5. Drunk Secrets #2
Elias looked back at him with a slow, knowing grin. “This is Solace? The Solace?”
My stomach dropped straight through the floor. I tucked my hair behind my ear. Again. Why did I keep doing that? If I had a mirror close by I’d probably have checked that again too. “Hi,” I said, aiming for normal and landing somewhere closer to awkward as hell.
“Hi,” Elias echoed, still grinning at Jude.
Jude cleared his throat. “Elias and I met at the first year of space camp,” he explained. “He’s the one who helped me refine Survival Optimization Logic.”
Elias nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve known this guy longer than that though. Our dads have collaborated on a few projects.”
Jude stiffened behind me, but Elias didn’t seem to notice. His dad had always been a tough subject.
“Wish you’d take Dr. Ebbard’s invitation though. We miss you around there.”
Elias laughed, going into some explanation about how he couldn’t just leave his family. Something they’d clearly talked about before considering the ease in which they teased each other.
I tried to focus on that—on science and space, except Jude’s arm was still around me, and I was very aware of it.
Very aware of the steady rise and fall of his chest behind me.
The way my back fit against him. The faint scratch of stubble when he turned his head.
Pathetically, I wasn’t even listening anymore.
I was considering the fact that Survival Optimization Logic could be abbreviated to SOL.
Which sure, I guess could also mean shit out of luck, and would be pretty damn funny considering the software’s function, but Jude was the only person who called me Sol.
Trust me. I’d spent all year trying to convince myself it must have been some sort of coincidence—
It wasn’t.
“…show you the new mapping interface,” Jude was saying.
“Yeah, yeah,” Elias replied.
I caught Bridget across the room, she was standing with Luca near the kitchen entrance. She was making exaggerated heart eyes at me. I glared, which only made her taunt me further. Her face screwed up, and she blew kisses at me. I flipped her off.
“Sol?” Jude’s voice cut through the static.
I blinked up at him, turning my chin until he appeared upside down in my sight.
“I’m gonna go show him the setup in the garage. Do you want to come?”
I looked between them. Elias had this goofy grin on his face. “No, that's okay, I'm going to go hang with Bridget.”
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Sounds good,” was all I managed before Jude leaned down and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Be right back,” he murmured against my ear. He squeezed my waist once more before stepping away. Elias was grinning at me.
Was that…? Did he just…?
Jude-fucking-Ransom just kissed my cheek and lingered there. His scent clung faint on my skin, proof enough. Oh. My. God. I drifted toward Bridget on autopilot.
“Well?” she hissed the second I reached her.
I couldn’t speak. Could barely form cohesive thoughts. Instead, I grabbed the nearest red cup which happened to be in her hands and tipped it back.
“Solace—” she tried.
It burned going down. It wasn’t shitty warm beer, or even a sweet wine.
It was vodka. Straight vodka. Or at least, I thought it was.
I wasn’t exactly a party-goer, to even know.
Swallowing every last drop, my brain was slow to catch up.
I coughed into my elbow, wiping my mouth with the back of my arm. God, that was awful.
Bridget stared at the empty cup. “That was four shots.”
“What!” My pulse was already racing, I thought I might pass out. I could still feel the shadow of him against my back. Pressing close. The ghost of a kiss placed in the wrong spot.
The alcohol hit fast and hard. Harder than it should have, although, I’d never had vodka before and four shots would probably take out a bear. So…
Twenty minutes later, I sat on Jude’s dining table, legs swinging, with an open bag of sandwich bread in my lap. Bridget fed me sips of water between bites of bread as she made a half-assed attempt to soak up the alcohol in my system.
“You’re supposed to eat before you drink, you shit-head.” Her face was twisted up with concern—but oh my god she was so pretty. So pretty. I ran my fingers through her sleek straight honey golden hair.
She swatted my hand away. “Stop that.”
“Why is this so good?” I muttered looking up, taking another piece from her hand and stuffing it into my mouth. The ceiling seemed very far away, or maybe I was drifting. I could hear music somewhere. People laughing. Someone chanting? In the backyard.
That would be weird. I should check it out.
“I am completely fine,” I announced. The table wobbled as I shifted to climb down.
Bridget’s hand tightened on my back. “Sol—”
The world slipped and then I was on the floor. “Oh,” I laughed, staring at the chandelier. “That seems… wrong.”
Bridget groaned. “Luca!”
Footsteps. Arms under mine.
“Okay,” Luca said suddenly. “We’re taking you home.”
“No,” I protested weakly, though my limbs were heavy and uncooperative. Damn you legs! “I live here now.”
“You absolutely do not.” Bridget looked mad, as they hauled me upright. Or maybe worried.
“Rose and Ji-yoo wouldn’t care.”
“While that might be true, they might care if you vomit all over their freshly remodeled kitchen.”
The room moved like water, and suddenly I thought I might be sick. “Jude,” I mumbled.
“We’ll tell him,” Bridget promised.
“Judeeee,” I tried louder as they maneuvered me toward the door. My head lolled back dramatically. “Ransoooom.”
A few people laughed as I searched the blur of faces for him but he wasn’t there. Not my Ransom. “Judeeee,” I called again, almost whining. Nothing.