Page 65 of Every Broken Thing

“Silas?” someone barked from above me, and the room spun as I looked up. There were two Ben’s standing over me, and both of them looked pissed.

“Speak of the devil,” I said.

The two Ben’s melded into one, but the one Ben was still pissed. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Where have you been?”

“Here,” I said, then I gestured to where I thought the dance floor was. “And over there. I think.”

What did he even care anyway? Wasn’t he too busy playing tonsil hockey with Alice?

Entirely unprompted, Jordan leaned over and said, smoke billowing out of his mouth, “He deserves a man, Ben.”

Ben’s eyebrows rose. “Okay?”

“Oh my God, Jordan, we are, like, so…” I pointed between us.

“Vibing?” he supplied.

“Yes! We are vibing so hard.”

Jordan smiled lazily. “Right on. I’m down for platonic vibing.”

“We’re platonically vibing, Ben. What do you think about that?”

I lifted my cup of water to my mouth and took a smug drink. The water spilled out of the corner of the mouth, and I glared down at the cup.

Ben sighed. “You’re so drunk.”

I blew a raspberry. “Only, like, a little.”

Crouching down, Ben cupped my cheek and studied me. “Did you take anything?”

“I took that lime out of your mouth,” I purred.Sexily. “How do you like them apples?” I frowned. “Wait, I think I got my fruits mixed up.”

His shoulders shook with laughter, and I forgot why I’d been mad at him. I loved it when he laughed. Or smiled. Or existed.

“I like when you exist,” I told him, and he beamed at me.

“I like when you exist too. But you’re really wasted. How about I take you home?”

“You wanna take me home?” I said.Seductively.

He didn’t look seduced, but he did smile fondly. “Yes.”

“Well, then, take me home, Benjamin.”

When I tried to stand up, it proved too difficult, and Ben had to help. I clung to his arm as my vision blurred. It was so hot, and the lights were too bright. The music was giving me a headache, and the floor was undulating. My stomach clenched.

“Uh oh,” I said, patting Ben’s arm.

“Give me a sec, Si,” he said as he corralled my friends toward the front door.

I swallowed a gag, clamping a hand over my mouth. I wouldnotthrow up! It would, quite possibly, be the most embarrassing thing I’d ever done, and I couldn’t do it in front of Ben.

“Ben,” I whined as he dragged me out into the chilly night. The sudden blast of cold cleared my head some, but my stomach heaved. “Ben!”

Spinning around, Ben grabbed my shoulders a little roughly. “What?”

The small jostle was all it took. I bent over and puked. All over the driveway. And his shoes.

---