Under the Same Stars(10)

Connor’s mouthful of mini lemon bar made it impossible to understand whatever he said back. It reminded me of Halloweens together as little kids. There was a neighborhood at the end of my house’s long driveway, and the McCallisters were the closest thing the Fisher-Michaels family had to next-door neighbors (there weren’t many kids in the ten-house neighborhood, so Connor and I became attached at the hip after our first game of cul-de-sac street hockey). We always trick-or-treated together before ending the night at the McCallisters’ to sort out our haul, and when we got older, we convinced Austin to drive us to much bigger neighborhoods so we could double or triple our treasure. I smiled to myself; it didn’t matter if we were six or twelve—if I shut my eyes, I could see Connor trying to shove an entire Milky Way into his mouth.

“I do have my sneakers in the trunk, Connor,” Marco said, apparently fluent in Mouthful. “But I know you’re gonna ask me to ref, and I’m still working.”

Rose ?lvarez clucked from Da’s built-in kitchen counter desk. “Working hard or hardly working?” she mused. “If you keep chatting…” She glanced up from her laptop to give her son a look. “I’m clocking you out.”

Marco flushed, and I watched him scrub the next dish until it shined.

“There’s an easy way to settle this,” I told Connor. “What was your mile time in gym this week?”

“I haven’t run it yet,” he said. “Remember my dentist appointment? I missed the last couple periods of the day.” He paused. “What was yours?”

“Six minutes flat,” I said proudly, but Connor didn’t react. His attention had shifted to his girlfriend; Brenna had suddenly reappeared with another dessert plate piled high. She knew the way to Connor’s heart.

And listen, I liked Brenna; she was easygoing and knew the answer to any and every Gilmore Girls trivia question, but why was she here tonight? She and Connor had only been dating a month, and his family’s invitation hadn’t included a plus-one.

Am I not enough? the most insecure part of me wondered as Connor kissed Brenna’s cheek before she claimed the island’s third barstool. Connor was always enough for me, but unless it was a casual one-on-one hangout, I didn’t seem enough for him. He was a more-the-merrier guy.

“Hey!” someone called, making me blink. “Katie said I might find you in here.”

I looked over to see Bridesmaid Meredith pushing through the swinging door. Arthur and Francine jumped up on the mudroom’s pony door and began barking and wagging their tails wildly, excited by a new voice. Meredith laughed. “Hello there, guys,” she cooed. “I’ll introduce myself in a sec…” She turned to me. “Everyone’s making their exodus for the night.”

“Ah, shoot,” I said. “I should say some goodbyes.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Meredith said before I could hop off my stool. “Katie, Austin, and your parents have it handled.”

“Oh, okay.” It felt strange not being included, but then again, it wasn’t my party. I technically wasn’t a host. “Well, it was really nice to meet you.” I smiled. “I’m excited for Katie’s bridal shower.”

Thankfully, that was who-knew-how-many months away.

Under the island, Connor knocked my knee, as if to say, Liar, liar, pants on fire!

I was literally complaining to anyone who would listen about being a bridesmaid. Maid of Honor Amanda had shown us some dress ideas from Katie’s Pinterest and talked about everyone shopping together since most of us lived on the East Coast.

Now, Meredith waved away my goodbye. “Save it for tomorrow, Mads,” she said. “We’re all headed back to Katie’s house for a slumber party!”

My spine straightened.

A slumber party? Like a sleepover?

I opened my mouth, then closed it, not trusting myself to not say what I wanted to say: Who is responsible for this invitation?

Had it been Katie’s idea? Or was this Meredith’s assumption?

“She’s really flattered, but she can’t,” Connor answered for me. “She has field hockey tomorrow.”

“Field hockey?” Bridesmaid Reese said, joining us at the island. Katie’s cousins were behind her. “It’s February. Isn’t field hockey a fall sport?”

“She plays on a club team,” Marco and Connor said simultaneously, with Connor adding, “And it’s not a sport; it’s a lifestyle.”

I elbowed him. He was both quoting and mocking me.

“Practice isn’t until tomorrow afternoon, though.” Austin set a pile of dirty dishes on the counter. “I double-checked with Da,” he said, “and Kates really wants you to come.”

But can’t “Kates” tell me that herself? I thought.

“Plus, I kinda told Sam she could have your bed,” he said.

I pretended to groan. “Austin!”

He laughed, seeing right through me. Our parents and I’d missed Samira; her RSVP to the party had been the best news.

Austin slipped off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and told Marco to take a break and enjoy the leftovers. He’d take over dishwashing duty.

“Come on, Mads!” Meredith called from the mudroom. My family’s dogs could not get enough of her. “It’ll be so much fun!”