His words were light, but the glare he was giving me was anything but. I didn’t think Dominic saw it though. He just grabbed Max in a headlock and gave him a noogie. “Who’s a bitch now?”
Max shoved Dominic back until the two of them were wrestling on the ground.
I shifted my feet uncomfortably. It was a bit weird, just standing there while they rolled in the dirt.
Fuck it. Dominic could come find me when he was done. Striding off towards the already roaring bonfire, I greeted all of my friends one by one. There were many back-slapping hugs and smiles. People seemed genuinely happy to have me here.
It was funny. Months ago, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to come to this. I certainly wouldn’t have been joking around with Craig, or accepting a beer from Josh. So much had changed.
Dominic and Max finally joined us, their arms slung around each other’s shoulders, slightly out of breath. They wore matching Cheshire cat grins as they spoke in low voices.
Maybe not everything had changed.
Before I could spiral too much, Dominic’s gaze swept over the crowd. When he spotted me, his smile softened. He excused himself from Max and made his way straight to me. “Hey. Sorry about that. You okay?”
The silly jealousy melted away. See, Dominic did want me. After greeting Max, I’d been the first person he’d come to. “Yeah, I’m good. Josh gave me a beer and I saved it for you.”
This had become a bit of a running joke between Dom and me. This wasn’t the first party we’d attended, and he was well aware of my dislike of beer and hard liquor. When Dom had realised I wanted to drink, but didn’t actuallylikemost alcohol, he’d made it his mission to find something I might find palatable.
“That reminds me.” He shrugged off the backpack he’d been carrying and produced a bottle of Rosé with a flourish. “Tonight’s offering.”
I took it from him dubiously. “Wine?”
“Fruity wine.” He smiled. “Go on. Try it.”
Rolling my eyes, I undid the screw top and took a swig straight from the bottle. Notes of strawberry and vanilla exploded on my tongue. “Huh. Not bad.”
“Yes!” Dom threw both his hands into the air. “I finally fucking did it.”
I took another sip and smirked. “My liver might not thank you, but I will.”
“I love that you like wine,” he said, catching my waist for a split second before letting go. “My sophisticated little Shadow.”
I barked a laugh. “Don’t think a three-quid bottle of Rosé from the corner shop makes me sophisticated, Dom, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
He leaned closer for a second, his mouth so close, before abruptly pulling away. “Fuck. I hate that I can’t kiss you right now.”
“Just a couple of months,” I promised. “Then we can be as free as we like.”
The bonfire cast shadows over Dominic’s face. He started to say something, but just like earlier, Max cut him off. “Let’s have a toast.”
With a sigh, Dom motioned for us to join the others. We all stood in a loose circle around the fire. I looked around at all the faces. Some I’d known since infants’ school. Others were new this year. One or two were only vaguely familiar.
But we were all there to celebrate the same milestone—finishing sixth form. We might not ever see each other again after this. Who knew what the future might hold?
There was only one thing I was certain of, and that was Dominic being at my side.
“To new adventures,” Max roared, lifting his beer in a toast. “Exploring new horizons and new beginnings.”
That was oddly…optimistic for Max.
People all around the circle chimed in with their wishes for the future. Only Dom and I stayed silent.
I knew it was for the same reason. The one thing we both wanted was something we couldn’t share. Not yet, anyway.
But one day, hopefully.
Come October, everything will be perfect.
