Bas blinked, and his eyes got soft as he guided Drew to the living room. “You know, I think I like Drunk Drew. You’re sophilosophical.”
“I’m always phil-sofal. I have thoughts a lot. But I don’t tell you because they’re so crazy.” Drew waved his hand with the coordination of a newborn. “You wouldn’t believeit.”
Bas looked down at his shoes like they were fascinating, but Drew caught the edges of his mouth tipping up, his lips pressing together the way they did when he was trying to hold back laughter. “Yeah? I thought you told me everything!” Bas joked. Or at least it seemed like ajoke.
But Drew couldn’t help but reply honestly. “Noteverything.”
“Sebastian and Drew!” Vanya called out excitedly from a spot in the middle of the room. “Come sit by me!” The living room was large, with two sofas, a love seat, and a pair of chairs all clustered around a low, wooden coffee table. However, none of the seats were in use, as everyone was sprawled on thefloor.
Vanya was sitting with her back propped against the front of the love-seat. Her eyes were half-mast and unfocused, but she smiled as Drew plunked down besideher.
“What are you playing?” Bas asked, as he took a seat on Drew’s otherside.
“Either/Or,” a girl across from Vanya said. Drew vaguely recognized her as Vanya’s friend Keisha. “You just pick which thing you likebest.”
“I amexcellentat picking things,” Drew confided. “Gimmeone.”
“Okay, um… Wear nothing but pink forever, or have pink disappear from the worldcompletely.”
Drew blinked. This was harder than he’d imagined. “Wear pink. Nothing shouldeverdisappear from the earth,” he said with the earnestness of the thoroughlyinebriated.
Vanya nodded and held up her hand for a high-five. “Goodlogic.”
“I’m an attorney,” Drew said modestly. Beside him, Bas convulsed withlaughter.
“Hey, give Bas one!” Drew shouted to no one inparticular.
“Ooooh, I know!” Vanya said, her smile sharpening slightly as her eyes lasered in on Sebastian. Drew had never noticed how much she resembled a fox. “Would you rather… Kiss Drew, or lose Drewforever?”
Drew blinked.What?
He turned to Bas, who was looking at him seriously, though that same little smile tilted the edges of his lips. That smiledidthings to Drew’s insides. “I’d kiss Drew,obviously.”
“Prove it,” the demon-known-as-Keisha demanded, and even through his alcohol haze, Drew could feel his heart rate climbing, his stomach churning. He wanted it, and he didn’t… either/or.
Bas lifted an eyebrow and looked around at the assembled people uncomfortably. “We’re not twelve-year-olds playing spin the bottle, people. I’m not kissing him to prove something.” He looked at Drew with wide eyes. “Right?”
Drew blinked and nodded. “No. Of course. You don’t have to if you don’t wantto.”
“IfIdon’t want to?” Bas’s eyes narrowed. “It’s… I mean, it’s not that I don’t love you. Just…Not in a kissing way.” He laughed, but it sounded a tiny bit strained to Drew’sears.
“I get it,” Drew assured him, but somehow Bas didn’t seemassured.
“I mean, you feel the same way, Drew.” Bas rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’twantme to kiss you. Right?”Not again, was the hidden subtext, the reminder of that long-ago summer and the “silly, little”kiss they’dshared.
Drew blinked, caught between what he should say and what he really wanted to say. He was just sober enough to know that there was only one right answer to this question, and just drunk enough - just drunk anddesperately in loveenough - to wonder if he could get away with telling the truth thisonce.
He hesitated, and in the end, that was hisruination.
“I think he does,” Keisha whispered. “I think he wants youto.”
The woman next to her, a curly-haired person who might have been called Jen, nodded with alcohol-soaked solemnity. “He totallydoes.”
“Ah, poor boo,” Vanya clucked sympathetically, pulling Drew into her side. She smelled like cinnamon red hots, which was far less comforting a scent than it used to be. “He doesn’t wanna kiss you, but you don’t needhim.”
I do, though,Drew thought sadly.He’s my best friend. I always needhim.
The women collectively said, “Awww!” and Drew realized he’d spoken his thoughts aloud again.Oops.
