Page 101 of Next to Everything We Wanted

Phoenix waved a hand. “Staring at food I can’t eat yet isn’t fun.” His gaze went to Sienna. “And you seem to already have your meal.”

I groaned. “You should’ve practiced your jokes in the car.”

“The annoying drivers in front of us distracted me.”

Sienna giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Gosh, she was adorable whenever she did that. The blazing sun was nothing compared to the way she made me melt.

Raina slid up next to her, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “Sienna has another reason to cool off now.”

Sienna shook her head. “Did you not practice your jokes in the car either?”

Raina curled a lock of Sienna’s wet hair. “Who said I’m joking?” Her lips lifted in a smile toward me. “What’s it like dating one of the best girls there is?”

I wrapped an arm around Sienna, her damp hair brushing against my skin. “The best time of my life.”

Phoenix rubbed his forehead. “Okay, I don’t know how much of this I can handle. I forgot how barf-inducing relationships are.”

Sienna giggled. “You and Caleb would get along great.”

We talked for a few minutes before Mr. Tidwell announced that the hot dogs and hamburgers were ready to eat. Hayden saved space for us at the table, though it was a tight squeeze with five of us on one side and four on the other. Sienna’s shoulder brushed against mine, sending tingles throughout my body. It took all my strength not to make out with her in front of everyone.

How could Phoenix expect me to break up withher? It wasn’t happening.

Mr. Tidwell set plates of hot dogs and hamburgers on the table. “The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived.” He smiled at me and Phoenix. “You guys will never want to go to anyone else’s cookout again after this.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Phoenix said before putting mustard on his hot dog and taking a bite. His face lit up, his eyes widening as he shoved the rest of the hot dog in his mouth.

I cringed, looking away. “Manners, dude.”

“Huh?” Phoenix said, his mouth still full.

Mr. Tidwell laughed. “Told you.” He left our table, his head held high.

“Now I have to try these magical hot dogs,” I said as I put mustard on my own hot dog. When I took a bite, the flavor transported me to another world. I couldn’t blame Phoenix for stuffing them in his mouth. “Where can I learn to grill like this?”

Sienna looked away from me. “Gosh, you’re going to start a chain reaction of bad eating habits.”

I finished swallowing, my cheeks heating. “Sorry.”

She faced me again and smiled. “Much better.”

We talked as we ate, laughing and making jokes. Phoenix grinned the whole time. He hadn’t been this happy in a while, and it made my insides warm to know we were both finally having a good time.

If this didn’t convince him that telling the truth wasn’t important, I didn’t know what would.

Throughout the party, I got to meet the other families. Hayden’s sister, Lana, didn’t seem that interested in speaking to me, but the other siblings seemed friendly. Everyone seemed like they were having a good time, and I really hoped I’d be invited to another one of these outings soon.

When the fireworks started, everyone sat outside to watch them. Red, white, and blue exploded in the sky, lighting the yard around us. My dad had a permit to use fireworks yesterday, but they didn’t look nearly this beautiful.

My arm stayed wrapped around Sienna, who was gazing at the sky. The fireworks reflected in her eyes.

I really believe she’ll understand if you just tell her. Phoenix’s words pounded in my head, yet I couldn’t get myself to believe them. Would the light fall from her eyes if I whispered the truth in her ear? Would she decide that our relationship couldn’t work anymore because we were from two different words?

Sienna’s gaze went toward mine. “Is something wrong?” Her voice was soft, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Of course not.” I looked up at the sky so she couldn’t see the heaviness in my eyes. “This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a while. Other than you.”

I didn’t need to look at her to know she was blushing. “Thank you. You’re pretty beautiful yourself.” She rested her head on my chest, feeling my erratic heartbeat. “Inside and out.”