Bastiana has a loving family, two amazing best friends, and a secret.
Over summer vacation, Bastiana and her besties do their best to focus on their bucket list in order to distract them from all the secrets they're keeping from one another. When a...
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"So, this counts as number 6, right?" I ask as we sit around a picnic table at the city park.
"Yes, Ry." Tiana laughs. "This is a barbecue and it fulfills bucket list item number 6: Have a barbecue." She shakes her head and rolls her eyes at me.
"Two bucket list items in one day? We're making excellent progress, Doll." Ash says, laughing with Tiana.
We're just finishing up dinner when the sun begins to set on the horizon. Dil and Carter have already abandoned the table to ride the merry-go-round as Riggy and Jax spin it. Tiana is sitting to my right between Ash and I as we talk and watch Carter and Dil scream with laughter as the merry-go-round goes faster and faster.
Riggy has devised a game in which she and Jax spin it as fast as they can then Carter and Dil, one at a time, have to lay on their back and pull themselves under the metal bars around the perimeter while it spins. They have to move in the opposite direction that it's turning and they only get 60 seconds to see how many bars they can get their entire body past. It actually looks pretty difficult.
When it's Dil's turn, they don't spin it quite as fast in fear that his tiny body would go flying off the side. But when it's Carter's turn I can see them smile evilly as they push it as fast as they can. Carter's struggle makes Dil giggle uncontrollably and my mouth lifts in a smile at the sound.
"Okay, I'm officially jealous." Tiana announces and we both turn to look at her in confusion. "I want to try!" She exclaims, nodding at the merry-go-round.
"Not in that dress you don't, B." I warn. She crosses her arms and pouts for a second, before she remembers she has a change of clothes.
"Fine. Then I'll go change first. It's getting cooler now anyway." She huffs as she gets up.
"Do you need a jacket, Doll?" Ash asks her.
"No, I actually brought one this time." She laughs. "But thank you." She smiles warmly at him. "Ry, can I have your keys? I left my bag in your car."
"Sure, B." I hand her my keys and she walks off.
I watch her as she walks to where I parked. I don't know what she brought to change into, but I'm sad to see her change out of the dress we picked for her. I like it when her legs are bare and she seems confident in this dress. Like, she knows she looks beautiful in it, and she does.
I sigh deeply and watch as she grabs her bag from my car and heads to the park bathrooms to change. Ash's voice finally draws my attention away from her direction.
"You know, you could just tell her." He says softly, leaning forward on his elbows as he looks over at me.
"Tell her what?" I ask gruffly.
"That you're in love with her, Ry." He says slowly. "She might feel the same."
"What if she doesn't? I don't think I'd survive that." I whisper, looking off in the distance, away from him.
