Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls, #1)(87)

“Sure. I’ll start,” Asher says. “I’m thankful to be passing Spanish.”

“Amen to that!” Jake says. They clink their cheese cubes together as if they’re glasses. “I’m grateful for my parents—”

“Awww,” I say, impressed by his genuinely sweet answer.

“You didn’t let me finish,” Jake says. “I’m grateful for my parents, whose awesome genes made me look this good.”

I frown at him, and he laughs. Cooper rolls his eyes, and Sloane gives a look that says, Well, he’s not wrong.

“Okay, I’ll go next,” Cooper says. “I’m grateful that I’m surrounded by supportive people… and that Ellis finally came to her senses and fell for me.”

Everyone laughs.

“Sorry, bro. I think that means she actually lost her senses,” Jake quips. I slap him on the arm, and he rubs it, pretending to be hurt.

“My turn,” Sloane says, turning to look at me. “I’m thankful my cousin came to Bramble Falls, despite the shitty circumstances that brought her here.” I smile at her. “I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do without you next year.”

“You’ll still have Asher,” I remind her.

She lays her head on his shoulder and sighs. “I suppose so. He just doesn’t bring as much drama to the table.”

“That’s probably a good thing,” I say.

“Definitely,” Asher says, eyeing the other two boys, and I can’t help but laugh.

I look around at my little group of friends, and my heart pinches.

I don’t know what the future holds—whether I’ll ever be close with Dad again, whether I’ll get into FIT, or whether I’ll have a successful fashion career—but I’m also not as worried about it as I used to be, because I know I have the best friends, who will be there regardless of what life throws my way.

“I guess I’m up,” I say, my voice cracking with the building emotion. “First, I’m beyond grateful for all of you….”

Jake hands me the tissue he used as a napkin. “Here, your eyes are leaking.”

I take it and laugh. “Thanks, Jakey.”

Cooper rubs circles on my back, and before we take our final bites of our Friendsgiving appetizers, I lay my head on his shoulder and add the truest statement I never thought I’d say:

“And I’m so grateful to be able to call both Bramble Falls and New York City home.”