Page 144 of Even Beneath the Stars

My phone buzzes and I nearly drop it trying to check the screen. But it's just Seb asking how it's going.

I don't respond. Can't deal with his optimism right now when I'm drowning in self-doubt. The rain picks up, drumming harder against the glass dome.

"Hey… Sorry I'm kinda late."

I whirl around at the sound of her voice, my heart slamming against my ribs. She stands in the doorway, rain dripping from her pink hair onto her shoulders. Her vintage denim jacket is soaked through, paired with a yellow corduroy skirt and bright knee socks. A silver chain with tiny robot charms catches the dim light.

The carefully rehearsed speech evaporates from my mind. All those perfect words I'd planned? Gone. My mouth opens but nothing comes out.

But Maggie doesn't wait for me to find my voice. She crosses the room in quick steps and wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her face into my chest. The familiar scent of her shampoo fills my senses as I fold my arms around her, pulling her closer. Her jacket is cold and wet against my skin but I don't care.

The steady drumming of rain against the glass dome fills the silence as we hold each other. My racing pulse begins to slow, the knot in my stomach loosens with each breath. The world narrows to just this - her warmth against me, the slight tremor in her fingers where they grip my shirt, the soft tickle of her hair under my chin.

Her laugh vibrates against my chest, soft and perfect. "You smell like lavender fabric softener."

"You smell like coconut…" I pull back. "And also like spray paint."

She laughs. "Sexy."

"Itis."

She rolls her eyes. "You're such a liar."

"I'm a fucking idiot," I correct her, holding both her arms, my tan fingers plain and boring against the vibrant green stripes on her top. "I'm so sorry, Maggs… I'm so sorry for taking so long to get my shit together. I didn't—"

"Stop." She cuts me off, then pulls me into another hug. This one tighter. She squeezes me, clutching at my shirt with her fists. "Ohmygod it's so good to hug you."

It's so good tobehugged.

A few minutes later, we're lying on the pile of cushions, shoulders touching, gazing up through the glass dome. The rain creates shifting patterns across the night sky, turning the stars into wavering points of light. The steady drumming of water against glass fills the comfortable silence between us.

"I think I missed this the most," Maggie says softly. "Being up here with you. Looking up at the stars together."

"Yeah." I swallow hard. "Me too."

We watch the rain trace paths down the curved glass for a few moments. My chest feels tight, but in a good way this time. Like something breaking open and healing all at once.

"It was stupid," I blurt out. "The diorama I sent you. I should've-"

"Are you kidding me?" Maggie props herself up on one elbow, looking down at me with wide eyes. "I loved the diorama. It was the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."

I stare at her, not sure I heard right. The diorama took me three attempts and still looked like something Finn would make in art class. The telescope was basically a straw covered in wrinkled gum wrappers.

A grin spreads across her face. "Don't get me wrong - it was horrible. Like, you need to stick with the guitar and never go near a glue gun for the rest of your days... but I loved it."

Her laugh breaks through my embarrassment and I find myself laughing too, the sound echoing off the glass dome above us.

Maggie shifts closer, reaching out to brush a lock of hair away from my eyes. Her touch is gentle, almost hesitant. The playful mood from moments ago settles into something deeper.

"I read your letter six times," she says, her voice soft but steady. "Every single word."

My eyes widen and my throat tightens. We're so close I can see the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes, count each freckle across her nose. The vulnerability in her expression makes my heart race.

"It took me the whole afternoon to write it," I admit. "I kept starting over."

"Well, it was worth it." Her fingers trail down to rest against my cheek. "You got everything perfect."

"I meant it all, Maggs. Every word." The truth of it hits me full force—how much I need her to understand this. "I've never... I've never actually had a girlfriend before. And I might really suck at it."

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