I started rubbing my forehead.
“Nothing. Amelia says stuff about you—”
“And you believe her, don’t you?”
“I don’t get why she’d lie. Why do she and Brian hate you so much?” I was stunned at how coherently my thoughts came out despite everything I’d had to drink.
“Because they have their own view of things. They should be thanking me, not hating me.”
Maybe it would’ve been better to stay inside that big noisy box full of illuminated bodies.
All of a sudden I saw a familiar face. It was Blaze, who was rushing out of the place.
“Blaze!” I yelled.
“Hey, June. I’m going home. It’s getting a little too suffocating here for someone like me.”
“Did your mom come to pick you up?” James asked the question abruptly, but I didn’t pay any attention.
“Yeah.”
“Take her home.”
Blaze nodded, while I gave a distressed look toward the entrance.
“But Will—”
“Screw Will. You’re drunk, and you need to take a shower. Go home,” spat James before going back inside.
>> <<
It was almost three thirty in the morning, and even though I was dead tired and extremely trashed, I forced myself to take a shower to get rid of all the colors on my body.
I was full of thoughts. They straddled, bit, and incited feelings of guilt. But there wasn’t space for all that now. There wasn’t any way to shed light on it.
The alcohol was clouding my judgment. One memory shone brighter than all the others. The words James had whispered to me were etched into my memory more than the others.
Maybe later you’ll manage not to think of me.How dare he say something like that? He’d done that on purpose. That was why I was now here thinking about him as the shower jet massaged my skin. After drying off and putting my hair in a bun, I put on my pajamas and flopped onto the bed.
I didn’t regret drinking. I was fine with Will. But my memories were a little too confusing, a sign that I’d definitely overdone it. If I’d stopped after only a couple of drinks, maybe I wouldn’t have let James brush against my stomach like that.
The thought burned my cheeks and made my stomach squeeze. I touched my face to the pillow to stifle a groan. Suddenly I saw a notification.Are you home?
It wasn’t from Will.
June:Yeah, you?
I’d just answered the question with another question. Great.
I put my phone under my pillow, but it vibrated again.
Hunter:Yeah. Are you sure you’re okay?
Why did my mind have to play such awful tricks on me? Why’d it have to get my hopes up that he cared about me?
His lips had still had some blue on them. Maybe he didn’t make out with anyone else that whole night? Was it this game? Was I the one who’d kissed Will? Did I lose? No. James would have never stooped that low with me.
June:I’m fine, what do you want, James? Still nothing?
