Page 27 of Spring Break with a Bass Player
Throwing back the rest of my wine, I state, “But I was ready to give him a blow job in a dark corner of a baseball stadium.”
“Sounds hot.” Vienna grins.
“I’m thirty years old,” I lament, throwing my hands out to the side.
“So? We both got off dry humping on the couch when we were stillnothaving sex and-”
“Vienna, for the love of God,” Wells growls, and my mouth hangs open with exactlyzeroappropriate responses coming to mind.
“Wow,” I finally whisper. “That’s…informative.”
My cousin blushes and looks up at the ceiling, but Vienna only shrugs and smiles. “I’m just saying there’s no need to be shy about what you like.”
I try really hard not to think about my cousin’s kink possibly being dry humping, my expression full of regret at having to endure this conversation.
“Did he say it like it was a bad thing?” Vienna asks, blessedly saving me from further musings over their sex life.
“No, and then he felt bad I was upset and he tried to make me feel better—reassure me—but heshouldn’t have to.”
“Is this loathing? I’m unfamiliar with it,” Vienna murmurs to Wells, earning her a side-eye from him and a glare from me.
“I’m serious. The man radiates sunshine. He’s happy-go-lucky and it’s as grating as it is endearing.”
“You know,” Vienna starts, “if the real estate thing doesn’t work, you definitely have a shot at your own line of inspirational greeting cards.”
“They’ll go perfectly with your flower arrangements,” I deadpan, making her laugh as Wells holds back a smile.
“Honestly, Saige,” Vienna says, closing the distance and taking my hand, “if he doesn’t love you, want you, exactly the way you are, then he’s not the one for you. You can be successfulanda freak in the sheets,”—she pauses—“or in an alcove. You do you, girlfriend.”
“There’s so much I can’t unhear but,” Wells mumbles as he refills my glass and tops off Vienna’s, “you can’t live your life in the lines when all you want is to color outside them.”
“That’s a really good line,” Vienna coos and he smirks, letting his gaze trail over her.
“How good?”
They’re disgusting and adorable, and secretly, I want that, but I’m so afraid of putting myself out there again.
“I’ll let you two do whatever it is you’re gonna do and go sleep in Haven’s room.”
“Pancakes in the morning,” Vienna calls as I grab my bag and wave without looking back. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to thank them for letting me crash tonight.
I’m almost to the top of the stairs when my phone vibrates in my pocket. Part of me wants to ignore it, but isn’t that what got me into this mess in the first place?
BRIDGER: I stand by my earlier statement
SAIGE: What’s that?
BRIDGER: I like it better when you’re annoyed with me
I tossmy phone onto the spare bed and pull the air mattress from the closet, setting it up to inflate so I don’t wake my niece when I shimmy it into her room. She’s my favorite person in this world, her light so bright it’s almost blinding. It warms the darkest parts of me, something that feels selfish to want but ensures I’ll never take her for granted.
SAIGE: I didn’t mean to get so carried away
BRIDGER: Do you regret kissing me?
SAIGE: No. Just what I said in the alcove
BRIDGER: Really? That sucks.
