Page 3 of Only This Once
Kyle groaned, burying his face in her hair.
“What’s this about?” Julia asked since Phoebe’s boyfriend was now crying in her hair.
“He doesn’t want to marry me!” Phoebe wailed, drawing the eyes of everyone close enough to hear.
“Not yet!” Kyle lifted his head. “I just meant not yet.”
Julia grabbed her friend’s face between her hands. “That’s a good thing, Feebs. Nineteen is way too young to talk about marriage.”
“But he’s the one,” Phoebe sobbed.
Julia squeezed her cheeks. “Then he’ll still be the one a few years from now.”
Phoebe swayed on her feet.
Julia gave up on talking sense to her in this state. “I can’t believe you got drunk.”
“I was sad,” Phoebe mumbled.
“That’s no excuse. What kind of example are you setting for Jinx?” Julia’s gaze shifted to Kyle, studying him. “Are you sober?”
“Yeah. I didn’t drink. I was going to take her to my place so we could talk in the morning.” His eyes held a question when he looked at Phoebe. “If that’s what she wants.”
“I do. I want to be with Kyle.” Phoebe pulled free from Julia to bury herself against Kyle’s chest.
Julia pointed a finger at him. “No sex tonight. Even if she says she wants it. She’s too drunk for a yes to mean yes.”
“You don’t have to tell me that.” Kyle dropped a kiss on the top of Phoebe’s head. “I’ll take care of her.”
He’d been a good guy to her friend for years. Julia patted his arm. “I know you will.” She glanced at her friend. “Don’t worry about Jinx, Feebs. I’ll make sure he gets home.” She watched Kyle lift her staggering friend and carry her out the door before turning to track down Jinx.
The search didn’t go so well. By her third lap, worry clawed at her stomach. The biology girls hadn’t known where he went after talking with them, though they were acting more drunk than she expected for those two.
Julia pushed toward the hall bathroom, the one place she hadn’t checked. The line of people waiting weren’t happy when she shoved past them to knock on the door. “Jinx? Are you in there?”
No one answered.
“Some blond guy’s been in there for a while,” the girl at the front of the line said. “He didn’t look so hot.”
If Jinx had gotten drunk like his sister, Julia was going to be pissed. She knocked and called his name again, but there was still no answer. Trying the doorknob, it turned.
Jinx sat in the corner of the bathroom near the sink, his knees pulled up to his chest and his face buried in them.
Julia’s stomach twisted worse. She closed the door and crossed to him, crouching. “Jinx? Are you okay?”
His arms tightened, and then he lifted his head. His curly hair looked messier than usual, like he’d been running his hands through it. His eyes looked dry but glassy. He looked right through her.
“Jules?” His voice was almost too low to hear.
“Yeah, I’m here.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, the muscles bunching at her touch. Jinx had muscles. When had that happened?
Jinx’s breath shuddered out, then he lurched toward her, pressing against her chest. His body was shaking.
Julia’s arms curled around him. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
He didn’t say anything, tremors continuing to run through him.
Someone banged on the door, shouting at them to get out.
