Kate continues past our table and straight to the bar. “I assume, after the comment from your ex-girlfriend slash maybe girlfriend, that you may need a shot or three.”
“You’re not fucking kidding, Kate.”
Some tequila shots later, Kate and I are laughing at a story about Ian from when he was in middle school.
“I swear.” She laughs. “He came home and told my mom that he didn’t understand why the blood would rush to his penis when his English teacher walked by.”
“Mrs. Pane was hot. I don’t blame him.” I lean back in my chair.
“So.” Kate gets serious. “Tell me about Embyr.”
In my drunken state, I don’t hold back and tell Kate the entire story. Every disturbing fact. I don’t think she knew Ian took Annie out for the bet. She thought they had just gotten caught on video but had no idea everything that followed.
“Wow.” She leans back in her chair. “That’s a crazy story you have.”
I swallow, finding Embyr over at the next table. “It is.”
“But she loves you and you love her?”
“Sometimes it’s not enough. I have to trust her.”
“Casen.” She admonishes. “She was going to tell you, right? Give her a chance.”
I think about that as we take another spin on the dance floor. I’m having a great time until…
“EMBYR!” Kate screams, receiving Em’s immediate attention from the bridal table. She furrows her brows but walks over anyway.
“How can I help you?” she asks Kate but doesn’t dare look my way.
“Well,” Kate looks at me, “my friend Casen here wants to dance and see I’ve just twisted my ankle. Think you can help him out?”
She starts. “I don’t think that’s such…” at the same time I say, “Let’s not do that.”
“Yes!” She commands but when neither of us moves she yells much louder, “GO!”
I lean over to Kate. “What the hell are you trying to do? I just told you what she did.”
She tilts her head to the side, her pupils swimming with alcohol. “So what?”
“What do you mean ‘so what’?”
Her nose brushes my cheek as she whispers, “So fucking what. Who cares what she did. The past is in the past. Karma bit her ass.” She pulls away and turns to Embyr. “Cut on in.”
I sigh and look at Embyr. “She is just going to keep pushing until we dance.”
Embyr steps into me, giving me her right hand and putting her left on my shoulder. I wrap mine around her back.
“That wasn’t nice what you said earlier, Embyr,” I whisper in her ear.
Her forehead falls to my shoulder. “I know. I’m jealous. I think we both say things we shouldn’t.”
I tighten my grip on her. “I was jealous last night.”
“What are we doing, Casen?” A soft sigh crosses her lips.
I breathe her in. She smells like home. Smells like where I want to be. “I don’t know, Embyr.”
We sway like that for the rest of the song and into the next one. When that one ends, she lifts her head and looks into my eyes. “I still love you, Casen, but I don’t know if that even matters anymore.”
“I really want it to, Embyr. I feel very lost without you, but I still can’t grasp what I truly want anymore.”
She nods in understanding. “Let me know when you do.”
