He stands and holds his hand out to me, pulling me up to my feet. I wrap Henry in a hug—a real hug because the shift in our conversation feels like a step closer to being okay again. Blowups between us are rare, but they make us stronger because at the end of the day, Henry will always be here. And I know I’ve been consumed by all the things we usually shy away from. But I don’t want to lose sight of what matters about this year.

Or the reason Melted even exists in the first place.

With the drama over, now I can spend the rest of the night dancing and laughing with Henry and Fitz. I’m so glad they’re here, we’re reunited, and that they can distract me from all things Reid and his suit, because ugh, it’s way worse now that the jacket is off and I can really see the suspenders. Why can’t he just be Hot Guy in a Suit? Reid has to be Reid.

After the Cupid Shuffle—because one cannot hear “Cupid Shuffle” and not do the Cupid Shuffle—Fitz grabs my hands and pulls me away from the dancing tweens. “What’s up?”

“Hmm?” I ask, tugging at the hem of my party dress. Because while the purple halter pocket dress felt perfect when shopping for it October, it’s a lot of exposed leg for a Massachusetts December—even with tights.

“Do you know how many times you’ve looked at Reid’s butt tonight?” Fitz asks. “Too many times! I know the guy has a great Suit Butt—but pull it together!”

I frown. “Suit Butt?”

“It’s a thing,” Fitz says.

I sip on water until I can come up with a sufficient rebuttal regarding Reid’s, um, Suit Butt that is not actually, it’s his shoulders in suspenders, thanks. Someone taps on my shoulder and I exhale with relief because all my possible responses are terrible. I turn around and it’s my cousin Molly and her boyfriend, Sawyer.

Molly wraps me in a hug, already talking. “So, update time. Have you and Callahan finally gotten your shit together?”

“Translation: Have you boned yet?” Sawyer asks.

I cover my face with my hands and I hate my life. So much for saved by the interruption. Molly subscribes to the belief that Reid and I are inevitable—and it’s only gotten worse since she declared a double major in neurobiology and psychology at Amherst College. She’s all, I’ve been watching you two at family parties my whole life, you are destined to have hot sex someday. Which is obviously mortifying.

“They’re codirectors,” Fitz says, before making a break for the dessert table.