Chapter 24
24
Haruki - 19 years old
New Year’s Eve Sophomore year for Bryce, and Freshman year for Haruki
B ryce and I sit on the bed in the rented holiday home, our bodies covered with a blanket up to our necks. My eyes take in the entirety of the place one more time. I can’t believe he went all out with the accommodation. Again. This is directly next to the beach. It must have cost him a fortune.
Next to me, he slaps his knees with his palms before standing up, revealing the Christmas sweater Lily got him as a present. It has become a tradition now. Last year it was a red sweater with a stupid slogan, this year it’s an ugly wool sweater with Santa Claus and little elves stitched on it. I know Bryce; he secretly loves his gift. This is his third time wearing it.
“We have to get ready. They’re coming soon,” he says.
I let out a groan. Stuffed from all the food at dinner, coupled with the fact that the weather is horrendous, I would much rather stay seated in this bed the whole night. But Bryce invited Cameron to ring in the new year with us, and Cameron invited Logan and his girlfriend to tag along. A few hours later, there was a group chat dedicated to tonight with twenty people in it. Since most of them are Bryce’s high school friends, we begged Cameron and Logan not to say anything about our little wedding in Hawaii. Too risky.
“Cameron’s taking care of the drinks right?” I ask while taking off the equally ugly sweater Lily gifted me and putting on a black sequin jumpsuit. Bryce nods. “And we have enough snacks?” He nods again. “Maybe we should get more. What if people get hungry later and we have nothing to serve them?” Bryce raises an eyebrow.
He chuckles to himself before kissing the top of my head. “Haruki, relax. It's a house party that starts at ten, not a dinner party.”
“I told you people don’t do parties like these in Japan.” I roll my eyes, but my cheeks are heating up. Not that I have any time to party with my schedule, anyway. “I have no clue how to host these things.”
“You just be you,” he says in a softer tone. After putting on a fancy quarter zip sweater, his arms hug me from behind. “The alcohol will take care of the rest.”
Bryce turns my body around and his lips immediately meet mine. A tingling sensation appears all over my body as his teeth tug on my lower lip. I’m going to miss this. Again. “I can’t believe I have to go back to Osaka the day after tomorrow.”
The longest breath comes out of Bryce before he grabs my face with both hands. “Have you thought about transferring here?” he asks with his eyes closed. “You’re going to be twenty soon. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing. Finish school and then we’ll see, right?” I let go of Bryce’s waist and grab my earrings from the top of the dressing table.
“Or we can just get your green card and you can move here.” By the look on his face, he’s been thinking about this. Hell, I have been thinking about this. “Or…here’s a crazy idea. Just move now while you still have your American passport and we can spare all the paperwork.”
“I can’t do that and you know it,” I say. My eyes meet his in the mirror, the ocean color pleading with me to seriously consider accelerating our plan to live in the same city. “Besides, you’re planning on going to Berlin for another summer program. What am I supposed to do here?”
Bryce blows out another long breath, this time anger, or frustration, or whatever bad vibe is coming out along with it. He doesn’t answer me, instead, he asks another question. “Is it because of our dads? Mine will get over it and yours will, too.”
“Yours will think I’m using you and get angry once he realizes that you married me on a whim in Hawaii without a prenup,” I say, trying to talk some sense into him. “And mine will think I’m still the same wild, impulsive eighteen-year-old Haruki who ran away from home. He will feel so betrayed that we never had a proper wedding. My brother is getting engaged this year and the list of ceremonies he has planned for him is long enough to fill a notebook.”
“I’ll talk to your dad when I’m in Japan over spring break, Haruki. I’ll tell him it was my stupid idea.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Why not?” His question sounds more like a plea.
“Please.” I walk over to Bryce who is sitting on the edge of the bed and plead with him. “My dad and I are finally in a good place. Don’t rock the boat. Not yet. After you’re done with your studies. I promise.”
“Two and a half years. Not more, alright? The moment I’m done, I’m going straight to the fucking airport to fly to Osaka, and we’ll tell your dad. And then we’ll use your last year of college to decide where to live after that.” Bryce plants a reassuring kiss on my forehead and I return the gesture by squeezing his thigh over his jeans. “And then we can tell him that we’re moving to Hong Kong,” he says with a cheeky grin. I love him. So much.
“What do you think about Jamaica?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been.”
“Me neither,” I say.
He lifts my chin as our lips touch, and I wish I could put the fuzzy feeling inside a bottle and take a daily dose of it when we’re going to be apart. “I’m going to take you there on a vacation one day.”
“How have the police not dropped by yet?” I scream into the ear of one of Bryce’s old football friends. He simply laughs and shakes his head.
“You’re a big city girl, aren’t you?” this guy says after taking a sip of his drink.
“Yep.”
“Nobody cares,” he finally answers. “The locals are probably happy we’re having a mini high school reunion. This area is pretty much deserted, anyway, the moment summer is over. You’re probably the only tourist here.”
My eyes scan for Bryce, but I can’t find him in the crowd. He didn’t want to leave my side, but everyone is so happy to be in one place and everyone wants a minute of his time to slap his back or give him a hug. I offer Max or Matthew a small, polite smile, and make my way back inside the house, my arms hugging my body as if to shield me from the cold wind.
The space is pretty much ransacked, and I would be lying if I said that I’m not at the very least a little bit upset. More like a lot. I know it’s not his fault, but I’m only here for a week and I’m leaving soon. Spending the night partying alongside former jocks with post power syndrome and their girlfriends is not high on my priority list at the moment. Especially not when Kenji and my dad keep on sending me pictures to edit. If I’m not careful, I’m going to be burned out by the time I graduate.
No Bryce in the living room. No Bryce in the kitchen. No Bryce in the downstairs bathroom. I go up the stairs. He better not be passed out already. From the hallway, I hear two people speaking in the bedroom. Their words are muffled and their voices hushed, like they’re trading secrets. When I hear a loud groan, followed by a stifled laugh, my heart thunders in my chest. I walk slowly toward the door. My phone feels damp from all of the sweat on my palm.
The door is ajar. “Wait a bit, man,” a male voice says. “Let me help you out.” I take a peek inside and my eyes widen at the sight. “And that’s how you find the vein.” Lying on the bed, Logan is zoned out. Groaning like he’s in pain, or in bliss, I’m not sure. There is someone in the bathroom, but I don’t know who it is. On the floor I see an empty syringe, a lighter, and a spoon.
My phone vibrates in my hand, shocking me. My feet think faster than my brain, and thank God for that, because they start pacing back in the other direction. Once I reach the staircase, never have I been more glad to see Max or Matthew there making out with a girl. Trying to act normal, I make a conscious effort to slow my pace down and hold my phone in front of me.
Bryce
With Jeremy right now to get some alcohol from his parents’ house. You were right, baby. Almost out of drinks. Be back soon.