He has the gall to laugh at my scandalised expression. “Answer the question.” It’s obvious from his smug smile that he knows the answer already. Not sure I want to know how, exactly.
“Ugh, fine.Yes,” I grumble, cheeks flaming.
“And do you want to spend New Year’s Eve at the Charnwell Inn with Pete, to be able to kiss him at midnight like you should’ve done last year.”
I don’t know about the last bit, but everything else? “Yeah. I do.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“He hasn’t asked me to go up there.”
“Are you fucking serious right now?” He shakes me a little. “I love you like a brother, Charlie, but right now I want to shake some sense into you.”
“Pretty sure you’re trying.”
He glances down and immediately stops. “Shit, sorry.” He lets go and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You asked him for space and time, and that’s what he’s giving you.”
“I know.”
His expression softens. “You’ve got to make the first move here.”
“You think I should go up there, to Charnwell?” I bite my lip as the idea settles and takes root.
“WhatIthink doesn’t matter. What doyouwant to do?”
I want to go up there. I remember how Pete was last year. Even if I didn’t know him then, I could tell how much it hurt to be on his own while everyone he loved had theirsomeone. I want to be that for him.
Fuck.
I want to behissomeone.
“I need to go.”
“Yes!” Seb whoops for the second time today and grabs me in another hug. He lets me go just as quickly and checks the time. “Fuck, you need to get a move on. I don’t know what traffic’ll be like, but they’ve forecast snow up north, and you don’t want to get caught in that.”
No, I really fucking don’t.
Seb claps his hands together. “Right, let’s get you packed and on the road.”
I grab his arm, suddenly remembering. “What about the party?”
“What about it?”
“You begged me to go with you so that you wouldn’t have to go on your own.”
His wry smile has me connecting the dots.
“Oh.”
“If you weren’t going to see Pete, I didn’t want you sat here moping all on your own.”
I want to argue, but there’s a strong possibility of me doing exactly that. “So you don’t want me to go with you?”
He shakes his head. “Not when you have somewhere else you need to be.” He puts a finger over my mouth when I go to protest. “I can find my own entertainment. Don’t worry about me.”
When I’ve had the quickest shower known to man and packed an overnight bag, Seb walks out with me to our cars. “Text me when you get there so I know you’re safe.”
“I will.”
