“AndIIIIIIIwill always loveyouuuuuu. . .” Bri belts out with Noah slumped at her side. Whitney tries her best to drown out Bri and Noah’s singing, but she can only do so much.
“I think my ears are bleeding,” Cam whispers.
“That’s it,” Xavi says. “No longer in love. Cured, actually.” Bri giggles, belting out more poorly tuned lyrics with Noah ad-libbing by her side.
“I am not high enough for this.” Jamie stares in horror, watching his boyfriend and friend shout sing at the TV as the lyrics loop.
“There isn’t a highhighenoughfor this,” Hunter says, burying his face into Mark’s back as he sits in his lap.
“I’m so sorry, Jamie,” Mark says to him in horror. “For everything. I should never have let him anywhere near you. I tried.”
I laugh, watching our friends. The song finishes and Bri takes a bow, stumbling forward and nearly falling onto the floor beforeCam gets up quickly to catch her. “Oh, thank you, muscle man.” She drags her finger down his chest with a hiccup.
“Nope, still in love,” Xavi says. “And very jealous.”
Cam scoops her up, carrying her over to the couch and gently laying her down as Mark and Hunter move to make room. “Someone have like a bucket or something? She’s probably going to need it.”
Noah gets up to grab a mop bucket and a glass of water and medicine. “Bri. Sweetie, snookums, light of my life.”
“Huh?” She blinks awake.
“Drink this, sweetheart, before you pass out.” Noah helps her drink her water, holding her curls out of her face. “That’s it.”
“It’s water.” She grimaces. “Ew.”
“Drink it,” he laughs. “Please don’t puke on me.”
“I don’t puke.” She glares. “That’s not cute.”
“Whatever this is . . .” He waves a hand over her. “Isn’t cute.”
Her eyes begin to close. Her snowflakes haven’t budged on her face.
“Xavi, go grab me her makeup wipes please,” Noah says, and when Xavi comes back out with them, he tries his best to wipe her face clean. “That’s gotta be good enough. I'm gonna need the name of this setting spray when you wake up. This shit is barely budging. Sorry, sweetie, your makeup is clinging on for dear life. Don’t be mad at me in the morning.”
Noah pats her head, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Can someone get me a pillow?”
Jamie gets up, grabbing a flattened couch pillow and handing it to Noah. Bri finishes the water, and he sets her head on the pillow, propping her on her side with the bucket beside her.
“And she’s out.”
“Can we play a game?” Xavi asks.
“Truth or dare.” Noah falls into Jamie’s lap, with a loudoomphleaving his man. “Truth or dare! Truth or dare!” Noah takes ahealthy swig from his cup. He’d probably be just as bad as Bri by now, but I know he’s been drinking water in between. “You want a refill, Bo?”
You know what? Fuck it. Yes. I need to let go of this feeling inside me. Have fun. These are my friends and my mind has been mostly on Cam beside me. Today was . . . magic. It was temporary magic, though, and I just want to forget. “Please.”
I have a pleasant buzz, but the thoughts in my brain are still getting to me. I can’t help thinking about tonight. The kiss under the lights. The luminescent path. Holding Cam’s hand. What happened after. What does this all mean?
Months ago it meant nothing. It was just us. Butushas gotten real messy lately, and I don’t know if I can just slip back into being friends. I know what it feels like to be his, and it’s incredible. “Thanks.” Noah hands me a mug with an acceptable level of alcohol in it.
Unfortunately.
“Okay, who gets to start?” I ask.
“Oh!” Noah pops back up, dumping out a basket on the kitchen counter. “Who’s got paper?”
Jamie rips out a piece of paper from his sketch book, handing it to Noah who writes down our names. “Just put them back in the basket when you’re done then draw another. If you draw your own name, that’s a freebie, and you can pick the person you want.”
