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"Feeling better?" Matty asked, concern etched on his face.
"Yeah, thanks to Sammy and Rachel," I replied, smiling weakly.
"Good, because the rest of the party has arrived!" Harry shouted, raising his hands in the air. He was short and had his hair perfectly coiffed. The man had style.
His boyfriend Donnie had on sweatpants and a t-shirt with stains on it. They were the exact opposite, and yet they made the perfect fit.
Behind them were two girls I didn't recognize. One was tiny and had big hair that cascaded down her back. She reminded me of Tinkerbell. The other girl was much taller and had short braids that framed her face's sharp, beautiful features.
"This is Gabby." Harry pointed to Tinkerbell, and then he pointed to Sharp Beauty. "This is Larisa."
"Nice to meet you," I said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt.
"Likewise," Gabby chirped.
Larisa just nodded at me, her expression calm and aloof.
Harry and Donnie made themselves comfortable on the couch while Gabby and Larisa sat in armchairs. The guys grabbed more beers and started chatting with Harry and Donnie. I sat down on the edge of the couch, still a little dizzy.
"Come on, Mal, loosen up," Billy said, slapping me on the back.
"I'm trying," I said, but it was hard. I was shaky and queasy.
Gabby and Larisa seemed content to just sit and watch the guys talk. They didn't say much, but occasionally, one of them would laugh at something someone said.
"I got an idea." Rex jumped up from his spot on the floor. "I saw a fire pit out back."
Everyone jumped up excitedly, ready to have a bonfire. The guys started gathering wood while Harry and Donnie pulled out chairs to sit on. Gabby and Larisa stayed behind, chatting quietly between themselves.
I helped the guys, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. As I picked up a hefty log, my grip slipped, and it fell towards my foot.
"Watch out!" Rex shouted, grabbing the log before it hit me.
"Thanks." I averted my eyes.
"It's all good. You okay?" He gave me a concerned look.
"Yeah, just a little clumsy," I said, trying to brush it off.
We walked back to the firepit. The guys started building the fire while Harry and Donnie passed out snacks. I sat down next to Sammy, a little more at ease now that the alcohol was working its way out of my system.
The group laughed and cracked open more beers as the fire blazed higher. At some point, Matty pulled out a guitar and handed it to Jake.
Jake began strumming a few chords, and soon, the entire group was singing along to the country songs he played. Even Gabby and Larisa seemed to be enjoying themselves, swaying along to the music. As Jake played, he would catch my gaze and wink at me. I didn't even know he could play, and not only could he play, he was fantastic.
After a while, Jake put down the guitar, even after we all begged him to continue. In all honesty, I could have listened to him play all night. If only for this moment alone, I was glad I came.
"All right. Let's play a game." Billy clapped his hands together. "Two truths and a lie."
Everyone groaned, but Billy was insistent. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
We all sat in a circle, beers in hand, as Gabby went first, telling us two truths and one lie. We had to guess which one was the lie. "I've lived on four different continents. I have a dragon tattoo, and I've never been in love," she said, her voice low and steady.
The group looked at each other, guessing which statement was false.
"I'm gonna say the tattoo." Sammy scratched her chin.
"Nope." She lifted the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a dragon tattoo wrapped around her shoulder.
