Chapter 25
Bo
A loud groan startles me awake. Oh, what the hell? It feels like someone’s squeezing my brain. Opening my eyes, I see Bri next to me trying to blink herself conscious. “Shut the sun off!” she whines.
A moment later everything goes black.
I open my eyes and see Jamie standing by the now closed curtains. “Sorry, Bri.” He grins, not looking sorry one bit. “From one to never again, how hungover are we?”
“Never again in this life, or future lives. Multiverses. Portals. Heaven or hell.” She lifts her head looking down.
“Why is your boyfriend buried in my boobs?” I blink, looking over at Noah sleeping on her other side, his face buried in her cleavage.
She’s only in a black lace bra. Not quite sure where her shirt went.
Noah stirs, lifting his head, his arm slung over her stomach. “I understand now, Jamie.” Noah groans snuggling deeper. “These are nice.”
“Noah, I love you, but get out of my titties. I have to pee.” Rolling off Bri, Noah attempts to open his eyes. Glitter from her chest clings to the side of his face. “Oh my god. I feel like ass, and not the good kind.”
I have to second all that. I drank way too much. I’m not used to overdoing it like that. Last night comes back to me in short little incoherent bursts as Jamie sits on the bed next to Noah. “You alright?”
Noah groans, shaking his head and slumping against Jamie. He cups Noah’s face and smooths his thumb along his cheekbone. “When Bri’s done, go in there and shower. I’ll make all of you a hangover breakfast. Besides gluten, is there anything else you can’t eat, Bo?”
It takes me a second for my brain to come back online. “Oh, not really.”
“Milk doesn’t agree with him,” Noah says softly, lying against Jamie’s chest. “Don’t tell Bri, but I like your titties better.” Jamie just laughs, placing a kiss on his forehead and getting up, and Noah flops back down against me, snuggling into my side.
Everything from last night is foggy, but when pieces start to come back to me, I realize the mistake I made.
I called him dumb. I can’t believe I did that. “Where’s Cam?” Where did he sleep?
“Don’t worry, I kept him company last night. He’s a clinger while he sleeps, huh?”
“Oh uh, yeah.”
“Don’t let Jamie fool you.” Noah’s eyes close. “He likes to be the little spoon.”
Jamie chuckles, kissing the top of his head. “Time to get up. You both need to eat and drink something.” With that Jamie leaves. I want to see Cam, but I’m still angry. What I said to him was not okay, but it doesn’t take away from the frustration I feel.
Bri comes back into the room freshly showered and pulls on the shirt she’s wearing.
“I stole Jamie’s shirt.” Noah groans, nodding against me, and Bri slaps his ass.
“Come on, go shower. Showers fix everything.” She sits on the edge of the bed, pulling off her shower cap.
“You can go too, Bo. There’s another shower downstairs. ”
Noah peels himself off me and gets up, leaving Bri and me alone. She sighs, lying back down. “So, how much do you remember from last night, and what did I miss?”
“Too much.” Unfortunately. “I may have said some things to Cam. I can’t believe I called him dumb. I didn’t mean it.”
She rolls to face me. “Alcohol and repressed feelings do not mix. Coming from a master herself.”
I may have really ruined everything. How can Cam even talk to me now? I didn’t mean what I said. He’s not dumb.
“I’m an asshole.”
“No you’re not. Sounds like you just let everything you’ve been holding onto get the best of you. Alcohol takes your frustrations and morphs shit. Cam knows you didn’t mean it.”
That’s the thing. Cam will believe it more than anyone. “I’m not so sure.” This week was supposed to be fun. We still have a couple of days left and it’s going to be awkward as hell now.
“It seems like Jamie’s taken a liking to him.” Bri smiles. “Jamie needs more friends. It sounds like Cam does too.”
I want to defend myself and say Cam has me, but the reality is, maybe this is best for us both. I love Noah, and Bri. Mark is really kind to me, Hunter too. As much as I love Cam, it’s nice not being in each other’s orbit constantly. The realization makes me smile.
I have a friend group.
We have a friend group.
“Drunky one, two, and where’s Noah?” Jamie pops his head in the doorway.
“Naked and wet probably. If you’re quick, you might catch him.
” Bri wiggles her eyebrows, and Jamie’s eyes narrow on her before he darts away from the door, probably doing just that.
“That boy’s a goner.” She lolls her head back to me.
“Come on. I’ll show you where the other bathroom is.
I promise you’ll feel better.” She gets up and I watch her bubblegum-pink curls fall down her back.
She’s not wearing any makeup, and I think this is the first time I’ve seen her without any of her extravagant designs.
Without it she’s just as beautiful; the makeup only enhances her delicate features.
As if she can hear what I’m thinking, she smiles.
“I am far too hungover for a full face right now. I think I’m going to try a Christmas light design later.
Maybe. If you’d like me to do yours, just ask.
” Bri gets up, holding a hand out to me.
“Come on. Let’s go make you human again. ”
Bri’s right. I do feel human.
Unfortunately that means I also feel like shit.
I need to apologize to Cam about what I said. I’m still angry at him. But I also know it’s my fault. I should have told him. I shouldn’t have hooked up with him knowing how I felt.
We walk into the kitchen and there are voices that stop the second Bri and I walk in. Xavi, Hunter, and Mark are eating. Hunter pulls out a chair for me to sit beside him. I hear voices again, and see Cam and Jamie outside talking. No laughing.
My heart squeezes.
The thing about Cam is that he doesn’t make friends easily. Neither do I, but most of the time that’s on purpose. People tire me out, but Cam is social. He loves to talk to people, but for some reason he just struggles with it. I watch them for a moment, a smile growing on my lips.
Jamie shoves him playfully, which forces another laugh out of his lips. I’ve never seen him like this. I expect to be jealous, but I just feel relief. “Here, Bo, eat whatever you want. There’s hash browns, eggs, and that toast is gluten free. There’s also bacon.”
I scoop some hash browns onto my plate and put a couple of eggs over them, then I drown it all in hot sauce and place a piece of toast on the side. I don’t really want it, but I know they got it for me. “I am never drinking again.”
“I think your singing has improved,” Mark says to Bri between bites.
“Really?” Bri grins.
“No.”
Her smile falls and she gives him the finger. “I am never drinking again.” Bri moves food around on her plate.
The door opens with a rush of cold air. There’s a white cast to the sky; it’s definitely getting ready to snow. When I look up I see Cam briefly glance at me, but he keeps his distance. I fucked up. I’m about to ask him if we can talk, but Jamie speaks up first.
“You mind if I go down to Ian’s for a bit?” Jamie braces his hands on the table, enclosing Noah inside his arms. He kisses the top of his head.
Noah looks up, shaking his head. “Getting a naked portrait of me done?”
Jamie laughs. “Ah, no. Sorry. I’m getting Luci’s name tattooed around the snake on my arm.”
“Oh, well, I guess that’s a better use of your time.”
“Cam’s going to come with me.” My head lifts.
“I need some air,” is all Cam says, not meeting my eyes. I just want to apologize. I want to make this okay.
Cam follows Jamie out of the kitchen and I can’t let this go right now. In the living room I grab his sweater sleeve, tugging it gently. “Cam, look—”
He turns on me, and in all the years we’ve been friends, through all the fights and arguments and senseless bickering, has he ever looked at me like he is now?
Lost.
Lost and broken. I did that. “I need some space. Okay?” He takes my sleeve out of his grip then follows Jamie to the front door. Noah’s boyfriend looks apologetic, but then they’re gone.
What have I done?