The room goes silent for a beat.
“Oh, Christ, you are drunk,” Max mutters, pulling out his phone.
Oliver snorts, but when he realizes I’m serious, he gawks at me. “Wait, really?”
“Yeah, really! You’re cute, funny, and hella smart. You’re kind, you’re considerate, and you’re like, really sincere. You know how to take care of yourself, you smell good all the time, and your hair is so fucking pretty…” The words tumble out like they’re nothing—man, alcohol really does make things easier. “I don’t know, it’s like Max said. You’re the total package.”
Oliver’s cheeks are burning a bright red, but he still manages to flash a goofy grin. “Don’t forget irresistibly charming!”
I laugh. “I mean, yeah, that too.”
“Knock, knock,” Celeste says as she steps through the door.
“Hi, Celeste!” I wave.
Celeste raises an eyebrow at me, then looks at Max. “Is everyone alright in here?”
“Jude is trashed,” Max says. “Thought you might want to be aware.”
“Pshhh,” I wave dismissively. “I’m fine. I stopped after four drinks. I ate bread. I’m good.”
“I think Nikki’s been looking for you,” Celeste says with a solemn expression.
Panic rockets through me, and I clumsily clamber to my feet. “Oh. Oh, shit.”
As I enter the living room, it’s clear the crowd has thinned a bit. Several of the older partygoers have left, and Grace and Chloe have joined the rest of our group in the living room. To my surprise, Nikki is also seated at the end of the sectional.
As our eyes meet, Nikki abruptly stands and approaches me, her expression unreadable. “There you are.”
“Here I am,” I reply with a dopey grin. “How goes networking?”
“It was good, but, um, I’m actually leaving.”
I blink, confused. “What?”
“I ordered an Uber,” she continues, holding out her phone to show me the open rideshare app. “I don’t feel good, so I’m gonna head home.”
“But—but you’re supposed to stay the night here. With me. Right?”
Nikki sighs, her shoulders slumped. “I know, I’m sorry.”
I frown. “Well, do you want me to come with you?”
“No, you should stay,” she insists, her gaze drifting past me briefly, then back to me. “I don’t want you to have to miss out just because I feel bad.”
My frown deepens. “I know, but if you’re not feeling good, I want to–”
“It’s really okay,” Nikki presses, taking both my hands in hers. “I promise.”
I search her icy blue eyes, pushing through my own drunken haze. She doesn’t seem sick, but I don’t think she’s lying about wanting me to stay. Still, I can’t understand why she wouldn’t want me to go with her.
Finally, I nod. “Okay. Text me when you get home, okay?”
“Okay, I will. Have fun!”
Before I can say more, Nikki turns around and walks toward the front door, only stopping to thank Grace and Chloe for a great party before disappearing into the night.
As Nikki makes her exit, my eyes stay fixed on Jude. Are they okay? Are they going to be miserable for the rest of the party? What can I possibly do to assure them that her leaving isn’t Jude’s fault? But if Nikki’s departure is because of me, maybe I should keep my distance.
