Page 73 of Run To You
I do, actually.
The party picks up when Eden’s grandma finally arrives, fresh from her trek around the local art gallery with her husband in tow, who looks ready for a drink. She zeroes in on me like a heat-seeking missile.
“Sloane! It’s about time I got some one-on-one with you, my love.”
Everyone stops talking. Jenna looks at Eden, who is looking at me because I know my eyes have grown super wide. I contemplate running for the hills, but Eden’s mom swoops in with another tray and diverts the attention.
I lock eyes with Kiera. She’s trying not to laugh, but she’s losing. I smile back because I’m not the only girlfriend Eden’s gran will meet today.
“I can’t wait.” I grin. “You should also spend some time with Kiera,” I add, nodding my head in her direction.
Kiera goes beet red, which makes me chuckle. Gran spins on her heels and heads in her direction, effectively letting me off the hook. I genuinely can’t wait to get to know Eden’s gran, but today is already feeling overwhelming, so I’m happy to throw Kiera to the wolves this once.
At dusk, we all migrate to the lawn for an impromptu soccer match: Eden’s family versus the “Degenerates,” which is just the friend group plus Kiera. My parents are happy to sit this one out and drink wine. I get slotted as goalkeeper because nobody trusts me with their shins, which is slightly offensive. I’m not the only competitive one in the mix.
The game is chaos. Jenna scores on her own team at least twice. Eden’s dad tries to headbutt the ball and nearly concusses himself. Kiera trounces us all, which leads to some serious pouting from Jenna, and Eden keeps getting distracted by me in shorts, which I can’t really complain about.
Afterward, when we’re all suitably sweaty and grass-stained, we collapse on the patio. Kiera sits beside me, stretching her calves, and says, “This was fun. I’m glad we’re all still friends.”
“Me too,” I answer sincerely. Burying another source of discomfort is just another piece of the puzzle slotting into place. By the end of the summer, I think I’ll only have my ongoing battle with anxiety to deal with. Won’t that be nice?
The night winds down with sparklers and a truly terrible round of karaoke led by Eden’s grandma, who insists on singing “Like a Virgin” at full volume. The neighbors bang on the fence in protest, but nobody cares.
Kiera helps me collect empty cups at the end of the night, and we stand side by side in the dim porch light.
“So,” she says, voice low. “Are we good?”
“We’re good,” I say. “Really.”
She nods, and there’s a long, easy silence between us. Then she leans in, voice barely above a whisper. “I always knew Eden was it for you. I’m really sorry I tried to mess with that. I had my own shit going on at home, not that I’m using it as an excuse.”
I nod in understanding. “Believe me, I get it.”
Kiera grins. “It really is good to be back with the gang.”
I smile widely in response, because it is good to be together again.
She heads inside, and I watch her go, a little lighter than before. Maybe Eden’s right, maybe buffering is just the start of something new. Maybe I’m finally ready to start streaming. Ugh, I hate this metaphor. The point is, I came home to sort my life out and I think I’m about there.
I linger on the porch a while, watching the lights and listening to the faint sound of laughter through the screen door. Eden slides in next to me and wraps her arm around my waist.
“Kiera really likes my sister, huh?”
I laugh. “They’re super cute together.”
“Gross, but true,” she admits. “So…”
“So?”
“You wanna stay at my place tonight and fool around?”
The fact she asks me in a southern American accent has me cracking up. “You dork!”
“Is that a yes?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
“It’s a yes. We’ll need to keep it down though because I’m tired of Bella glaring at me over my cereal.”
Eden snorts. “Do you know how many nights I’ve had to listen to Becca chanting Bella’s name like she’s possessed? I don’t know how we’re still friends to be fair. So they cansuck it up or stay at Becca’s place, which probably hasn’t been lived in for the past three months.”
