Page 115 of As the Rain Falls (Sainte Madeleine #1)

MATCHING WITH MY GIRLFRIEND!

Beckett

It’s the first day of Le Port’s Carnival season.

Tradition dictates that anyone under eighty is either in the parade or helping plan it, meaning that the streets are pulsing with energy.

Laughter ripples through the air, mixing with the sounds of drumming and constant chanting. Children are wearing made- at-home costumes, their fabrics displaying the colors of different groups that are participating in the parade.

Cassandra: becky

becketttt

beckett

BECKETT EVANS

Me: Yes baby

Cassandra: pick up glitter

at the store please

Me: What colors?

Cassandra: pink

and blue for you :D

Me: Okay :D

Cassandra: thxxx!!!!

you see how that last sentence

just rhymes????

crazy right????

Cassandra bursts through the door.

Her cheeks are flushed, a hibiscus flower is carefully tucked into her wavy hair, and bright pink glitter is dusting her cheekbones like stardust.

I’ve never been one to enjoy the cacophony, but this year I have a girlfriend to drag me through the festivities. She might be quiet and introverted, but the truth is that Cassandra loves to surround herself with people who deny the idea of quiet.

“You have to try Angelina’s beijinhos . It means little kisses in Portuguese.”

I barely get a word in before she presses one into my hand. Instead of answering, I tilt my head down, pressing my lips to hers quickly, before trying the sweet treat.

“Ow.” I grimace, liking the taste but not the texture. “It tastes like pure coconut.”

“Do you like it? It’s her favorite traditional sweet.

” She flicks her hair over her shoulders, adjusting the butterfly-shaped top covering her torso.

Her smile is the brightest it’s ever been, unguarded in a way that makes my chest ache.

“Her mom packed us snacks for later too. Kayla wants us to have a beach picnic.”

“I don’t dislike it.” I lower my head to find the curve of her neck, pulling her in. She leans into my touch, her breath hitching when I kiss the spot right above her pulse.

“I like to compare the things you like to the things I like,” Cassandra admits quietly. “Your taste is so different from mine.”

I press another kiss, closer to her ear, dragging my mouth to where her earlobe is. “You smell like flowers do.”

She giggles, feeling especially ticklish around that area. “Kayla made me wear her father’s new perfume. It’s a strawberry and roses kind of scent.”

“Mmnn.”

Today is a good day.

I steal another kiss to make it an even better one.

We intertwine our hands together and head up the porch steps of Angelina’s home. Cassandra allows me to lead her back to the house, a shy smile now plastered on her face.

Inside, chaos reigns, but it’s expected.

Kayla, who is wielding a can of gold spray with proficiency, circles Antony like an artist at work. Half of his skin is tainted by the bright color.

“Turn around!” She snaps every few seconds, rolling her eyes when Antony takes too long to move. “Not to the left, you dumbass! I need to get your right side, too!”

“Oi! You need to give me better indications!” He groans, rolling his eyes at her like she’s another one of his sisters.

I narrow my eyes, trying to picture Kayla as the third addition to an already busy pair, and realize almost immediately that she’d fit right in.

“Oh, fuck.”

Across the room, Mateo is already dressed, devil horns popping in between his brown curls. He’s half-asleep in the corner, Pepé curled at his feet, but still cracks one eye open to mock me.

“I cannot believe she convinced you to come!”

“Hold your gasps; there’s worse,” I say, slinging an arm around Cassandra’s waist as I slide off my sunglasses and toss them onto the counter. “She made me wear this, too.”

Cassandra insisted we match.

It’s how I ended up with a trail of blue glitter dusted around my eyes, something like sea foam. I’m kind of digging the look. It really matches with the color of my eyes.

“Becky!” She hugs me, pressing her face to my chest with a half-embarrassed groan. “You told me you liked it!”

“I do like it. It makes me look like a merman,” I tease lightly. “A very handsome merman.”

Her nose shoots up from her hiding place.Our eyes lock, the green in hers softened under the muted light. I cup the sides of her face, my thumb tracing over the tiny beauty mark that’s almost faded near her temple.

“You two disgust me,” Angelina deadpans, her tone flat.

She keeps on rolling her eyes as she shoves two large plastic bags into my hand. My girlfriend looks away from me, a soft blush slowly spreading across her face as she stares at our friend. The brunette girl seems entirely unimpressed with our display of affection.

“A little envious?” I smirk, opening up one of the plastic bags to see what’s inside.

Carefully packed sandwiches, juices bottled in plastic bottles, and a chocolate cake resting at the top.

“What’s all this?” I ask.

“Lunch, duh. Mom and I made us snacks.”

Angelina crosses her arm over her chest, color now staining her high cheekbones, too. The halo crowning her head seems unfitting when compared to her stubborn mouth.

“This is for later, though. As in, after the parade. Do not eat it now!”

I really don’t think this was all done by Mrs. Cardoso. Angelina definitely had a hand in picking the recipes she wanted to make. I’m not surprised that she would be cooking for us. It’s one of her ways to display affection without being too upfront about it.

I’ve always taken it as a cultural thing, how she takes care of everyone around her, making sure her friends are having a good time.Maybe, it’s also just how she naturally is.A good leader and a good friend.

Her advice turned out to be very helpful, and I don’t think anybody else in this room realizes just how sensitive Angelina can be to those around her. I have to be more grateful about it, too. It’s just easy to forget about it sometimes.

Cassandra leans in, standing on her tippy toes.

Her breath is warm against my ear.

“Thank God she’s not high-maintenance.”

I join in, chuckling quietly, “I hear that’s not part of her vocabulary, no.”

But when I look up, I find Angelina still staring at us.Her gaze has softened around the edges, almost like an artist appreciating her work on display. And if I think she’s trying to fight off what seems to be like the most radiant smile I’ve ever seen, nobody else needs to know.

It’ll just ruin her reputation as the biggest Ice Queen in the world, anyway.

***

The hot weather is slowly making me lose my mind.

The girls and Antony don’t seem to be sharing any of my desperation and are definitely having fun dancing. I watch as he spins Angelina around, making her laugh openly. Cassandra and Kayla are mimicking one of the dancers, acting as if they’re part of the parade.

Mateo gasps next to me.

“Fuck, I think I’m going to be sick.”

Still watching over the girls, I let out a little short laugh.

“Tell me about it.”

“No, dude. I’m actually about to—” He bends over, making a throaty sound. My head snaps towards him, and I watch him start coughing compulsively until his face turns red.

“Okay, let it out, man.” I grimace when he spits a bit of saliva. “It’s the heat. Still not used to it, huh?”

My first instinct is to offer to drive him home, but he waves me off. “I think I’ll just have to sit this one out until we head to the beach.”

Checking one last time to see if Cassandra is okay, I find her looking at me already.Her eyebrows shoot up, forming a frown.

What’s up? She mouths.

I shake my head side to side, starting to drag our friend away from the crowd. Mateo and I walk back to my car, and I stay close, making sure he doesn’t throw up on himself.

“You can go back, man,” he says, bending forward still to keep his head between his knees. “I’m fine.”

“I’m not leaving you.” I roll my eyes, knowing he’s not. “Stomach pain?”

“It’s my everything, dude,” he groans and a sharp exhale follows. “I had a drink for the first time yesterday. Bad idea.”

I frown. “Alone?”

“No, I was out at Silvio’s.” Mateo shrugs, before he insists. “And it was just one drink. It’s not like I was being stupid or anything.”

“Just a drink? That’s bullshit.” I snort, not entirely convinced by his bluff. “Mateo, a drink wouldn’t give you a hangover unless you were suddenly the biggest lightweight in the fucking universe. How much did you really drink?”

“I…” he trails off, side-eyeing me now. When I don’t budge, unimpressed by this strong act he’s trying to put off, his face falls, showing me just how bad he really feels. “I don’t fucking know, okay? I can’t fucking remember what happened.”

“Okay.” I pull his head back down, not wanting to see his pale face anymore.

“Okay?” he repeats after me, surprised that I’m not being pushy about it.

“What? Just don’t throw up on my feet, or I’ll have to punch you in the face.” I feel him shake under my grip. “You just went a little overboard.”

“No, Beckett,” Mateo cries, trying to cough, but nothing comes out of him but spit. “I was out with the wrong people.”

“Yeah, it happens to the best of us.”

I let him go, fumbling to find the car keys. There’s a water bottle inside Angelina’s picnic pack, and I want to give it to him. I don’t think Mateo had any breakfast, which would explain why he’s having trouble throwing up.

“Who were you out with?” I push, acting nonchalant about it. “Didn’t they know about you not drinking?”

My experience with Lucia and Angelina tells me that you can’t just tell someone they’re being stupid; you have to let the realization come to them in the first place. At least, Mateo seems willing to admit he might’ve fucked up a little.

“This one guy from my neighborhood,” he explains, slowly straightening up. A thin layer of sweat is coating his forehead, making him look sickly. “Man, I think I’m in trouble. I knew he was in some deep shit, but I just didn’t know he was close friends with—”

A car parks behind mine.