Page 31 of A Very Addicted Christmas

She beams in response.

Oscar tries not to laugh. “You’ve really done a number on her, Moretti.”

Thatcher grinds his teeth to stop from smiling.

Farrow pops a bubblegum bubble and sees Jane ogling her boyfriend. “Shit.”

“She’s not that obvious,” Quinn tries to defend, but he winces when Jane smooths her lips and clearly eye-fucks Thatcher, her gaze lustful.

“Legitimate googly eyes,” Oscar agrees with me.

Akara assesses. “Yeah, that’s not good.” He pushes his hair back. “Someone needs to go warn her.”

“Not me,” Oscar retracts himself fast. He’s too busy trying to keep an eye on his sister.

“I’m out,” I pull myself out of contention, mostly because I’d rather not be the one to tell Jane she shouldn’t eye-fuck her boyfriend. Seems sad.

“I’ll go, you fuckers.” Farrow stands.

She is gonna be his future cousin-in-law. Oscar and I cheers him with our waters.

Once he’s gone, I break away from the sofas and go to the single-stall bathroom. After a quick leak, I wash my hands, old music thumping through speakers.

“Thank your lucky stars you’re here,” I tell myself in the mirror, drying my hands on a paper towel. “Could be back home and dealing with that shit.”

I don’t want to be there.It’s the main thing that’s running through my head tonight.

I just want to be here.

Gratitude is a funny thing to feel. It’s like being inside a bouncy castle, and with every footfall, I still feel airborne.

I breathe in a big breath.

My hair looks alright. I don’t bother fixing any pieces. I think I’m thehottest motherfucker in the pub, regardless if anyone tells me otherwise.

“‘I’m in the prime of my youth.’” I chuck the balled paper towel in the trash. “‘And I’m only going to be young once.’” The movie quote fromStand by Mealways makes me grin, and I kick open the door and mutter the next part, “‘Yeah, but you’re gonna be stupid for the rest of your life.’”

The bathroom is in the back of the pub, and as soon as I exit into this darkened area, I spot a girl twirling in a circle to the melody of “Heroes” by David Bowie. She swings her arms left and right, not paying much attention to anyone else.

My lips begin to lift, and I take a quick glimpse of the rest of the pub. Most of SFO has broken up from the sofas, and really, I don’t feel called to go back there right away.

I slip into Luna’s world. “All alone?”

She keeps dancing. “Not all alone.”

I nod my head to the easy beat. “Who’s with you?” I find myself moving in sync with her, left and right.

She smiles. “You.”

I grin. “Just in time.”

Luna faces me while we shuffle. Left, right. Left, right. “Or we’re both early. Centuries from now other life forms could beam up humans, and we missed our chance.”

“Better early than late,” I tell her. “Being early means you don’t really know what you’re missing.”

She nods. “Being late is full of longing.” She speaks softly, and I smile over at her, wanting to take her hand and twirl her in a circle.

I definitely ate her out in October. I can still feel the warmth of her against my lips.

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