Page 132 of Seven Lost Summers
Scarlet bumps her shoulder into mine. “You crushed it.”
Kit nods, more serious now. “They’re not just promo shots. You can really see them.”
“I’m trying to,” I say.
“You don’t need to try,” Kit says, eyes still on the laptop. “It’s already there. These feel personal.”
They are. They so fucking are.
She shuts the lid gently and looks at me again.
“They’re good, Quinn. Theo’s right. You’ve got a good eye.”
She grabs her folder and starts toward the studio.
Scarlet calls after her. “Hey, Kit, do you mind if Quinn and I catch up for a little while before she heads down?”
Kit pauses by the door. “Yeah, that’s fine, Scar. Quinn’s clearly got everything under control. Judging by those shots, she doesn’t need me breathing down her neck.” She disappears toward the studio without waiting for a response.
Scarlet turns to me, her expression soft. “You okay?”
I nod, even though it hits like a lie. There’s a tightness sitting behind my ribs. I press the heel of my hand to my chest, trying to ease the heavy thud of my heart.
Scarlet tilts her head toward the kitchen. “Coffee?”
“Yeah.”
She crosses the space and reaches up into the cupboard, grabs two mugs that don’t match, and sets them on the bench.
“How do you have it?” she asks, her back to me.
“Black. With sugar.”
She nods and presses a button. Nothing happens. “This machine hates me,” she mutters, smacking the side of the coffee maker. “But Ace said he fixed it last week. So if it explodes, it’s his fault.”
I huff a laugh and sink into one of the chairs.
The machine hums to life. The scent hits first, before the coffee even touches the mug.
My fingers tap against the wood, I’m restless for some reason.
“You killed it with those shots,” Scarlet says. “Seriously. I don’t think I’ve seen Kit that impressed since Theo figured out how to show up on time.”
I laugh, picturing him with that smug little grin, probably late on purpose. “Thanks.”
Scarlet watches me for a beat, her gaze steady before swapping out one mug for the other. When the second pour finishes, she grabs both cups and walks over.
She sets mine down in front of me, then lowers herself into the seat beside me.
“It’s good having you around again,” she says.
That ache behind my ribs pulses harder, and all I can manage is a nod.
She keeps going. “It’s different this time. For them. Seeing Nate and Theo with you again… it’s changed them.”
My pulse kicks. Because it feels good to be around them too. It feels right.
I wrap my hands around the mug.
