Page 106 of Sing Me Home
“Agreed. I think Bowen’s oblivious?”
“One can only hope.”
“Ma’am.” A volunteer brought our attention back to the obstacle. “You’re up.”
Charlie eyed the scaffolding above like it was twenty feet in the air and she had no idea how she was going to reach it. She stepped back, shaking out her hands. “You go first. I want to watch how you do it.”
As I climbed up onto the metal foot bar, I gave her one simple instruction. “Just like the multi-rig, use your momentum and don’t overthink it.” Then I flew across the spinning bars, feeling like a bird soaring through the air. I slapped the red cowbell at the end and dropped to my feet, turning to watch Charlie. She was already halfway across, sailing along like she’d done this a thousand times.
The majority of our family came jogging into view, including my parents, Griffin, James, Theo and their partners, except for Aunt Lemon. Oh, here she was, with Silas and Sophie, who looked even paler than her normally fair complexion.
Bowen heaved himself off the end of the Beater, smacked the bell, and hit the ground. Then he turned to watch Maggie.
Charlie’s hand shot out, gripping my forearm, a look of shocked disbelief on her face. “She pierced her belly button,” she hissed like it was scandalous.
My eyes darted to Maggie’s stomach. Sure enough, her tank top had ridden up, leaving a slice of skin right across her belly, highlighting a navel piercing. Maggie was perfectly comfortable in a bikini and we’d all spent a fair bit of time at the lake this summer. That piercing was new. But I didn’t get why this was a big deal.
But it must’ve been because Bowen was staring at it too, stunned. Maggie flung herself from bar to bar, oblivious, focused on the task at hand. Bowen was still standing at the edge of the obstacle, frozen. So when Maggie hit the bell and came flying off, he caught her, still dazed. Her legs curled around his waist, matching her arms that looped around his neck like it was the most natural thing in the world.
She was still grinning, breathless, triumphant—until she noticed the way he was holding her. The way he wasseeingher. Her laughter faded.
“You pierced your belly button?” he asked, reeling. “I thought you said you weren’t going to.”
Charlie shot me a disapproving sideways look.That’swhy Bowen pierced his eyebrow. Some kind of dare, or maybe a bonding effort since they were partners. Charlie seemed to have understood the moment she spotted the piercing on Maggie.
Maggie nodded, no smile, no shame, but she wouldn’t meet his eye. “For the race.” She chewed her bottom lip. “For you.”
Charlie gripped my forearm, nails digging into my flesh.
With flushed cheeks, Maggie’s hooded gaze lifted, hooking Bowen’s. Something in his eyes must’ve reduced her will to dust. She folded into him like she couldn’t hold back another second and smashed her lips to his.
It all went in slow motion then. Bowen did the right thing—going stiff and dropping her like he’d been burned. He stumbled back a step. Then two. The way he stared at her though—wide-eyed, chest rising and falling—said everything. He didn’t want to want her. But hedid.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, shocked at herself.
My gaze snapped to Griffin, one of my best friends on this planet. He was frozen, watching the scene unfold from the line of people waiting to get on the obstacle, hurt and horror all over his face.
Bowen’s eyes were twin blue flames—scorching and locked on Maggie like he was trying to burn through every reason not to kiss her back. The way he was looking at her made it clear he didn’t know our family was on the other side of the Beater, watching.
“Bowen,” I warned, but it was like he’d been hypnotized and couldn’t hear me.
He took one step toward her and stopped, body tense. She stared at him like she was torn between wanting to run away or waiting, hoping he’d kiss her back.
“Don’t do it,” Charlie and I breathed at the same time.
But the decision was already made.
He grabbed her face between his hands and their mouths collided. She melted into him, arms around his neck.
And all hell broke loose.
Sprinting toward them, Griffin let out a shriek that could’ve rivaled the angriest pterodactyl to ever walk the planet. He slammed into Bowen, shoving him to the ground, knocking Maggie on her butt. Then he dove on top of Bowen, fists flying.
I raced over, pulling Griffin back, but that just left him open for Bowen to kick him in the stomach. Griffin ripped free from my grasp and tackled Bowen again. And I just stood there watching, not knowing who to help—because I loved them both and this was going to ruin their relationship for months, maybe years.
Possibly forever.
Maggie sobbed into her hands. “Stop,” she cried. “Please stop.”
