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Regardless of the celebration my first evening again, I haven’t gone out since. There’s nothing flawed with going out, and I feel I deserve an evening to let unfastened after the seaside journey failed to do this for me.

Landon and Vera are right here with me, and I’ve maybe been too relaxed with my variety of drinks. I haven’t drunk this a lot since Penelope and I went to Berlin for a weekend. They go exhausting there.

I acknowledged most individuals right here, rotating from group to group as I danced. I’m on my manner towards the makeshift bar in the home when my waist is caught by Landon, who pulls me in opposition to him. “You okay?” he asks, tucking a chunk of hair that fell out of my ponytail behind my ear.

I give him an enormous smile in response. “Good. God, I actually wanted this tonight.”I’m having a lot enjoyable.

“What’s occurring with you and Sebastian?”

The music is loud sufficient that I’m undecided I heard him accurately. Did Landon simply ask if Bash and I are collectively?

“What?”

“Are you and Sebastian collectively?” The seriousness in his face tells me that he’s not joking.

“No,” I reply robotically.Why is Landon asking me this?

I really feel like I’m lacking one thing main right here. I notice our shut proximity, and the way he’s holding me. This feels too critical, and Landon is enjoyable. We have now enjoyable, however we’re solely mates. His free hand tilts my chin. “Do you wish to go someplace we are able to speak? I’ve been that means to ask you—” Holy shit. No, no, no.

“I’m sorry, I simply can’t,” I interrupt earlier than he says one thing he can’t take again.

“Thalia.”

I attempt to step again, my head spinning with this new data. He doesn’t attempt to maintain me there, letting me slip away from his grip. “Landon, I would like you to be my buddy and solely my buddy.”

“Okay,” he agrees, reluctantly forcing a small smile. Fuck, I really feel unhealthy. I didn’t know that he felt something extra for me. I most likely would have executed 100 issues otherwise if I had suspected it.

I give him a comfortable smile earlier than slinking again into the group. I attempt just a few extra drinks that got here out over the past yr to aim to overlook what Landon thought would occur in that dialog he needed to have. First yr, I might need thought of it, however not now. He’ll solely ever be a buddy. My mind has chosen to be occupied solely by Sebastian Walker. Sober me will deny it, however drunk me is hopeless.

My momentum from earlier within the evening is virtually passed by this level, and I stumble exterior, having gone from playfully drunk to being on my deathbed. I ought to name somebody to get me. That’s one of the best plan of action proper now. “Thalia?” A voice says my identify, and I flip to seek out the particular person it belongs to.

“Eric? Don’t you may have a sport tomorrow?” I ask, making an attempt to straighten as much as act extra sober than I’m. My purpose is to get residence and sneak into the residence, so Bash and Owen don’t kill me. Eric could be my buddy, however he’s additionally on the soccer crew. I don’t know the place his loyalties lie.

He holds a water bottle up. “I’m sober; my mates needed me to return by for a bit.” Oh fuck, I feel I’m going to be sick. I maintain a finger as much as him and stumble away to retch subsequent to a bush. To my embarrassment, he pulls again my hair. “Are you okay?”

“I have to go residence.” I groan, spitting within the grass earlier than straightening. Eric palms me his water, which I settle for gratefully to swish and spit any remnants of vomit in my mouth. I can not consider that is taking place.

“Do you may have somebody to name?” he asks. I pull my cellphone out of my pocket, but it surely’s useless. Pretty. Simply beautiful.

“Lifeless,” I present him, urgent a hand to my brow.

“Are you okay if I take you? I can name your brother—”

“No! Don’t do this. No matter you do, you may’t inform him, Eric. I’ll be tremendous in case you can take me again to my residence. Owen doesn’t have to know,” I plead, and he appears to be like hesitant.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Eric’s automobile is midway down the road, and he wraps me up in his jacket. “Are you going to be okay?” he asks, serving to me into the entrance seat of his automobile.

“I’ll be tremendous. Boys are silly.” I fumble with the seat belt earlier than leaning my head in opposition to the cool glass of the window.

“I feel persons are typically silly, however Natalie thinks boys are silly on a regular basis,” Eric says, chuckling. I select to not reply, as a result of the very last thing I wish to do is throw up in Eric’s automobile when he’s serving to me.

Tonight wasn’t a good suggestion. I ought to have stayed residence. The 2 flights are extra manageable after I’m not hammered. Eric has his arm looped round me, virtually supporting my physique with solely his arm as we strategy the door. “Do you may have your keys?” he asks, and I notice I’d given them to Vera to carry onto.Guess I’ll have to get these again sooner or later.

“No,” I reply reluctantly. “Go forward and knock; I’ll cope with my penalties like an enormous woman.”

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