I giggled. “Come on, birthday girl, I want to show you the stars.”
I laced my fingers with hers, relishing her warmth and how perfectly we fit together. It was as if we were designed together and destined to always connect to become whole again. What was a constellation, after all, if the stars were not in alignment? It was just space, the breath before our palms kissed or the moment before two soulmates met for the first time and sealed their fates together.
We walked close together through the galaxy. We were able to stand in the middle and walk around without anything bouncing onto us. The magic allowed us to magnify and move the universe around to see whatever we wanted. Stars hovered above us like lanterns in an endless night. The two of us took turns connecting stars into constellations that we named like old friends before devolving into creating new ones. We drifted toward the planets in whatever order they caught our eye, the magical projection automatically zooming in so we could get a closer look. We were only marveling at our galaxy, but space stretched and folded to gift us with a new wonder to behold within it: a swirl of violet clouds inside a gas giant, a diamond-glittery moon, a nebula blooming in pinks and purples andwhites like a cosmic orchid, a meteor shower falling like a silver rain. Still, the way the light from the bands of Saturn or a passing comet bathed Quinn’s awestruck face in a glowing blend of sunlight and moondust was much more wondrous and hypnotic to behold than anything else space had to offer.
And then, there were the stories. We traded them like they were the finest currency, filling the universe with our words and laughter. Quinn would tell me her favorite story about a certain trickster god or a tale from her mother about how a moon’s crater was said to be the mark of a celestial arrow. I told her about a myth Pops said about dragons who could weave stars into their scales for power or the stories of constellations and moons named for lovers who defied death to stay together. Just like with the crystals in the riverbed, Quinn listened to every word like I hung onto hers. The curve of her mouth was soft with admiration, her expression drinking me in more than the stars around us. We were locked in one another’s orbit and gravity, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
My cheeks ached from smiling so much, and my ribs were close to the same from laughing. My heart vibrated in tune with some higher, brighter frequency that was likely out of this world. I had never been so happy down to my very bones.
Soon, Venus swelled into view before us as we came near her. The planet seemed to glow from within, a luminous pearl adrift in the darkness. Soft gold and pale rose swirled together in slow, endless currents. It dazzled so brightly it seemed to twist the magic of the telescope, making the shadows on the edge feather. There was something strange, romantic, and beautiful about it.
“The hottest planet in our solar system. Do you think the scientists who named her Venus thought they were clever with that?” I joked.
“She’s the brightest one, too, and the only one named after a goddess. I think that says quite a bit.” Quinn’s voice was a low hum I felt more than heard against my back.
“Very true,” I agreed, my eyes locked on the vibrant planet before us. I could practically feel the heat radiating from the light of the planet. With Quinn’s solid and steady warmth at my back, it was like they shared the same core. Then, movement caught my eye. Off to the right of Earth’s sister, a point of light twinkled in the abyss. It had to be the brightest star I had ever seen, trying to rival Venus with her shine. Quick and insistent, her light danced like she had a pulse, dazzling with her own hummingbird heartbeat.
“Would you look at her?” I pointed to the star, smiling. “It’s like she’s daring the rest of them to try harder, even Venus.”
“She’s just like you,mi tesoro,” Quinn said low and deep, heavy with something that made my heart stutter.
“What do you mean, Queenie?” Curiously, I tilted my head but kept my eyes on the bright star.
Behind me, Quinn shifted, but she remained close to me and didn’t say anything. Her hands resting on my hips gripped them harder. Suddenly, I felt something faint trickle through our mating bond. It was such a soft whisper of a feeling that I almost missed it. It was as if it wasn’t supposed to have slipped out for me to notice. It was the smallest sliver of nerves like the ghost of static shock on my arm.Now, why would Quinn be?—?
Before I could question anything, Quinn’s exhaling words brushed against my ear with the same weight of her fingers moving my hair aside. “You are truly the light of my life, Byrdie. You are the kind of girl you try to write poems and love songs about but always miss the mark because you can’t fully capture you. You are a moment of quiet and peace in my loud, shouting, violent world. You are diamonds and sunshine and lightning and laughter and grace and beauty andeverything. I know youcall me your Starlight, but, actually, you’ve always beenmyNorthern Star. You guide me home because when I’m with you, Iamhome.”
I froze. The telescope’s projection even seemed to slow as if the universe and magic around us wanted to lean in to listen to Quinn’s words.Was she?—?
She continued. “I named this star after you. It may seem insane, but it was just too perfect not to. The star is just like you. You are brilliant, ruled by a love that you will fight for, and you’re so strong that you brighten everything around you with your power. You love so fiercely and loudly. You are the star I revolve around.”
My breath hitched.No way she was?—
Her voice wavered ever so slightly. “I don’t deserve you, but I want to spend every moment of my life proving that I am worthy of you and your love. I promised your mother that I would do everything in my power to make sure you are happy, and I meant that. I couldn’t imagine a day without you,mi vida, and I never want to. I want the everyday with you every day. Even if all we do is wake up and stay in bed all day, that is as much of an adventure to me as going out. Because nothing is mundane with you.”
Venus and the stars blurred as the tears streamed down my face.Was this real?—?
Warm and consuming like a fluffy blanket fresh from the dryer, Quinn’s words wrapped around me like a living thing, “I know we are already bonded as fated mates, but I want you in every possible way. Our fated mate bond is giving in to fate, but now I want to show that even if we weren’t fated mates, I would choose you. I would choose you every day. I would choose to love your growth and who you become every day. Every day, I would marry you and bond with you.”
“Quinn, I—” I whispered, finally regaining motor function enough to turn around.
As soon as I did, I lost it. I lost everything: my breathing, my ability to think, my sense of time, my ability to move, my mind, and anything holding me back from crying big, fat, ugly tears.
Because Quinn was kneeling.
Quinn was kneelingon one knee.
Quinn wason one kneewith a smile and golden eyes both bright enough to outshine Venus and the star next to her—mystar apparently, which I still hadn’t finished processing yet.
Who was I kidding? My mind hadn’t caught up enough for any of this.
Was this really, truly fucking happening right now?
“Before you answer,” Quinn said, “there’s someone with an even more important question for you.”
Then, Quinn whistled, sharp and clear toward the trees. Silence answered her. Then, that response grew into the wrong kind of quiet that prickled under the skin and made you start to sweat. Quinn’s smile fell for the first time this whole vacation, and her face paled. I could sense the panic flooding her like ice water, and it was enough to make my stomach drop at what could have happened to my little furbaby. Quinn’s eyes darkened as she scanned the shadows beyond the ring of projected starlight around us.
“Clarkson? Where the hell did you go? Come here!”
