Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
KIERAN
At dinner, Isabel leaves her glass of wine untouched. So do I.
Come to think of it, I’ve never noticed her having any alcohol. Doctor’s orders, probably.
We wrap up quickly and claim our usual seats in the lanai. I squeeze in next to Isabel, press my thigh against hers. She flashes me a small smile.
God, I want to kiss her.
Jaime emerges from the kitchen, holding a bottle of tequila in one hand, and three shot glasses in the other. Bo’s right behind him, carrying the rest of the shot glasses.
“Shots, shots, shots, shots!” everyone else chants, slapping their hands on their thighs.
Jaime pours a generous serving for each of us.
“I’ll drink for you,” I whisper to Isabel.
“You’re going to be double drunk,” she says, laughing.
I shrug.
“You still have work to do.”
“I’ve painted drunk before.”
She leans in and whispers. “You’re going to make me look lopsided.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. Even without the alcohol, I’m all warm on the inside. I can’t believe we have our own little secret.
Two shots in, Cisco has the wonderful idea of playing Never Have I Ever. It’s his favorite game. Nothing good ever comes out of it; the last time we played, he and Chiara nearly broke up. Why he insists on playing again, I have no idea.
“Take a shot if you’ve never,” he says, taking the bottle and pouring more tequila into the shot glasses. “Put a finger down if you have. First one to put all fingers down has to drink straight from the bottle for five seconds.”
“That’s fucking gross,” Erin says with a grimace.
“That’s the whole point, dummy,” Cisco throws back.
“Wait, stupid,” Bo says. “The rules are supposed to be reversed.”
“Oh, yeah,” Ravina says.
Cisco waves both of them off. “The rules are whatever I say they are.” And that’s that.
“I’ll start,” Luz says, scooting to the edge of her seat. We all put our hands up. “Never have I ever… shoplifted.”
Erin, Bo, Jaime, and Ravina put a finger down. That’s way more people than I was expecting. The rest of us, sans Isabel, take a shot.
“You’ve shoplifted, Sugar?” Natalia asks.
“No,” Isabel responds. “I’m just not drinking tonight.”
“Why not?” Cisco asks.
“She doesn’t need a reason,” I tell them. “I’ll go next. Never have I ever used a fake ID.”
Everyone, excluding Isabel and I, puts a finger down. Damn it. Set myself up for that one. I take a shot. When I set the glass down with a grimace, Natalia is whining.
“This isn’t fair,” she says, pointing at Isabel. “She’s not even playing. There are no consequences.”
“She can always strip,” Jaime offers. I glower at him.
Isabel scoots to the edge of her seat and pours two shots for herself. She downs them in quick succession, then fixes her gaze on Natalia. “There. Happy?”
“Are you sure about this?” I ask quietly as the next round starts up again.
“I’ll be fine,” she says.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I said I’ll be fine.”
Okay. I revert my attention back to the game.
Bo takes a baggie out of his pocket and starts cutting lines on the glass table. Cisco rolls up a bill and hands it to Chiara, who leans in to snort one line.
“Never have I ever… dined and dashed,” Bo says, sitting back now.
Jaime and Ravina drop a finger. The rest of us take shots, and the bill is passed around as everyone takes their share of the cocaine.
I decline, and so does Isabel. She’s got this deer in the headlights look as she watches them; it’s clear she’s never seen anyone go skiing before.
Jaime is smirking at me when it’s his turn to ask a question. “Never have I ever… had sex.”
Everyone puts a finger down. Everyone except me and Isabel. She doesn’t even hesitate; she drinks straight from the bottle, clearly annoyed. She nearly drops the tequila when I take it from her to do the same.
“Wait, seriously?” Natalia gasps.
I set the bottle down and swipe at my mouth with the back of my hand. “Seriously.”
“You didn’t know?” Jaime asks. “Kieran’s a wittle baby.”
“Don’t be an asshole, Jaime,” Chiara snaps.
“But why?” Ravina asks. “Sex is amazing.”
I’m sure. “I just never felt the urge to.”
Bo starts to laugh.
“Don’t laugh!” Chiara exclaims.
Erin slaps Bo across the chest. “It’s not funny. He might be ace.”
“I’m not ace,” I say. “I just haven’t found the right person.
” That’s a lie. I would sleep with Isabel if she wanted to.
Often when people talk about the safety they feel in being intimate with their partner, they mean beyond the physical.
And that’s true for me and Isabel, too. I’ve never felt safer around anyone.
But speaking to the physical, there is a sense of belonging each time our bodies touch, a click like a lock after it’s slid into place.
If only I could wrap my arms around her, then we would both know what’s been staring us in the face this whole time: we’re a perfect fit, it’s fate, and there’s no denying it.
But it’s not like I can admit to that, can I?
In the corner of my eye, I see Natalia shift. I ignore her.
“Can we move on?” I ask.
Cisco blows out a breath. “Never have I ever…”