Page 195 of The Long Way Home

Henry gives her a look. “This is a glance.” He and Bridget look at each other with complete indifference for one second before returning to me and Parks.

Bridget presents with her hands. “A glance.”

Henry drops his chin to his chest, lifts up his eyebrows. “What you just did—”

And then Henry and Bridget try to emulate however it was that Parks and I looked at each other. Heads tilted, eyes wide and swoony, Henry making kissing sounds.

Parks laughs quietly but the bridge of her nose goes so pink that she could have just been in the sun. I ball up my napkin, toss it at my brother’s head.

Then Magnolia leans in towards me, peeks down my jacket at the T-shirt underneath.

I give her a look, waiting for her approval. She looks down at my hand, picks it up, angles my finger to see my ring properly. It’s not her family ring — I wish it was. It’s just a blue one that matches my jacket. It impresses her though and that’s enough for me.

“I’ve got an idea,” Bridget says, clapping her hands together.

“Oh, good,” Parks says dryly as she reaches over and takes the Negroni out of my hand. Our eyes catch.

She has a sip.

Has another.

I know she does this just to feel close to me. She hates Campari.

One more sip.

She hands it back to me.

Our hands touch.

Not lost on Henry, smirking away from across the table. Smarmy git.

“Lets do a mini couples therapy.” Bridget grins.

“No.” I shake my head.

“Yes!” Henry claps enthusiastically. “Hundred percent in.”

“Not happening,” I tell her.

“Okay,” says Magnolia and I snap my head in her direction. She’s just staring at Henry. “BJ and I will do a couples therapy right now if you, Jonah and Taura will do one and we get to watch yours.”

I bite down on my bottom lip to temper the smile. My girl.

“Er—” Henry’s face scrunches. “Nah.” He shakes his head.

“Actually,” Bridget nods, “that sounds great. Let’s do that! Are you free Friday?”

“Nah.” Henry keeps shaking his head.

“Oh, go on, Henry—” Magnolia pouts. “Bridget never has plans on a Friday, don’t take that away from her!”

Bridget flips her off, rolling her eyes, and Henry keeps shaking his head.

“No. They’re fine.” He gestures vaguely towards us. “They’re fine. They’ll work it out. One day they’ll just… you know, like… round a corner and be together forever.”

Magnolia goes still. Looks over at me. We’ve rounded a lot of corners. Her heart breaks in her eyes like a dropped egg and I don’t know what I’m doing anymore without her. I hate being without her. Rummage through the drawer in my mind as fast as I can to find the words to tell her that I’m coming for her, I’m on my way back, that this is just the long way home. But the drawers are a mess, the words are all jumbled — I love her and then what? — then she pushes back from the table.

“Anyway.” She blinks a lot. “We’ve got to nip over to Bottega.”