Page 137 of While You Were Trending

And it felt even better to watch Ginny get mad.

Not because I like her being mad.

More because I’m glad she’s not still stuck on being agreeable all of the time.

That she feels comfortable enough with me to get mad at me.

That she’s not trying so hard to make the people around her like her that she forgets to claim what she likes for herself.

I’m crossing in front of the gardens between the main house and the mother-in-law quarters that Shade’s staying in when I notice Ginny and Flow.

They’re on a bench in the midst of the flowers and vines, lit half by the moon and half by the garden lights lining the short path to the stone bench.

Ginny’s scrolling her phone.

Flow’s huddled in Ginny’s lap, but she shifts her eyes my way and whines, which makes Ginny look up too.

She grimaces, then squeezes her eyes shut briefly before offering me a hesitant smile as she sets her phone aside. “Guess you want your dog back.”

Flow whines harder and crawls more into Ginny’s lap.

“Sorry to interrupt. Just checking on her,” I say.

And you.

“She’s good,” Ginny says. “She’s being brave and facing the dark, aren’t you, Flow? Yes, you are. Such a good doggy.”

Flow licks Ginny’s face while Ginny scratches behind her ears.

I tuck my hands into my pockets and look away.

“I’m sorry I was an asshole,” Ginny whispers after a moment. “Tonight. With your shirt. And the ribs.”

“You weren’t.”

“I was. I’ll give you your shirt back.”

“Keep it. I want to see what it looks like after you tie-dye it.”

“You were right. My room’s a disaster.”

It’s impossible to not smile at that. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah. Good.”

“You can barely walk through my room to get to my bed.”

“Then you’re doing it right.”

“Are you for real?”

“You like your mess?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes, I’m for real. You should be you and do things that make you happy.”