“I didn’t drink anything,” she says plainly.
Of course.
I hand the drink to Daegan. I’m not going to be the one who attempts to pour it down Raef’s throat.
“Here, buddy.” Daegan holds the drink out to Raef, who takes it reluctantly.
“Do I have to?”
“No,” Daegan says.
“I love you,” Raef tells him. Clearly not the romantic kind, but rather like two friends who have been through a lifetime of trials together. He’s not smiling though. He has a faraway look, like he’s reminiscing on the past.
“I know,” Daegan says with an arrogant smirk.
“Are you guys going to kiss, or…” Meela cuts in.
Raef rolls his eyes. He looks back at Daegan, holding his drink up. “Only if you do too.” He gestures to the other glass in Daegan’s hand.
“No.”
“Then I shall sit here in my misery.” And possibly say more revealing things. Even I nearly had a slipup earlier. We need to be more careful.
Daegan shares a look with me. “Cheers,” he says, clinking his glass against Raef’s.
He takes a small sip, making a face as he does so, while Raef chugs the entire thing.
“That was good,” he says. “Can I have another?”
“No,” I tell him. “Let’s see how this one does first.”
He shrugs.
We all stand around in silence for a moment, waiting for something to happen. Daegan studies his almost-full glass, then offers it to Meela.
“No,” Raef cuts in, pushing it away. “She’s fine as she is.”
I don’t miss the way Meela looks at him, even though it’s gone in a flash.
“How do you feel?” I ask Raef again after another silent moment passes.
A serene look washes over his face, the clouds disappearing.
Is that what it will be like when we finally break the curse? The dark, gloomy haze slowly peeling back to reveal a brilliant, bright night sky full of stars?
“That was weird,” he muses. And then his mouth tugs into a smile that he simply can’t help.
“Thank goodness,” Meela says, relieved. “That was weird for all of us, I think.”
He looks across at Daegan, who’s also trying to stifle a small grin.
“I meant what I said. I love you, brother.” He smiles large and wide, trying to bring Daegan in for a hug.
Daegan dodges it with ease, standing in a completely different spot with his arms crossed and his head shaking. “No,” he says.
His empty arms still outstretched, he turns toward Meela with mock pouting.
She pinches her eyebrows and shakes her head.
