou,” she says, affronted.

“I panicked,” I say. “Too much cuteness. Had to defuse it.”

She picks up the pecan, considers throwing it back, then pops it in her mouth instead. “I’m letting that slide because I’m buzzed and want to crawl all over you.”

Oh—this is great news.

Even better, because she sets her empty wine glass on the table and stands, climbing into my lap like we’ve snuggled a hundred times. Second nature.Like I’m her favorite chair.

Her legs hanging off one side of her, Nova loops her arms around my neck, and I get an up-close-and-personal look at her dilated pupils; the freckles across the bridge of her nose, flushed cheeks, and a dazed smile.

Goddamn she’s beautiful.

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