Page 129 of Seven Lost Summers
“What?” The word comes out thin, almost broken, and I clear my throat too late to cover it.
His smile shifts, sharpening just enough to remind me who I’m looking at. “Do you remember that time you and Bianca tried to cook pancakes and almost burned the house down?”
The memory hits me so fast it steals my breath. A laugh rips free before I can stop it, spilling out of my chest.
“Yeah,” I manage between breaths. “We left the paper towel too close to the burner. The damn thing went up in flames. Wes came running in, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and—” I can see it now, the burst of white foam, the smoke curling up past the cabinets. “He didn’t even yell. He told us to be more careful, then walked out and left us covered in ash while we laughed until our stomachs hurt.”
The smile that spreads across Theo’s face is small but real, and his eyes stay fixed on me. Watching. There’s no teasing in them, no wall of sarcasm or that usual edge. Only that steady, piercing gaze that’s always been able to cut right through the weight I carry. The one that makes me feel seen when no one else could.
The mug in his hand lowers to the table without a sound. He leans back in his chair, shoulders easing, but his eyes never leave mine. The morning light brushes against the side of his face, catching in the darker strands of his hair and tracing the edges of him in soft gold. For a second, he doesn’t seem like the boy who’s been fighting his own head for years. He doesn’t appear to be the friend who’s been breaking in front of me piece by piece.
“You always did laugh with her the hardest,” he whispers.
My throat closes around the words I want to say. That it wasn’t only her, it’s him too. That he’s the only one who’s ever been able to pull a real laugh out of me when the world seemed too fucking heavy. But the words don’t come. They stick there, and all I can do is hold his gaze and hope he sees it anyway.
“Yeah,” I finally whisper.
His lips twitch as if he wants to say something else, but instead he just sits there.
Scarlet spots me before I even have a chance to breathe.
One second I’m stepping into the living room of Ace’s home, the next there’s a blur of blonde hair and fast feet cutting across the space.
“Holy shit. Quinn Thomas.” And suddenly she’s on me, arms wrapping tight, laughter breaking midway into something shaky. “You’re really here.”
I barely manage to suck in a breath before she pulls back enough to grab my shoulders and give me a once-over. Her blue eyes are bright, the happiness practically buzzing out of her.
“Hey, Scar,” I manage.
Scarlet grins wide, her eyes lighting up. “You have no idea how much I used to beg these two idiots back in the day to bring you around more. Those were the best days.”
Behind her, Nate makes a sound, almost too dramatic.
“Please, Scar. You were too wrapped up in yourself to even notice who was around.”
“Oh please, Nate." Scarlet spins fast, shooting him a glare. "If it was just you and Theo, I would’ve died of boredom in a week.”
Nate smirks.
“Yeah… Funny, you seemed pretty damn entertained when I was coaching you in those drum battles.”
Scarlet rolls her eyes.
“Entertained? No. I was too busy trying to ignore the sound of your offbeat chaos. You hit hard, sure, but your timing was a fucking disaster until I stepped in and fixed it.”
“She’s not wrong.” Theo chuckles, clearly enjoying the exchange.
“Traitor,” Nate fires back, but his grin widens, that familiar spark in his eyes.
I can’t help but smile, seeing that the three of them haven’t changed one bit, despite all the fame they’ve gained.
My eyes track Ace as he steps forward. I catch a grin tugging at his mouth. It’s small, but it’s there, softening the usual hard edges.
Scarlet slips her arm through mine as she leans in close.
“Don’t tell these two, but you were the only reason I put up with their bullshit half the time.”
Theo’s voice cuts in. “We heard that.”
