Page 175 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“Hey, perverts! We know you’re in there. Get your asses over here. It’s cake time,” Chance says on the other side.

TJ releases an irritated groan, the muscles in his jaw flexing. “I hate that guy.”

“No, you don’t. Plus, he’s right. We can’t miss the cake.” I peck the corner of his mouth. “Come on.”

I spend the next minute negotiating and trying to convince my grown-ass boyfriend to get out of the closet so we can go celebrate his friend’s birthday.

And the crazy part?

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Shots! Shots! Shots!”The chanting of the basketball team carries across the club in spite of the blaring music making the walls shake.

The birthday boy downs the shot handed to him in one go and makes a “this tastes like piss” face afterward.

“What’s the matter, Cox? Can’t hold your liquor?” one of the guys from the team teases, and Theo flips him off as a result.

“Hey, you! Another round, please!” the guy Theo flipped off tells the bartender, and she nods in acknowledgment. Poor girl obviously underestimated how annoying drunk basketball players can get. She’s been at their beck and call all night.

Theo creates a megaphone with his hand and shouts, “Actually, never mind, we’re good!”

This causes Chance and the guys from the team to boo him.

“Fuck off. I’d like to still remember my name when my girl gets here,” Theo fires back.

It’s about time he stopped indulging his friends. I have no idea how he’s still standing. Seriously, Theo’s probably taken more shots tonight than he has all basketball season.

Bright side is I ended up having a lot more fun than I thought I would. The girls and I did some dancing, some catching up, and we laughed so hard at some point we almost cried.

All the while, our boyfriends were having the time of their lives, trying to figure out how much alcohol Theo could handle before his liver shut down.

“Ashley just texted us. Her flight got delayed. She won’t be here until one,” Aveena says mid-yawn. She’s clearly exhausted.

She mentioned she wanted to make an effort and stay up late for Theo’s birthday, but her eyes just keep getting smaller and smaller as the night progresses. It’s almost midnight. I don’t think anyone would blame her for going home.

Aveena yawns for the tenth time in a matter of five minutes. “I think that’s my cue. I’m going to go home, but I’ll see you two tomorrow at brunch?”

Dia nods. “Sure thing. Eleven at my place. Don’t forget.”

We each hug her goodbye before she walks off, heading for the coat check room. I debate on following her lead. I’ve been thinking of leaving, too. We didn’t feel like getting wasted, so Dia and I were Aveena’s sober companions tonight.

I turn to Dia. “I’m beat, too. I think I’m going to call it a night.”

I’ve also been having the most random back aches all night. It started out as a dull pain and evolved into an intermittent stabbing sensation that’s becoming harder to ignore. Might just be because my period’s due soon.

She nods in agreement. “Same. Let’s go get our coats and find the guys.”

Finn, Xavier, and TJ stepped outside to get some fresh air a few minutes ago. Not that I can blame them—it’s as hot as the fiery pits of hell in here. I check my phone as we’re making our way to the coat check area.

Thankfully, I don’t have any more messages from that unknown number.

Of course you don’t. You blocked the number.

“Lace, you coming?” Dia asks when she notices I’ve stopped walking.

I shove my phone into my back pocket, pushing the thought out of my mind in the process. “Yeah, sorry.”

We collect our coats in no time and amble over to the exit of the club. I immediately spot Finn and TJ talking out front. They’re laughing—probably about some inside joke I’m sure we wouldn’t understand even if we tried. These two are just two peas in a pod lately. They’ve really been hitting it off.

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