The room spins as I breathe it in, letting it soothe my nerves for a fraction.
He’s safe. He’s okay. He’s not tied up in some guy’s basement.
“I checked your location—”
“Where are the guys?” he asks, leaning into my space. There isn’t much space left between us, and the odd thought pushes through my hazy brain that he’s close enough to kiss. I shove the thought away, though, almost as soon it comes. I’m far too drunk to be thinking clearly.
But there’s still the strangest feeling of curiosity.
I wonder how many men he’s kissed.
“Austen…” His voice darkens, and I realize I’ve completely zoned out, staring at his mouth. I back away for a moment as the DJ yells something incoherent, his music hitching up that octave climb, readying for the drop.
For a moment, it’s like I don’t know where I am, or even who I am. All I know is that I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be.
With Cam.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly, and it’s the truth. I left them after they became transfixed with the strippers in our VIP booth.I think I told Alex I was going to the bathroom, which we both knew was a lie, but he didn’t stop me.
I needed to know Cam was okay. I needed… him. Strippers or no strippers, it didn’t seem fair to me and I didn’t want us to be apart. I wanted my best friend by my side.
The lights above us flash as the beat drops, shades of red bathing Cam and me in streams of laser light. The room is spinning.
Or is that me?
“I’m so drunk right now,” I say, with a laugh. I can’t remember the last time I drank to the point of being drunk.
But that’s what I came here for, right? To get wasted and celebrate this next chapter of my life?
Cam’s voice filters in against the noise, and I feel the faint heat of his palm against my waist as he leans in to talk to me.
“We should go,” he says, his voice slightly gravelly from drink, but still laced with concern.
“Not yet,” I say, opening my eyes. I stare up at the ceiling at the red lights flashing above me. All around us, sweaty bodies move and grind to the beat. I’ve never been much of a dancer, mostly because, like everything else, it takes too much thinking for me. I never trust myself or my movement to not look silly or dumb.
But right now, here, with my best friend and a stomach full of liquor, I feel better. And something about being here, away from everyone, where no one is watching me, I feel like I can just… be.
Not give a shit for once.
So I shift my hips back and forth, awkwardly at first, but I feel the faintest guide from Cam’s touch, like a steady beat. Keeping me from falling over, most likely, but I appreciate it.
I appreciate how he always knows how to keep me from losing my shit.
If Alex were here, he’d find some way to blame this on choosing football, since hockey players need balance on the ice.Never mind the fact that when he’s drunk, he’s about as graceful as a bull in an antique store.
Neither Cam nor I say anything as the song drones on, we just move to the music together, like we used to do when we were kids dancing in the basement to music videos we’d watch on YouTube. We dance and enjoy ourselves as the crowd jumps, as the music blares, song after song. I lose track of how long we stay there, lose track of everything around me except how amazing I feel right here, right now.
When Cam throws his arm around my shoulders, I stop for a moment.
“Come on Fred Astaire, it’s time to go home,” he says, his voice full of humor. I throw my arm around his shoulders in response, pulling him close.
“Okay,” I say, the light nearly blinding me.
The fresh air kisses my skin as we exit the club, the streets still full of patrons and visitors even at this hour of the night. Or is it morning? I have no clue, since there are no clocks anywhere. My phone’s wedged in my pocket, but before I can grab it, I’m distracted.
I see it. The dancing fountains.
I break out of Cam’s hold, running for them with excitement. Cam calls out after me, but my legs don’t stop. I crash into the rails in front, bracing my hands on the steel as my gaze settles on the movement. Some operatic song I don’t know is playing, and it’s got to be the most magical thing I’ve ever seen.
