Everyone here to have a good time.
And we’d just… detonated.
Again.
“Let’s go back,” I said finally.
She nodded like nothing had happened.
Like we’d just taken a nap.
We showered. Chugged water. Made her a cold cut sandwich. Three hours later we left our room and faced the music.
People tried not to stare.
Which was worse than staring.
Chris gave me a quick nod.
Dan pretended to be very interested in his phone.
Tony clapped my shoulder a little too hard and didn’t make eye contact.
Nobody said anything.
Nobody joked.
The energy had shifted.
Not angry.
Just… careful.
Like we were fragile glass.
Or a problem.
And for the first time, it hit me plain and simple:
I brought this.
I brought her.
I brought the drama with us.
Everyone else just wanted beers and fireworks and dumb stories.
Not whatever the hell Sage and I kept doing.
Guilt sat heavy in my throat.
“Hey,” I said suddenly, too loud. “Let’s cook tonight.”
Tony blinked. “Cook?”
“Yeah. Big dinner. I’ll grill. Sage can handle sides. We’ll do it up. Lobsters or steaks or whatever. My treat.”
It came out like an apology wrapped in enthusiasm.
