Chapter 23
Bo
“Special delivery.” Bri carries a tray over with mugs of hot chocolate, and I almost laugh at her pajamas.
She's made a pair of onesie Christmas themed pajamas. I can’t believe how fast she made these.
They’re really comfortable. The material she used so soft and warm.
Her and Xavi have slutty little lady elves on theirs while all of ours have slutty male elves in short shorts holding an obscenely long candy cane in various naughty poses.
“The one on the left in the black mug is for Bo. I didn’t want to mess it up and get them confused.
Made it with almond milk. Noah says you prefer that. ”
That warms me. “Thank you, Bri.”
“No problem. It’s just sugar, coco powder, and vanilla, with almond milk and vanilla vodka. That’s all okay, right?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. The distillation process in vodka removes gluten. Thank you.” I take my mug, sniffing it, and flinch. Holy shit. I look to Noah who grabs his mug then looks at me.
“I know,” he says, leaning into me. “Our lovely Bri is a bit heavy-handed.”
“What was that, Noah?” She glares, scrunching her adorable icy blue nose.
Her eyeshadow is a bold bright blue with white glitter snowflakes along her cheek and temple.
A glitter highlight makes her cheekbones sharpen, and white freckles dot over her nose that pop against her warm brown skin. It’s stunning.
Noah grins up at his friend. “I said you are the most beautiful, perfect, gorgeous woman on earth, and if I was sexually attracted to women I would hold on tight and never let go.”
“That’s what I thought you said.” She preens.
The light from the fire glows in the room.
“This tree is beautiful. You guys did a great job,” Noah says, sitting in Jamie’s lap.
Bri walks back over, placing shot glasses on the table with a bottle of peppermint vodka and the rest of the vanilla vodka.
I take a sip of my hot chocolate—Christmas, my eyes water.
“Holy shit,” I wheeze. Cam takes a sip, his eyes blowing wide.
What the fuck he mouths to me, and I shrug, taking another sip.
I won’t remember tomorrow.
“Oh, toastie time.” Bri stands in the middle of the room, smiling and looking at all of us.
“To see us all like this really makes me happy. It’s a been a while since Christmas has felt like Christmas, and I just want to say how much I love all of you.
” She smiles back at us. “Even our new friends. Thank you guys for being here. I love you all.” We all raise our mugs then take a sip.
A series of coughs echo through the room.
“Dammit, Bri.” Xavi shakes his head. “How is there even any alcohol left in the bottles?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She sips her drink without flinching. She must have a stomach of steel.
“We’re going to be so sick tomorrow.” Hunter takes a big swig.
“You don’t have to drink it,” Mark reminds him.
“We’re trapped in a house with your insane friend. I’m going to drink all of it. And go for seconds.” Hunter sips his drink again, grimacing.
“Hunter, you had your chance to let me be a third.” Noah leans back against Jamie, patting his stomach. “Your time has passed.”
“I wouldn’t let you anywhere near him.” Mark shakes his head.
“He’d fall in love with me, and we’d find ways to push you out. Three’s a crowd.”
Jamie sighs.
This is going to be an interesting night.
“And IIIIIII will always love youuuuuu . . .” Bri belts out with Noah slumped at her side. Whitney tries her best to drown out Bri and Noah’s singing, but she can only do so much.
“I think my ears are bleeding,” Cam whispers.
“That’s it,” Xavi says. “No longer in love. Cured, actually.” Bri giggles, belting out more poorly tuned lyrics with Noah ad-libbing by her side.
“I am not high enough for this.” Jamie stares in horror, watching his boyfriend and friend shout sing at the TV as the lyrics loop.
“There isn’t a high high enough for this,” Hunter says, burying his face into Mark’s back as he sits in his lap.
“I’m so sorry, Jamie,” Mark says to him in horror. “For everything. I should never have let him anywhere near you. I tried.”
I laugh, watching our friends. The song finishes and Bri takes a bow, stumbling forward and nearly falling onto the floor before Cam gets up quickly to catch her. “Oh, thank you, muscle man.” She drags her finger down his chest with a hiccup.
“Nope, still in love,” Xavi says. “And very jealous.”
Cam scoops her up, carrying her over to the couch and gently laying her down as Mark and Hunter move to make room. “Someone have like a bucket or something? She’s probably going to need it.”
Noah gets up to grab a mop bucket and a glass of water and medicine. “Bri. Sweetie, snookums, light of my life.”
“Huh?” She blinks awake.
“Drink this, sweetheart, before you pass out.” Noah helps her drink her water, holding her curls out of her face. “That’s it.”
“It’s water.” She grimaces. “Ew.”
“Drink it,” he laughs. “Please don’t puke on me.”
“I don’t puke.” She glares. “That’s not cute.”
“Whatever this is . . .” He waves a hand over her. “Isn’t cute.”
Her eyes begin to close. Her snowflakes haven’t budged on her face.
“Xavi, go grab me her makeup wipes please,” Noah says, and when Xavi comes back out with them, he tries his best to wipe her face clean.
“That’s gotta be good enough. I'm gonna need the name of this setting spray when you wake up. This shit is barely budging. Sorry, sweetie, your makeup is clinging on for dear life. Don’t be mad at me in the morning. ”
Noah pats her head, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Can someone get me a pillow?”
Jamie gets up, grabbing a flattened couch pillow and handing it to Noah. Bri finishes the water, and he sets her head on the pillow, propping her on her side with the bucket beside her.
“And she’s out.”
“Can we play a game?” Xavi asks.
“Truth or dare.” Noah falls into Jamie’s lap, with a loud oomph leaving his man. “Truth or dare! Truth or dare!” Noah takes a healthy swig from his cup. He’d probably be just as bad as Bri by now, but I know he’s been drinking water in between. “You want a refill, Bo?”
You know what? Fuck it. Yes. I need to let go of this feeling inside me. Have fun. These are my friends and my mind has been mostly on Cam beside me. Today was . . . magic. It was temporary magic, though, and I just want to forget. “Please.”
I have a pleasant buzz, but the thoughts in my brain are still getting to me. I can’t help thinking about tonight. The kiss under the lights. The luminescent path. Holding Cam’s hand. What happened after. What does this all mean?
Months ago it meant nothing. It was just us. But us has gotten real messy lately, and I don’t know if I can just slip back into being friends. I know what it feels like to be his, and it’s incredible. “Thanks.” Noah hands me a mug with an acceptable level of alcohol in it.
Unfortunately.
“Okay, who gets to start?” I ask.
“Oh!” Noah pops back up, dumping out a basket on the kitchen counter. “Who’s got paper?”
Jamie rips out a piece of paper from his sketch book, handing it to Noah who writes down our names. “Just put them back in the basket when you’re done then draw another. If you draw your own name, that’s a freebie, and you can pick the person you want.”
“Draw first to see who goes first.” Noah grabs the basket, unfolding a piece of paper. “Oh! Jamie.” He grins, looking back at his man, then hands him the basket. He shakes it up, reaching in and pulling out a piece of paper. “Hunter.” Jamie smiles. “Truth or dare.”
“Truth.” Hunter takes a sip of his drink.
“What’s the biggest mistake you ever made?”
Hunter grins, taking a sip of his drink. “Opening the door at nearly two in the morning last August.” He smiles at Noah.
“Puck Daddy, he said biggest mistake not best decision ever made.”
“Seriously, though, um . . . I went to school the day my mom died. I knew she wasn’t going to make it much longer, but in my mind I had time.
I wasn’t there, and I wish I had been,” he says softly.
Mark puts his arm around Hunter, hugging him to his body.
“Watching Sawyer go through this now is breaking my heart. I know the signs, and he knows this, so I know it’s hard for him to leave her.
He really wishes he could’ve come this week, but he’s so scared she’s going to pass away without him there.
” He shakes his head. “Sorry, that was too much.” He takes a sip of his hot chocolate.
“She’s as much your mom as his,” Mark says to him, kissing the side of his face. “She really is amazing,” he says to us.
“Okay, let me have the basket. Get the mood back here.” Hunter takes the basket, pulling out a piece of paper. “Xavi.”
“Dare.”
Hunter grins. “I dare you to give us a sexy little dance.”
“What?!”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Noah claps his hands. “What?” he says to Jamie who’s now glaring at him. “Your brother is hot, get over it. Go on, Xavi. Bo, be a dear and go get my wallet, I think I still have some singles in it.”
Jamie doesn’t move. “Can I be blindfolded?”
Hunter puts on a sexy song, the mood slowly lightening, which I figure is what he wanted. “Go ahead.”
Xavi shakes his head, getting up. I don’t think he’s going to, but then he starts to move, and I have to say I’m impressed.
He belly dances, lifting his shirt up and bringing the bottom through the neckline, turning it into a belly shirt, then he rolls his stomach and shakes his ass while everyone whoops.
I take sip of my drink. The more I drink the less like paint thinner it tastes.
Xavi comes over to Noah, shaking his ass. “Alright, alright, that’s enough.” Jamie shakes his head, pushing Xavi away from them as he starts to give Noah a lap dance.
“You’re all welcome.” Xavi fixes his shirt, grabbing the bowl and drawing a name. “Camden.” I take another sip of my drink. My head feels floaty, and my vision’s a bit hazy. I feel good.
“Truth.”