“I don’t need to connect with someone, Caroline. I'm happy with my solo lifestyle,” I reply, and she frowns at me.
“You can’t hate all men, forever. It’s not healthy,” she bursts out before walking out onto the dance floor with Mason, Savannah, and Ben who are eagerly waiting for her.
I feel the simmer of annoyance bubbling in my abdomen knowing that she is right, but there is one man I don’t hate. I can’t bring myself to hate him no matter how hard I try. He constantly lives in the back of my mind and is often poking his way through the barrier into the forefront of my mind.
No matter who I talk to or who I date, whether we have everything in common or absolutely nothing in common, I find myself drifting back tohim. And it’s fucking irritating, so I’ve sworn off dating all together.
I hear something ding, but being in a crowded room I just assume it's someone else’s phone.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The text sound continues to alert me of incoming texts, and although we have a no phone at the bar rule, everyone is distracted with dancing so I pull it out to make sure everything is okay.
Noah: Hey
Cole: so I ran into Noah…
Cole: I’m sorry.
Noah: I heard you’re coming home in two weeks, let's get drinks and catch up? I miss you, Ollie.
My heart stops in its tracks. Excuse me? Noah Kneland, after ten years of “Happy Birthday” and “Merry Christmas” texts, decides he misses me? What do I even say back to that? I miss you? Gross. No. Do I miss him? Probably. Am I going to tell him that? Absolutely not.
“Phone!” I hear Mason yell from the other end of the dance floor as I'm being rushed by my entire group of friends. I have never been so happy to buy a round of shots if it means my phone gets taken and hidden until the night is over.
Why would Noah say that? We haven’t seen each other in ten years and never once has he expressed missing me.
I fake the biggest smile I can as I hand my phone to Caroline, to keep from breaking the rules when it dings a fifth time.
Noah again. All she has to do is look at the screen to know we need more tequila. And a lot of it.
Chapter 2
Olivia
Iwakeupwitharaging headache and very little recollection after the third shot of tequila and dancing. I roll over in bed and my entire body is aching from my head down to my toes. I can only assume that after the third shot, there were more, many more.
I smell cinnamon buns from the kitchen, and know that something happened when I remember why we were taking shots in the first place.
My phone. Where is my phone? Usually, it gets set on the wireless charger on top of the nightstand. Flying out of bed, I get a wave of the spins as I find my comfiest black slippers.Looking in the mirror to analyze what state my face and hair are in, I’m impressed that I remembered to take my makeup off, but chuckle at the mop I have on top of my head and the ratty oversized t-shirt I'm wearing. Did I try to braid it and give up, throwing it into a bun? Did I try to run a marathon in my sleep? Where did this shirt even come from? Another set of spins have me clutching the dresser to right myself.
Who the hell let me drink that much tequila last night? I blame Felix. If I had just started and stuck with gin the world wouldn’t be upside down right now.
Opening my bedroom door, the smell of breakfast intensifies cinnamon buns, bacon, coffee steaming. Someone died. There’s no other explanation for my favorite, comfort, breakfast food to be ready for me after a night out.
“What’s going on? Who died?” I ask lightheartedly when walking into the kitchen where everyone is. “We only have cinnamon buns when there’s a crisis or it’s exam week. And considering we all graduated years ago, there must be a crisis.”
They all stare at me in silence for what feels like an eternity. Clearly, I’m the one everyone expects to be a hot mess this morning.
“Do you remember anything from last night?” Savannah asks.
“Yes,” I reply “as long as it was before the tequila” I finish under my breath hoping that they don’t hear me. “Have any of you seen my phone? It didn’t make it into my room with me last night.”
Radio silence.
“Okay, guys, look, I'm fine. Yes, I know that Noah texted me. Yes, I remember he asked to catch up when I'm home. But, no, I'm not going to go, and no, I'm not going to get moody and shut down all day,” I say, getting slightly annoyed.
Caroline and Mason share a look that says they have been scheming, and that is never a good thing. Mason nods, placing an arm around Savannah. Ben steps around Caroline as if shielding her from the bomb that is about to be dropped.
