Page 75 of Saving Sparrow
“Nice!” Miguel exclaimed, high-fiving me. We laughed, leaving Quentin confused when he returned. “We’re not telling you,” Miguel warned before he could even ask.
“I think that’s grounds for me to hold back my surprise.” Quentin hid whatever he held behind his back.
Miguel looked over at me, a brow raised.“¿Deberíamos pegarle?”
I repeated the question to myself slowly, my eyes widening when I understood. “Yes, we should.”
“Hey,” Quentin said, backing away when we sat up. “I don’t know what you said, but it doesn’t sound fucking good. Here, just take it.” He tossed a small bottle at me. I caught it instinctively.
“What’s this?” I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head, examining the bottle of nail polish. “You want me towearthis?” The idea both scared and excited me. What would people think? Delaney would definitely give me a hard time now. I didn’t want any more attention on me.
“We can start small,” Miguel said, squeezing my shoulder.
“Yeah,” Quentin agreed, flopping down on the blanket too. “I’ll paint your toes.”
“Then I’ll paint mine,” Miguel said, stretching his legs out and wiggling his own toes. Quentin lifted one of Miguel’s feet, dusting it off before kissing the arch of it. He rested it on his lap, massaging it while they waited for my answer.
“No.” I stared down at the shiny black polish again. “Let’s not go small. Let’s go big. Paint my fingernails too.”
“Woo-hoo!” Quentin shouted, causing me to cover my ears. “Somebody woke up on the bad-bitch side of the bed today. I fucking love it.”
Miguel and I fell into each other laughing, which never failed to make Quentin smile.
“How about we take turns painting each other, pretty girl? I dareanyoneto give me shit about it.”
“Deal.”
We did our nails, napped together, then watched the sun set over the lake before getting ready to head back.
“Back to school tomorrow,” I said after we’d packed everything into the car.
“It’ll be fine.” Miguel came to stand in front of me.
“Fuck yeah it will,” Quentin echoed, rounding the car to stand next to Miguel. He lifted my head with a finger on my chin. “It’s us against anyone who fucks with us, okay? They can’t hurt you. No one can.” He was as sincere as I’d ever seen him.
It’s just us here.
“Okay,” I breathed, trying my best to believe him.
“Good.” Quentin let his cocky smile loose, the one that said he had plans and dared anyone to get in the way of them. “Let’s fuck this school year up, pretty girl.”
We formed a circle, holding each other’s hands. “Let’s fuck it up,” I said, surprising even myself.
I made a promise to myself right then. They were my safe space, and I would be theirs. I’d be their best friend, the place where they could be themselves and love each other however they wanted. I would protect their truths and even protect them from the worst of mine.
Miguel
Now
“How do I get him back?”
“You don’t.”
Hours later, I still sat in front of the fire, unable to get those words out of my head.
“You don’t…”
“You don’t...”
