Page 90 of No Way Home
“Go get ‘er, Tiger,” Sophie teased as I sauntered by. My uncles must’ve told everyone I planned to make a move. Everyone but Liam, that is.
Even with all of them rooting for me, my confidence was iffy at best. But I rolled my shoulders back like I’d never felt more sure of myself.
Still wearing nothing but that scandalous bikini, Magnolia’s navel piercing winked in the setting sun, telling a different story now—reminding me that at one time, Magnolia had liked me so much, she’d crashed and burned an entire relationship just to kiss me. That had to mean something.
My head turned when I heard my best friend angry-snort. Well, would you look at that. Fletch finally showed up. Oh. So did Magnolia’s bestie, Abilene. They were standing by the food table, bickering. Like Magnolia, she was wearing a bikini, but at least she had the decency to cover her lower half with a pair of shorts.
“A plague upon you!” Fletch flicked his hand like he was a priest, throwingholy water at Abilene. “Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.”
“Hey, nice use of Shakespeare,” Aunt Tally clapped from her chair.
Fletch bowed. “Thank you, my good lady.”
Abilene rolled her eyes. “I’m not the one with a plague.” She eyed his flip-flopped toes like they were covered in flesh-eating maggots. “I can’t believe you still haven’t done something with those feet.”
“Like what?” He thrust both hands downward. “These are the feet I had when I came out of the womb.”
Behind me, Magnolia giggled. I turned to see Liam now feeding her…cheese doodles. The most white trash food you could pick up at any hole-in-the-wall gas station. And he was doing it all fancy and flirty, like they were truffle-stuffed profiteroles, instead of neon-orange tube cheese.
“Enough,” I ground out and headed in their direction.
Unfortunately, Nova spotted me. “Bowen!” she squealed. I groaned under my breath. “There you are!” She ran over, blocking my path, and wrapped her arms around my waist, head pressed against my chest like I was her favorite stuffed animal. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
I did not hug her back. I couldn’t, evenifI’d wanted to. She’d pinned my arms to my side. No matter. Magnolia skewered me with a furious gaze, like she could not believe I had the audacity to hug Nova in front of her.
Nova glanced up through her lash extensions. “Are you ready forour talk?” She murmured the last two words in her sultry actress voice.
I pulled one arm free, then the other. Then I grabbed her shoulders and forced her back. “Hey,” I said quietly. “There’s nothing to talk about. We’re not getting back together.”
She slapped me playfully on the chest. “Don’t be silly. Wealwaysget back together.”
“Not anymore,” I said with just enough force that she’d know I wasn’t kidding.
She stomped her foot. “Yes, we are!” she yelled. “We break up, we date other people, we realize it’s always been us, and we get back together!” She stomped her foot again.
Magnolia rolled her eyes and headed for the lake.
“Magnolia!” I called. “Come back!”
She pretended not to hear and strode toward the water, hips switching side to side, like she was about to own this lake. Like the Benedict Arnold that he was, Liam followed right behind her.
“Why are you going to the trampoline?” I hollered at him. “You’re not allowed on that.”
“Shut it!” he shot back. “I do what I want.” But he didn’t and he wouldn’t. He might swim out there, but there would be no jumping happening on his part. He’d had at least fifty literal trampoline nightmares since signing with the Fury. A broken femur, a shoulder popped out of socket, a busted ankle. Said he woke up in a cold sweat every time.
When Liam and Magnolia surfaced, they launched into a synchronized breaststroke. Liam was so going down.
Nova huffed. “Why are you worrying about her?” She grabbed my cheeks, forcing me to give her my attention. “Look atme.”
I hated doing this in front of everyone. I’d tried to tell her repeatedly over text but she wouldn’t believe me—and that was my fault. We’d broken up at least seven times over the years, always followed by the same cycle. She’d wear me down until I gave in, we’d pick up where we left off, date for six months, and break up again. Rinse and repeat. I’d trained her like one of Pavlov’s dogs, without ever meaning to. But it had been almost ten months since our last breakup. I meant it this time.
“Hey,” I whispered, patting her shoulders just to be nice. So, of course, Magnolia turned to look at us right then. Igroaned and let my hands fall to my side—but she didn’t see. Now she was climbing the trampoline’s ladder. I looked back at Nova. “We’re not getting back together,” I whispered. “Not this time.”
Her bottom lip quivered and her dark eyes welled.
“I’m really sorry,” I said, feeling like a jerk. But it would be better for both of us in the long run. “We’re toxic together. It’s not normal to break up all the time. When you find the right guy, you’ll never want to break up, okay?”
Tears started up and in two seconds, they streamed down her cheeks like small rivers. She threw her head back, opened her mouth, and howled like Netflix had just canceled her show.
