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After that, I spent the next few minutes enamored with the lightning bugs flashing in the distance and sipped at my drink, my head full and empty at the same time.

I didn’t know how much time passed before I started swiping around my phone screen, not understanding why everything was so damn blurry until I glimpsed the empty mason jar on the glass table beside me.

Hmm. That would explain why my fingertips were tingling and why my chest felt so warm. And now I was overcome with the urge to tell Sincere and Lorenzo I accepted their offer.

Somehow, I stumbled through my app icons until I saw a green blob and pushed it.

Sincere’s message thread was still at the top and I opened it and typed out a message.

Me:

Cme hear, Sin

The gray bubbles popped up immediately.

Sin:

What the hell, Goldyn? *crying laughing emoji* Where are you?

Me:

Y ru laughin’

Sin:

Goldy, are you drunk?

Me:

Mayb

My vision blurred and his text turned into five until I squeezed my eyes shut and tried again. This time when I looked at the screen, I only saw two messages.

Sin:

Where are you, my love?

Me:

Rubyyyyy

Sin:

Ms. Ruby’s house?

I nodded at his message and dropped the phone in my lap.

A second later, it vibrated against my thigh. Something that looked like Sincere’s name appeared on the screen and the best etiquette I could muster was an answering, “Huh?”

“Goldyn.” My name came out in a relieved whoosh. “Are you safe, love?”

“Yeah. So safe.” I nodded again, my chin hitting the top of my chest with each bow of my head. “I just miss you. Can you come here?”

“I’m already on my way,” he said, voice even. “I just needed to make sure you were good until I got there.”

“I’m good. So good,” I assured him, my words coming slower and slower. “I’m with my best friend, Ruby. Do you want to speak to her?”

A quiet laugh filled the line. “I don’t need to speak to her, love. Just stay on the phone with me until I get there. Can you do that?”