Page 145 of The Pacifist
“I’m so sorry that I was slow to understand what was going on. It was new territory for me.”
“You really should have gotten the clue when I asked you to teach me how to kiss.” I laughed when Jonah shook his head with regret.
“Jonah.” Anne was approaching us with Nero by her side. She smiled at us both. “Nero and I will take a walk in the park.”
“Oh, okay, you want us to come with you?”
I elbowed Jonah the second he said it.
“Auch…” He gave me a confused look.
“You two go ahead. Your brother forgot he just promised to dance with me some more.”
Nero shot me a grateful smile before they turned and walked out of the ballroom.
“Didn’t you see that they were trying to be alone together?”
“Then why did they invite us to come?”
“They didn’t! She only told you where she was going.”
“Why?” Jonah raised his brow. “I’m not her parent.”
“I’m sure it was because Nero insisted that she tell you. He’s a Northlander and finds it unnatural that you’re not more protective of her.”
“But you said he was a good man. I trust your assessment and I’m sure Anne wouldn’t appreciate me dictating what she can and can’t do.” Looking toward the door where Anne and Nero had left, Jonah pondered.
“Do you think they’re going to make out somewhere in the castle?”
“It’s not a castle and they’re probably just going to talk. Maybe hold hands a little.” My convincing expression didn’t hold long before I smiled. “Or kiss.”
Leaning closer, Jonah whispered in my ear, “Wanna go spy on them from the balcony?”
I nodded with eagerness and like two naughty children we held hands and moved through the room to the balcony overseeing the garden.
As soon as we opened the door to the outside, we saw Finn, Khan, Boulder, and my dad swaying from side to side with their arms around each other’s shoulders. They were singing with deep low baritone voices and sounded drunk.
When Magni saw us, he stopped singing and asked with his speech slurred, “Oh, hey, Vanilla Bean. You’re not going to bed now, are you?”
“No, we just wanted a bit of fresh air. You men look happy.”
Finn’s eyes were unfocused. “Why wouldn’t we be? This year has been one long fucking party.” He counted on his fingers. “First there was Raven’s and Leo’s wedding on New Year’s Eve, and then there was your wedding party, and now, we’re celebrating that the Northlands finally has the best president in the world.”
“That’s right.” Boulder swayed a little. “Best in the world… and then some.”
Khan lowered his brow and spoke with slow deliberate words like speaking was difficult. “Hang on. There are no other presidents in the world and what do you mean, ‘finally’?”
Finn was having a little difficulty scratching his nose because his finger kept landing on his cheek. “Mila. Jonah. Don’t you think Khan is the bestest and most impress… impressive president ever?”
Jonah and I grinned when Magni broke into low laughter. “Shit, Finn, you’re so drunk that you can’t even speak without stammering. You should go to bed before Athena sees you. She’s going to be sooo pissed.”
“No she’s not. Athena is the best. She loves me.” Finn placed his arm around my dad again, swaying a little more in the process. “She knows how fucked up I am, but by some mira… miracle, she still loves me.” His eyes teared up. “She knows, man… she knows everything.” My dad and Finn leaned their foreheads together and squeezed each other’s neck. I knew they had met in school and that Finn had been severely bullied by a teacher that my dad had ended up protecting him from, but I didn’t know the details since none of them ever spoke about it. The bright aura of love between these two lifelong friends had me tearing up myself.
“Athena is fucking amazing.” Boulder muttered, “and so is Christina.”
Khan took one of the glasses of beer standing on the balcony railing and raised it in the air. “To our wives.”
Boulder, Finn, and my dad reached for their glasses and cheered.
