Banks asks her, “Can I borrow this?” He reaches for the flower crown.

“You fucking may.” She bursts in a bigger, overcome smile as we stand side-by-side, towering over her athletic frame.

I look to Banks. We’ve fallen in love with the same lively, endearing, courageous girl, and the irreplaceable feelings I share with him—the true depth of feelings we all share—I can’t leave behind. Like pieces of soul and breath. Greater than love. A reason for living. A reason for being.

He looks to me. It’s the three of us.

It’s always going to be the three of us.

“Let’s crown our queen,” I tell him, and together, we rest the winter crown on Sulli’s wild, dark brown hair.

When she rises at six-feet tall, she clasps our hands, “To the treehouse. Let’s do the huge thing.”

Two announcements to make now.

Everything will undoubtedly change, but what I fear more is an unlived life. Without reservation, I walk forward with them, and I climb the ladder, leading the way.

60

BANKS MORETTI

Paper flowers and paper birds dangle from inside the treehouse. Almost slammed my head into the ceiling, but I duck while Sulli switches on a portable heater and we shrug off jackets.

“We’re all set on posting a video to my Instagram, right?” Sulli asks, taking a seat on a mound of colorful pillows. Flower crown in her hair, she’s still a fucking smokeshow, but God, am I proud to be next to her, of being witness to the woman she is and of who she might become.

And I’m proud of him. Our friendship has grown into something unexplainable. A feeling, a heartbeat, an inseverable tether. Whatever future holds, Akara has to be there. I didn’t think I could love him more, but somehow, some way, I do.

“Akara?” I ask since he’ll have stronger opinions on the announcement strategy.

“A video works great.” He takes a seat on her left.

I sit on her right.

With Sulli between us, she first tears open the box of Plan B. I hand her the water bottle after she swallows the pill. She’s an untiring current, and right now, nothing is slowing her powerful stride.

I slip a toothpick between my rising lips.

“Just do what you’d always do with me,” she tells us, throwing the box in the corner.

I bite down on the toothpick. “Alright, alright, alright.” I curve a strong arm over her shoulders. She leans her weight into me.

Akara tosses a strand of hair at her face. She elbows him with a smile, “While we’re recording, Kits.”

“You left that part out, Sul,” he teases.

She wags her brows and pops open her camera app, then switches to video function. To align all three of us in frame, I angle myself and cock my head. Akara fits on a beanie, looking like a pro-skateboarder. I watch Sulli’s smile mushroom until she bites her lip.

“Fuck, you two are way too hot for this—like, Banks, your eyes are seriously fucking smoldering.”

I’m just staring at Sulli.

“Kits, you look sexy cool, and I look…” Emotion touches her gaze, seeing herself in the camera. Sitting tall, steadfast, confident—a girl who knows exactly what she wants. Who’s unafraid to chase after love and life.

Akara and I are grinning down at Sulli.

“Wow,” she breathes.

Her finger hovers over the red record button. Waiting just a beat.

Akara reminds her, “We can take multiple videos and pick the best one.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I touch the back of her head reassuringly before my hand falls to her shoulder again. “You’ve got this, mermaid.”

She exhales one last time. “One-hundred-fifty miles per hour. No brakes.” And then she presses record. Without a pause, she begins, “Hey, if you don’t know me, my name is Sullivan Minnie Meadows. I’m twenty-one—I’ll be turning twenty-two in February. And some of you might know me as the daughter of Ryke and Daisy Meadows. Others might know me as an Olympic swimmer. If you’re closer to me, you probably know me as the girl who eats too many sweets and curses too fucking loudly.”

My mouth curves up, and maybe I should be watching the video screen. But I can’t take my eyes off the 3D-real-life Sulli.

“Lately, there’s been a lot of speculation about my love life—but before I talk about that, I want to make an official, formal announcement.”

She’s doing the thing.

After a short pause, Sulli says, “I’m going to compete in the Olympic Team Trials in June. I’m out of retirement. And I’m shooting for the summer Olympics.”

I can’t wait to see her race for gold.

She’s already emailed Warwick University about ending her coaching position. Whether or not she’s pregnant will put a screwball in her Olympic plans, but that’s not in the forefront.

Next, Sulli says, “Now about my love life, which I know is juicier.”

Akara flings her hair at her face again.

She snorts, “Kits.”

I shift my toothpick, and Sulli devours me in the camera. My chest rises, and back to the recording, we all look straight ahead.

Tags: Krista Ritchie Like Us Romance
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