A blush creeps up my neck. Shit. This is going to be a long day.
We arrive at the Fall Festival, and Maya immediately gets swooped away by Hilda—owner of the local bookstore—to get their faces painted. The pie-eating contest doesn’t start for another hour, so there’s time to kill.
I inhale deeply. I love the fall. I especially love the fall in Lake City. The temperatures are cooler, the air is crisp. The changing leaves fall from the trees, surrounding us in all their beauty of reds, yellows, and oranges. The scent of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon bring a sense of nostalgia—to a life where my biggest worry was how to get Seb to let me tag along with him and his friends. To the moments where my mom, dad, Seb and I would huddle together on the couch, watching scary movies with a batch of my mom’s cookies. Seb would always get scared while watching, although he would deny it now. But not me. I lived for the nights of watching and rewatchingScream,Halloween, andI Know What You Did Last Summer. I guess that explains why I’m obsessed with true crime podcasts, and all things spooky season.
Mateo wraps an arm around my shoulder and leans in toward my ear, whispering, “You’re ready to put on a show?” then plants a kiss on the side of my hair.
I look up at him, quirking an eyebrow. “I was born ready, baby.”
He barks out a laugh. “That’s what I’m talking about, chula.”
Mariana, Anna, Seb, and Andres begin walking toward us, and suddenly, I’m filled with nerves.
“Look at the happy couple!” Mariana croons.
Seb nods a hello at Mateo and wraps me in a tight hug. “Good to see you, little sis. Where’s Maya?” he asks, looking around for her.
“Now youknowthe moment we got here Hilda stole her away. Those two love to spendtime together.”
Andres claps Mateo on the shoulder. “My man! Look at you with a girlfriend. Our boy is all grown up.”
Mateo looks over at me. “What can I say? I’m smart enough to lock down a good thing,” he says sweetly.
At that, Mariana looks as if she has hearts in her eyes, Anna pretends to gag, and Seb just stares at us intently. The tension rolling off him is thick. I stare right back at him. Daring him to say a word that will set me off.
He’s still unhappy about Mateo and I, and I sort of get it. Mateo’s known for breaking hearts, and Seb’s worried that I’ll be broken in the way that I was after Nico. But he has to trust me and my judgment. I know what I’m doing…at least, I think so.
Sensing my frustration and Seb’s trepidation at the situation, Mariana clears her throat and says, “Let’s go do the sack race!”
A chorus of groans leaves us all.
“Ugh, you guys! We have to! What’s the matter? Scared that I’m going to kick all your asses?” she says, placing her hands at her hips.
Seb brings Mari in close to him, whispers something in her ear that thankfully I can’t hear, and kisses her hair. I feel a tug in my chest. Seb and Mari are so disgustingly in love with each other, but it wasn’t always easy.
Seb and Mari met when they were kids and dated in high school. Their journey to get to where they are right now was a long one, and it makes me happy to see them both finally where they’re meant to be—with each other. But there’s this other part of me, this part that can’t help but to feel this twinge in my chest at the sight of their love. Not jealousy. Or maybe it is. Not at them, exactly…but at what they have. Will I ever have someone look at me the way they look at each other? Will there ever be someone who loves me so deeply that they would do anything to make sure I’m happy? Someone who loves Maya and me, and will give us both the world.
I could never regret Maya. Not ever. She’s my whole world, the best thing to ever happen to me. But Nico abandoning us without a second thought changed me. It scared me from even considering dating.
Mateo wraps his hand around mine, large and warm. It’s almost as if he knows that I need someone at this moment. That I needed the warmth you get from another person’s touch. His eyes stay locked on mine as he says, “We’re in. But, Mari, I think my girl might give you a run for your money.”
Laughter breaks out around us, but I can’t look away from him. There’s a warmth spreading through me. One that I don’t want to think too hard about.
“Damn, chula. I thought for sure you’d let me win,” Mateo says, grinning at me.
“Let you win? Me? Never, babe. I have to keep you humble,” I say sweetly.
I kicked all of their asses. No question. Mari—I adore her—but she’s too sweet for this kind of thing. Me? Please. I wasn’t about to let a sack slow me down.
Seb went first. One well-timed shift and he lost balance—technically, I didn’t push him. He just…stumbled near me. Mateo tripped, but that’s on him for getting too close to me. Mari turned around when I told her someone was calling her. My sweet trusting, Mari. It bought me at least two hops.
And Anna—my girl—I may have squeezed her hand too tight when we were hopping, and we both nearly ate it. She laughed so hard she couldn’t breathe, and I couldn’t stop laughing either. We recovered, barely, but it wasworth it.
I kept going. Sack to ankles, chaos in my wake, grinning like a maniac. I grew up with an older brother. I had to learn early on how to win with grit. I’ll play dirty if I have to. Elbows out, eyes on the prize. I guess I know where Maya gets her competitiveness from.
Speaking of which, it’s finally time for the pie-eating contest, and I am ready to watch my baby girl take all those kids down.
We make our way over to the pie-eating contest—me, Mateo, Seb, Mari, Andres, and Anna—walking across the grass. The sun’s lower now, golden and soft, casting long shadows as families crowd around the long table lined with aluminum pie tins.
