“Shut up.” Seb’s voice pulls me out of my head, carefully controlled rage simmering right under the surface. No, not rage, I realize—fear. Seb’s absolutely fucking terrified in the face of his biggest nightmare. This is what it’s all about—the girls, the threesomes, the lies—and Olli is laying it bare for everyone to see.
“Or what? What will you do, Bas? Will you shut me uppersonally?”
“Oliver,” I call out, willing him to stop, just fucking stop, but I’m basically nonexistent to him, even when I try to step between them. There’s only Seb in his world right now, and he’s not done with him yet.
“Will youput your hands on me?” he taunts, oblivious to the tick in Seb’s jaw, the anger flashing in his eyes. “Do you remember that I like it rough and ha—”
Seb moves too fast for me to react—fear snaps into rage, causing him to lash out like a trapped animal. One moment, he stands there with his fists clenched at his sides; the next, he has Olli by the collar of his shirt, pulling him so close that their foreheads touch.
For one ridiculous second, I think they’ll kiss.
Then Seb shoves Olli backward, sending him flying into the sand. The bottle of booze lands a few feet away, the dark liquid seeping away. Even with the music thumping, the beach seems eerily quiet for a second.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Fuck off, take your perverted fantasies with you, and stay far away from me!” Seb'svoice booms over our heads as Olli slowly sits up. Sand clings to his hands and clothes, but when I try to help him, he slaps my hand away like I personally delivered the shove.
“I’m fine,” he snaps, and on a physical level, I believe that. But his cheeks are burning when he’s finally back on his feet. Around us, the party collectively exhales. Conversations resume, laughter cutting through them, loud and high-pitched. People drift away as if nothing happened. A few sorority sisters glance in our direction, one of them calling out “yikes” as they pass us on their way to the bar. A crowd of Seb’s frat brothers swallows him, hollering and thumping his shoulders like he just secured a big win.
“You need to leave.” Three of them have turned our way. I remember their faces from parties and hallways, but I can’t place any names on them right now. “Davenport doesn’t want you here.Wedon’t want you here. Didn’t we make that clear?”
Seb doesn’t even like you, I think as I take them in.He doesn’t like any of you. You have no idea what he wants.
“I’m already on my way,” Olli grits out through his teeth, pushing my hovering hands away for a second time.
“We’ll walk you out,” one of them insists, with a sneer that makes me narrow my eyes.
“I’ll do it,” I intervene quickly, then turn to Olli. “Let me call you an Uber.”
Olli shoots me an irritated look, his hands moving frantically, patting his pockets until he produces his cell phone. “Micah,” he huffs. “Fuck off.”
I gape at him, but he’s already unlocking his screen, swiping away at it.
“Go lick your bro’s wounds. I’m sure you’ll have to fuck a lot of girls tonight in order to save his reputation.”
“What the fuck, Olli?” I hiss, but he’s already marching toward the tree line. I look after him until he leaves the bonfire’s reach, darkness swallowing his retreating figure.
Then I search for my best friend.
I call Seb three times until I finally find him leaning against the side of his Audi in the parking lot. He’s playing with a lighter, flicking it on again and again, but letting the small flame die out before it reaches the tip of the cigarette dangling from his lips.
When I step closer, I can see his chest heaving, his fingers trembling. His composure has cracked open completely, hurt oozing out of him like sticky blood from a fresh wound.
“Seb,” I say quietly, unsure if he’s purposefully ignoring me or fully wrapped up in his own world.
“Don’t.” He doesn’t even lift his gaze, voice hoarse as he speaks.
I grant him a minute, maybe two, before I try again.
“Seb—”
“I saiddon’t, Micah,” he snaps at me, and this time he does look up, brown eyes wide and glassy anddevastated. “Whatever you’re about to say—I just don’t want to hear it right now.”
“Well, too fucking bad, because you’re going to hear a lot now,” I huff as I lean beside him, arms crossed over my chest.“How long?” I demand, my gaze following his into the distance, away from the beach.
Beside me, Seb’s body tenses. The lighter flashes two more times, then he takes the cigarette from his lips and drops it to the ground. His boot grinds out the non-existent flame.“A year, maybe,” he whispers so quietly that I think I misheard.
“Ayear?!”
“Glad you’re totally composed and chill about it.”
