Under the Same Stars(60)
Come on, Marco, I thought. Please hurry.
Because after everything was loaded into the Defender, I had to drive to Princeton to fetch the bride. You don’t mind, do you? Amanda had texted me after the car pool assignments had gone live on the Google Doc. I would drive her myself, but the rest of us need to get there early to decorate…
“Mads, forget about the quiche,” Austin said after a few minutes. “Kates is expecting you soon. She texted me to ask about your ETA.”
Frustrated with Marco, I took it out on my brother. “Why didn’t she just stay here last night?” I asked. “It’s stupid that I need to drive to Princeton to get her.”
Austin kept his cool. “It was easier for her to spend the night there,” he said. “There was wedding stuff to go over with her parents—”
“And you didn’t need to be part of that conversation?” I gave him a look. This didn’t sound like Katie and Austin’s argument over my brother’s say in the wedding had been resolved; it sounded like he’d just accepted that his thoughts didn’t matter.
“No, not really.” He shook his head. “I don’t have a strong opinion on hairstylists and makeup artists for the bridal suite.”
Connor cringed. “Dude, I wouldn’t either.”
I sighed, but my ears perked up when I heard the hum of a car. “I’m sorry I’m late!” Marco basically sprang out of the Bumper Car. “There was an accident, then a ton of traffic…”
“Wait, you drove up from the shore?” I asked as Connor accepted two white boxes and went to arrange them in the YETI. “You drove two hours—plus traffic—back here? Just to deliver a couple quiches?”
Marco nodded. “Yeah.”
Austin whistled, impressed. “?lvarez, that’s commitment.”
“Believe me, I don’t mind,” he said, scratching his neck. I squinted to see what looked like some type of reddish-purplish blemish. “It’s only been twelve hours, but the house is about to combust from so many bodies.” He shook his head. “Everyone’s telling war stories about their internships.”
Oh, right, I realized. Princeton Week has kicked off in Stone Harbor.
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket—a message from Katie: Why does your location show that you’re still at your house?
I rolled my eyes. Amanda had request-required everyone to sync up on Find My Friends. I’m leaving in a minute, I texted back. Is lunch packed? Or should I plan a pit stop at Burger King?
Because, after all, she’d offered to cover lunch. Katie didn’t know how to drive stick, so I’d be driving the entire six hours to Seneca Lake.
My mother made us sandwiches, she replied. We also have potato chips, homemade brownies, and San Pellegrino.
Is this all packaged in a picnic basket? I joked.
Of course, she immediately responded. With china plates and cloth napkins.
I inwardly laughed a little—Katie and I’d been texting one-on-one more lately, ever since I’d sent her that female spy movie trailer. A real scheme? she’d responded. Or is it all a dream?
Connor hefted the YETI into the trunk, and then Austin shoved it to the left so they could get my luggage inside, too. Meanwhile, Marco was looking at me bemusedly.
“What?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Please tell your mom thank you for the quiches,” I said, sunshine scorching the back of my neck. “And thank you for being their courier.”
“You’re welcome,” Marco said, then opened his mouth to say more, but Austin cut in between us to shake my shoulders.
“You’re all set,” he said. “Go grab Kates!”
“And gas,” Connor added. “You need gas, remember?”
Austin groaned. “Are you serious?”
Connor’s eyes flashed to mine and held my conspiratorial gaze for a moment before we dissolved into laughter. “Oh, lighten up,” I told my brother as he rubbed his temples. “Don’t you know me?”
I never let my gas gauge dip below a quarter of a tank.
Austin tugged my braid by way of a goodbye. “Drive safely. Stick to the speed limit.”
“I’ll follow the flow of traffic,” I assured him, then braced myself for a football tackle from Connor.
But instead, he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me gently—still tightly, but also, well, tenderly. I let myself relax into it, swallowed up by the aroma of Dove soap and laundry detergent mixed with two overly affectionate Newfoundlands as I hugged him back.
He’s a good hugger, I thought. When he wants to be, he’s a really good hugger.
“I’ll see you in a couple days,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, a couple days,” I whispered, wondering if I was imagining his heart rate hurrying. “I’ll be back on Monday.” I pulled back, a lump in my throat. “Have a good weekend with Lauren.”
He nodded, his lips twitching like he couldn’t decide whether to smile or frown—like he didn’t know what to think. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Austin raise an eyebrow.
Interesting… it said.
I turned to Marco. The sun was beating down, but I swear the air grew even thicker with heat. I folded my arms across my chest, suddenly feeling awkward.