Page 117 of All's Well that Friends Well

I beam at my siblings, focusing especially on Cyrus, who grunts.

“Do you know what we’ll do to you if you hurt her?”

Luca’s shoulders jerk into a shrug. “Nothing she wouldn’t do to me first.”

“I wouldnever,” I say, my eyes widening. “I would just cry and then egg your house.”

“Really?” Luca says. His brows furrow as he frowns up at me, his glasses glinting in the light. “That’s…somehow worse.”

“Do you two even know each other?” Cyrus says. “And what’s the age difference here?”

“Eight years”—I hold up a hand as Cy starts to protest—“but don’t worry, he’s immature for his age,” I add soothingly.

Cy snorts, and when Luca glares up at me, I just shrug.

“This was quick,” Cyrus barrels on. “What do you reallyknow about each other? What does she like and dislike? What does she want to be when she grows up?”

“She’s already grown up,” Luca says, “and she’ll be whatever she decides to be.”

“Ten out of ten,” India says firmly, and Aurora gives a brisk nod.

“Agreed,” she says, pushing off the counter. “But I will bury you if you hurt her,” she says to Luca, her ponytail flicking as she strides out of the kitchen. “Dim sum tonight,” she adds over her shoulder to me and India. “Poppy, you’re invited. Cyrus, you are not.”

Cyrus makes a rude hand gesture at her, which she returns without even looking; then she turns the corner and she’s gone.

“You can stay,” India says, trailing over to the table and patting Luca on the shoulder. “Ignore Cy. He’s just grumpy because you’re taller than him.”

Cyrus huffs. “He’s not taller than me?—”

But the kitchen explodes into protest at this.

“He has atleasttwo inches on you,” Poppy says with a snort, while Felix bursts into laughter and India lets out anOh, please.

Cyrus pushes his glasses up his nose and rolls his eyes. Then he stands, the chair scraping loudly. “Ridiculous,” he mutters as he turns on his heel.

My lips curl into a smile. “I love you, Cy,” I call loudly as he strides out of the room. “Cy,” I repeat when he doesn’t answer. “Cy!”

And from just around the corner where Cyrus has already disappeared, I hear a faint mumbledLove you too.

My little smile turns into something bright and beaming, and I look down at Luca. “See?” I say. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“It wasn’t so bad,” he agrees. He’s lying through his teeth, but he’ll warm up to everyone, and they’ll do the same.

Luca’s future at Explore is still very up in the air. Rodney’s in relatively good health for his age. He’s just old, and Luca’s not sure he wants to run a company anyway. So there are lots of things that only time will tell. One thing we do know, however, is that we’re going to keep dating no matter what.

I, meanwhile, have been researching more career paths, particularly for people people—people who excel with emotional intelligence and tricky social situations. I’ve been thinking of researching how to start a small business, too, because despite everything I’ve been doing at Explore, I still miss teaching dance. I really would love to have my own studio, even if it took a long time to reach that point.

I don’t know. I just don’t know—about my career or Luca’s career or what our futures will look like. That should make me more anxious, considering my history, but somehow it doesn’t. If anything, I’ve been less anxious. I’m sleeping better, feeling good about myself, and I’ve been eating well, too. And at first I wondered if things were going so well because of Luca, but I’m starting to think that’s not the case.

I just think I’m growing up, and I attracted him in the process. In becoming ourselves…we’re falling in love.

I’m learning how to shoulder more weight. My problems aren’t getting smaller; I’m getting stronger.

I’m also going to start reading more, in the form of audiobooks. Luca and I have started a top-secret book club, by which I mean I started a top-secret book club and forced Luca to join me. We’ll listen to audiobooks together and alternate who gets to choose every month. This month we’redoing a nonfiction book about strengthening communication skills; next month we’re reading a vampire romance.

I’ll let you guess who chose which book.

I’ve been wondering about inviting Aurora to join, actually, because she and Bart have officially broken up—or whatever they call it. I don’t know; can you break up if you were only casually together? Either way, she needs a distraction, because we’re running out of surfaces for her to clean.

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