Page 49 of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

Astrid shrugged. “Not sure.”

Spin, spin, spin.

“Hold up,” Jordan said, walking—albeit a little crookedly—over to Astrid and stopping her by closing her hands around her upper arms. “Have you never been drunk before?”

Astrid scrunched up her face, pretending to think. It was fucking adorable, except it wasn’t, because Astrid Parker wasnotadorable, goddammit.

“Inebriation is not Isabel Parker-Green approved,” Astrid said, tapping Jordan’s nose once with her forefinger. “Obviously.”

“ ‘Inebriation?’ ”

“Isabel Parker-Green would never say the workdrunk.”

Jesus, her mother sound sounded like a real piece of work.

“What about college?” Jordan asked.

Astrid swayed, and Jordan realized her hands were still around Astrid’s arms. She let go, but then Astrid tilted to the side a bit more than was safe, so she grabbed this infernal woman again and held on.

“College was...” Astrid waved a sloppy hand through the air. “Too much to do. Straight As, dating golden boys.”

“Sounds fucking horrible.”

Astrid laughed. “It was. Iris always tried to...” But then she trailed off, her eyes focusing on something over Jordan’s shoulder. “There’s a playground over there.”

Jordan laughed. “A what?”

“A playground,” Astrid said, lacing her fingers through Jordan’s and tugging her toward a tiny park at the end of the street. “We can’t drive right now. Might as well swing.”

Might as well swingwas a phrase she’d never expected to hear from Astrid Parker, much less coupled with the action of drunk-stumbling to a park at the edge of the lake.

She also never expected Astrid’s hand to feel so warm and soft, fingers squeezing Jordan’s just tightly enough.

The park was small, a lot of green space bordered by a walking path, a minimalist playground about fifty feet from the water. There was a swing set, a seesaw, and a bright orange slide that coiled around a large oak tree. Once they arrived, Astrid dropped Jordan’s hand and promptly fell into a plastic blue swing, her movements so wobbly, Jordan was amazed she made it into the seat.

“How high do you think I can go?” Astrid said, starting to pump her legs like a fourth grader.

Jordan couldn’t help but smile. “Not as high as me.”

“Want to bet?”

“Oh, you’re on, Parker.” She settled into the swing next to Astrid, who was already soaring through the air. “Though I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that swinging motions and alcohol don’t always mix.”

Astrid just grinned, and soon they were flying through the night air. The sound of Astrid’s laugh as their swings synced up made Jordan feel...

Young?

Hopeful?

Happy.

That was it. She was happy—a little drunk, sure, but not so much that she couldn’t tell that her laughter, the fizzy feeling in her chest, were real.

Astrid reached out a hand, her smile bright and wide, and gripped Jordan’s fingers. They stayed like that, their bodies swinging this way and that, hands entwined under the Oregon sky.

Chapter Sixteen

THE SUN WAStrying to kill Astrid Parker.