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“God, that was such a cool move in my head.”
“Is your face okay?” Miri barely chokes the words out.
“All my body parts are amazing,” Ruby says, even as she rubs her cheek.
I finally spot Lena bent in half, laughing so hard she’s not even breathing.
“So glad to know you’re all there for me in my time of need.” Ruby glares at Lena.
“Like…a…starfish.” Lena gasps out, finally sucking in a deep breath that sounds like the bray of an animal.
Now that I know Ruby’s not hurt, laughter starts to bubble up inside me too.
“Traitor,” Ruby hisses at me. “Don’t start.”
“We need to go check that noise,” I say, focusing on my breathing to avoid turning into Lena.
Creeping out of the game room, I’m sure we’re a sight. All of us are intoxicated. Miri’s holding what I learned is a pool cue, and Lena has a bag full of chess pieces clutched to her side. I don’t know if she’s going to throw the individual pieces or swing the whole thing around like a mace. The empty bottle of tequila that we finished off earlier is held in Ruby’s hand like she’s ready to slap someone’s face with it. As for me, I’ve got one of Ruby’s boots that she kicked off near the door earlier. I’ll probably drop it way before I actually use it on someone.
The low hiss of male voices, a chuckle, and the sound of something shattering have a different effect on all of us. I freeze and so does Ruby. Lena and Miri start shouting at the top of their lungs, running toward an arched doorway. Ruby and I share a look and then hurry after them, ending up in the kitchen.
We don’t stop there, but keep moving across the room to a pair of glass doors. Miri doesn’t hesitate before throwing them wide open. I take a step back, self-preservation telling me to run and hide. But how can I when these other women around me are so brave? Ready to face down whatever nightmares might be lurking beyond the threshold.
“What are you idiots doing here? Did you break my blue pot?” Miri shoves her pool cue against the wall, where it stays for a second, and then slides down to the floor with a clatter. I’m too far back to see who she’s talking to, but it’s apparent that whoever it is, they aren’t here to murder us if Miri is asking about a pot.
I move forward enough to get a look at sea of greenery. The room beyond the glass doors is a conservatory, overflowing with plants, flowers, and herbs. The loamy scent of earth and growing things reaches me before I take in the rest of the room. Davis, Archer, Ezra, and Rhys are in the middle of the room, guilty looks all over their faces.
Davis is holding a broom, obviously trying to clean up the mess of spilled dirt and broken pottery. Ezra is sitting on top of a long wooden table, holding a bottle much like the one still clutched in Ruby’s hand.
Archer is twirling a flower between his fingers and Rhys is holding a huge, half eaten-sandwich.
“We came to crash the slumber party.” Rhys grins up at me just as Ezra falls off the table.
