“Sober,” I finish. Claire closes her eyes and smirks like she’s embarrassedforhim.
“Or how about when he woke us all up the morning after your twenty-first by blaringBeat Iton full volume,” Mikey says.
“Oh my God.” I shiver at the memory. “We’re hungover as fuck and all I hear is Michael Jackson.”
Claire chuckles. “Better than Curtis Jackson,” she says and after half a beat, all of the guys burst out laughing…except for Sean. His eyes shift between us like a pinball, which only makes us laugh even harder. Claire, who is making that puppy dog face at him like she did after Neon Nights, explains the joke.
“That’s 50 Cent’s real name.”
Sean cocks his head to the side, his eyebrow creased. “Huh,” he says. “No shit.” And the laughing starts all over again.
It’s nice to see Claire interact with the people I’m closest to so easily. Ronan and Mikey, and I guess more recently Sean, are the closest things I have to brothers anymore, so bringing her around when we do things is like my fucked up way of introducing her to family.
I grab the two of us beers from the shared cooler and we spend the next fifteen minutes bouncing around to some of the guys from the shop, and a few of Sean’s neighbors who decided to stop by. When we’ve made our rounds and we (Claire) have sufficiently made small talk with each individual, we replenish our drinks and find shade under one of two giant trees in Sean’s backyard.
“Thank you,” I say. “For coming.” I hold out my beer bottle and she clinks hers to mine.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Ehh, technically Sean invited you.” I shrug one shoulder, and wink at her while sipping my beer. Her hair is back in a tight ponytail today and the undisrupted view of her face shows off her features in a whole new light.
“Is that so? Well, it’s good to knowsomeonewanted me here.”
She teases a smile, but despite the lightness of the situation, my body stills. I have the same feeling I had when I first told her I liked her. Like the words have been slowly chipping away at a wall I once built and they’ve finally busted through to the other side.
“I wanted you here,” I say evenly. She slowly lowers the beer she was sipping and looks at me intensely. I step to her, suddenly sweating through my shirt, yet still unable to control my words.
“I want you everywhere I am, Claire. And I want to be whereveryouare.”
“Me too.”She breathes heavily. “All the time.”
I pull her to me, dropping a kiss behind her ear. Her head lolls back and she pulls me closer.
“Jay,” she whispers.
I feel myself growing harder between us and I know there are a dozen other people here, but it’s like we’re in our own bubble, floating and weightless.
I run the tip of my nose to the base of her shoulder and she trembles beneath my touch. Her hands find my waist and I exhale, my breath forming goosebumps on her skin. I’m seconds away from ditching this party whenThe Real Slim Shadypounds through the speakers. Her shoulder bucks beneath my mouth as she starts laughing hysterically.
Moment gone.
Bubble burst
Sean and his fucking timing.
38
Claire
As if this day could get any better, Chloe finally shows up several beers and lawn games later. I wouldn’t say I’m drunk, but between the combination of my buzz mixed with the excitement that she’s here, I all but tackle her to the ground when she walks through the gate.
“Woah,” she says, steadying us both. “Down, killer.”
“Where have you been?” I ask. After watching Jay and Sean get crushed by Ronan and Mikey for the third time in a row at Cornhole, I decided to call in reinforcements.
“Okay, first, you texted me like a half hour ago, hence why I look like this.” She gestures down her outfit — gym shorts, sneakers, and her tight, strappy, yoga tank that saysSpiritual Gangsta. “And B. I had to stop for snacks.” She holds up a family-size bag of potato chips and a box of donuts.
“Nothing says "Happy Birthday, America" like fried food and processed sugar,” Jay says, coming up behind me. He drapes an arm across my back, his hand landing in the back pocket of my shorts.
