"All of it." He glances at me. "They needed to see you like this."
I nod. Keep moving.
I feel his gaze before I find it. Across the room. Arms crossed. That expression I've been studying for months — except right now it's doing something new. Something I've never seen on Rhys before. Confusion. Rhys is never confused. Rhys always knows exactly what's happening and exactly how to use it. Right now he doesn't know what to do with this version of me.
Good.
I look right at him and hold it. Smile slow and cocky — his smile, the one he uses on me — and lift a shot glass in his direction.
He comes.
Of course he comes.
He moves through the crowd towards me and I feel every step of it before he's anywhere near close. That otherworldly awareness. That pull. I grip his shoulder the way he gripped mine this morning — easy, familiar, like I have every right — and hand him the shot.
He takes it without breaking eye contact.
I hand him another.
He takes that one too. Eyes on mine the whole time. Intense. No flinching.
Then I turn back to the room and I play bartender for a while. Bryce pulls me into a corner for karaoke — badly, loudly, both of us unbothered — and I let it happen because Bryce didn't do anything wrong and he deserves a good night. I dance with Bennett and two girls I've never seen before. Bennett introduces me to them like I'm someone important and I let that happen too.
"This is Jamie," Bennett says. "He's the real captain. In our hearts." He gestures to his chest.
"Oh my god, shut up, Ben," I complain.
One of the girls laughs. "What'd you do?"
"Long story." Bennett opens his mouth.
"Short story," I say firmly.
He closes it. Opens it. “Don’t worry, none of the allegations are true, ladies.”
Jesus Christ.
I end up at the beer pong table with Cooper and Kowalski against two guys from the lacrosse team who have no idea what they've signed up for. Kowalski is terrifyingly good at beer pong, but nobody knows this about him. Everything I’ve learned about Kowalski is surprising.
"You've done this before," one of the lacrosse guys says to him.
"Nope," Kowalski responds, straight-faced, while sinking another shot.
I laugh.
Actually laugh.
It surprises me enough that I miss my next shot and Cooper looks at me like I've grown a second head.
"Did you just—"
"Shut up, Cooper."
"Nash is having fun—" He gestures for everyone to look, pointing at me.
"I'm aware. Fuck off."
I slip upstairs eventually. Just to breathe. The party noise muffled below, the hallway hushed and dim. I lean against the wall and let myself exist without all the noise.
