“No more drinking games,” Cillian interrupts. “Let’s just chill.”
Ollie is the only one completely sober, but he’s had a good time watching and laughing at the rest of us.
“I’m down,” Shai says, and Cillian gives him a nod.
I didn’t plan what happened earlier. Did I know it was a possibility when I hid in their room? Yes, but I didn’t know what would happen or if Cil would send us away. I haven’t had that—what I do with them—in a long time, not since the night I watched them together, then video called Shai, so tonight, having Shai in the room had gone to my fucking head like nothing else ever has before.
We grab food and bottles of alcohol and head to the living room. We made dinner together earlier, all of us eating in the kitchen, then smoked, played beer pong and other games, and just had fun. It’s not often we let loose like this. Even when we have parties at the house, Tiernan is always on edge, on guard, and it’s usually just me doing my thing. Tonight it was safe—our family and the people who are most important to us.
Shai and I sit on the floor at the coffee table, Tiernan and Dean together in one of the large armchairs, Ollie and Cillian on one side of the couch, and Ash and Zuri on the other.
Cillian gets the bong going, passing it around the room. “What are you going to school for?” Shai asks Zuri. He seems more interested in it than he wants to admit. I hope he takes Ollie up on his offer to help him get ready to get his GED.
“I’m pre-med.” She beams. She doesn’t have the purple in her braids she did before. They’re all brown, and she has them tied up in a ponytail.
“She’s fucking smart.” Aislin looks at her all soft-eyed.
“Oh, you’re down bad,” I tease her.
“And you’re not?” she tosses back.
I can’t say she’s wrong.
Tiernan takes the bong, inhales deeply, then signals forDean to get closer. He exhales the smoke, Dean pulling it into his own lungs.
“Don’t hurt her,” T says.
Aislin rolls her eyes.
“I won’t, but I’m pretty sure Ash can take care of herself,” Zuri defends.
“Oooh,” we all say as if we choreographed it.
“I’m not trying to be a bitch. I’m just saying,” Zuri adds.
“We know,” Ollie says. “We just all like it when people talk back to Tiernan. It always turns Cil on when I do it,” he jokes.
Tiernan flips him off. It’s nice to see T relax, to see how much more he’s relaxed since Dean came into his life.
“You’re just sticking up for your girl,” Shai adds, and Zuri nods, then bumps fists with Shai.
I like her. She’s a good choice for Ash…the way Shai is for me.
“I love you, don’t you know?”
I reach into my pocket for a fidget spinner, but of course I don’t have one, and then both Cillian and Shai hand me one, like they keep them on hand now for me, and…fuck, that does something to me.
“This one can be for next time.” Cillian pulls his hand back, letting Shai be the one to give it to me, and I see that for what it is—Cillian showing Shai he’s accepted him, that he knows Shai is mine and he’s okay with it.
“You should play guitar for us,” Aislin says.
“You play guitar?” Zuri asks.
“Yeah. I’m down if that’s what everyone wants.” When Shai says he’s down for anything, he really fucking is.
“Cillian plays piano,” Ollie tells Zuri.
“Do you guys ever play together?” She slides her fingers through Ash’s long black hair as she speaks.
