“Wait…” Ophelia trails away from us. She skips down the sidewalk and motions for us to follow. “Come here!”
Dorian gives me a questioning look, I shrug. We follow Ophelia like rats behind the Pied Piper.
She takes us to the end of the road. It stops at the river. She leans against the metal railing and I move up beside her.
“God,” she says, “it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
The Manhattan skyline stretches out ahead of us. It’s aclear night, and the city sparkles. It looks like a twinkling, upside-down chandelier. The light spills across the water, which laps softly below us.
Dorian comes beside me. I lean against his body and he opens his coat to tuck me inside of it.
Carver leans over the railing. He spits into the river.
Princess wrinkles her nose. “Classy.”
Carver hocks. Spits again. Laughs.
Princess rolls her eyes and pulls out her vape. As she takes a drag, she makes eye contact with Phantom, who is staring at the vape in her hand. She seems to remember herself and hides the vape back into her pocket.
I watch it all—the little movements between each of them—and my heart swells.
Family. This is what family feels like. I’d almost forgotten the feeling.
“Those city lights,” Carver says, “don’t fall for them. It’s a trap.”
Dorian, curious, bites. “What do you mean?”
Carver motions to the skyline. “I mean…you look at that and you forget the subway rats. The overpriced rent. The black mold in your bathroom. The dog shit on the sidewalks. You forget all the dirt and grime and like an idiot you just…fall in love with the city all over again.”
Ophelia hums. “That’s city magic, baby.”
She hooks her arm in mine. I lean my head on her shoulder.
For a moment, all six of us just…go quiet and live in the silence.
The magic of it all, I guess.
The thought comes to me:this has been a perfect night.
Even if tomorrow is terrible. Even if Dorian and I never talk again after tonight. Even if I wake up with a hangoverthe size of Texas and regret every one of my decisions…this moment is perfect.
I must not be the only one who thinks that way, because Ophelia suddenly straightens up. “Holy shit,” she says, “I almost forgot. C’mon, nerds. Picture time. Hey!” She starts back down the sidewalk and waves the bouncer over. “My dude! You seem cool. How’re your photo skills?”
Ophelia manages to talk the bouncer into taking our photo. As he positions his phone to take the shot, we all move into place. Phantom gives the bouncer his phone and Ophelia bounds over to us.
“Alright, everyone! Places. Here. For reference.”
She holds up her phone, displaying the picture from last year. Everyone else falls into their places: Ophelia in Phantom’s arms, Princess climbing Carver’s back.
In last year’s picture, I’m crouched in front of Shawn, with his hand around my throat. But before I can move into place, Dorian kneels down in front of me. Which is when I realize: he’s takenmyplace from last year’s photo. He’s lettingmebe the one in charge this time around.
He tilts his head, glancing up at me. His eyes asking,is this okay?“Rewriting our narratives,” he explains. “Yes?”
I feel my grin slide across my lips. “Yes.”
I settle in behind Dorian, the hard warmth of his body against mine. I wrap my hand snugly around his throat. I feel the muscle working as he swallows in my grip. I smile and before the flash goes off, I give him a gentle squeeze and say:
“Good boy.”
