Page 20 of Love Not Qualified

“Can you stop breathing so loud?” I tilted my head when he frowned at me.

Christian took a second to reply, blinking heavily. “Well, excuse me for having only one lung and needing some extra air.”

My shoulders dropped.

Shit. I forgot about his health issues.

I was too focused on myself to remember Christian had some serious problems and acted like a bitch instead.

I gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Chris.”

He laughed. “It’s fine, I know you mean no harm.”

At the same time, Merielle intervened. “I forgive you.”

My head snapped to her. “I didn’t say ‘I’m sorry’ to you. I have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, you are the one who should be apologizing.”

She puffed and opened her mouth to say something, but David interrupted her when he handed us the cold beers. He peered down at his friend. “Why didn’t you bring them the party hats?”

A smile already formed on my lips and I fought it away.

Christian shrugged. “I don’t even know where they are. They rarely fight.”

David shook his head, clearly not satisfied with Christian not being able to solve things the way he did, and reached out to a drawer. He took out the pink paper hats and popped one on Merielle’s head before dropping one on mine.

“Now look at each other,” he instructed.

Instead, I looked at the ceiling to control the laughter that was about to burst out of my chest. When I heard Merielle giggle, it was over for me. We were both lost in each other’s laughter and our eyes filled with unshed tears.

“This is still so fucking weird to me,” I heard Christian whisper to David, which made me laugh even harder.

“Yeah, but it solves their problems,” David replied.

Since the beginning of our relationship, Merielle and I tried to find a solution so our arguments wouldn't last. Using pink party hats had so far been the best and the quickest way to put any fight behind us. It was simply hard to stay serious when the other person had something like that on their heads, while their face was burning red from anger.

When our laughter faded, we both got up to our feet, hugging each other until we ran out of breath.

“I’m sorry,” we said at the same time, whispering the words before we spoke simultaneously again. “Forgiven.”

I turned around to the boys, leaving my hat on and an arm around Merielle’s waist. “Let’s drink.”

David and Christian cheered, raising the beer bottles to their heads before downing them in one go. Merielle and I exchanged looks, following their lead.

I swallowed a burp, my eyes watering.

“Another round,” Merielle said.

“It’s your turn,” David pointed at his friend, who left with a shake of his head, but I could see his smile from miles away.

Later that nightafter the boys made several walks to pick up more beer, I was locked in Merielle’s bathroom while she and David were dead asleep in their bed and Christian was snoring on the couch.

I tripped into the bathroom and cursed in my chest, then decided it was a good place to rest. The room spun with me and I was glad I didn’t switch the lights on because keeping my balance would’ve been so much harder.

Truth was, I was passed out for two hours in the other bedroom before I woke up.Why did I wake up?

Never mind.

I pulled my pants and lingerie down, flashing the screen of my phone over my body to brighten the room a bit so I could pee properly.

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