Page 5 of Orange Spell
“I mean, I don’t blame you.He’s hot.”
Curran narrowed his eyes at his best friend.“I thought we agreed not to talk about that.”
“Did we?”
“I need to get over him, and that’s not going to happen if I keep drooling every time he’s in the room.”
“You can’t help how you feel,” Deryn said with a shrug before taking another sip.“There’s nothing wrong with being in love with him.I just think you need to tell him.”
“So he can laugh in my face?”Curran and Deryn had had this conversation many times already, and Curran didn’t want to rehash it.Marlin wasn’t in love with him, and he never would be because Curran was nothing more than Marlin’s best friend’s little brother.Curran didn’t need to think about that while he was at a party and supposed to have fun.
As if he could.
A waiter walked by with a tray filled with drinks, and Deryn snatched up two of them.He offered one to Curran, who tried to refuse, but Deryn pushed it into his hand anyway.“Drinking will help you relax.”
Curran looked down at the glass.It wasn’t that he didn’t want to drink.He just didn’t see the point.But maybe Deryn was right.Maybe Curran needed to relax, and since he didn’t think he could do so on his own, a drink might help.
This one was bright pink.Curran sniffed it, wrinkled his nose at the smell of sugar, and raised the glass to his lips.He downed all of it in one go, coughing and glaring at Deryn when he laughed at him.
“You need to go more slowly.”
“Like you are?”
“That’s the only way you’re going to keep going all night.”
The alcohol felt warm in Curran’s stomach.It wasn’t unpleasant, so when another walked past, he grabbed another drink.Deryn laughed and clinked his glass against Curran’s, and together, they drank.
“This is going to be so fun,” Deryn declared.
Itwasfun for a bit.The alcohol helped Curran forget about the noise around them and the many people he wished he didn’t have to interact with.He always had fun with Deryn, so spending time with him was fine.Unfortunately, it didn’t last long enough.Deryn’s gaze strayed over to one of the tables, and when Curran noticed who he was looking at, he groaned.“You’re going to abandon me to try to get in his pants, aren’t you?”he asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Deryn answered.
“You’re drooling all over the doctor.”
“I’m not.”
“Hey, it’s okay to drool over the new human doctor,” Curran said, patting Deryn’s shoulder and stepping away when Deryn glared at him.“You should talk to Palmer.”
“Why would he want to talk to me?He doesn’t know me.”
“So?He seems like a nice person.”
Deryn sighed.“He does, doesn’t he?”He sounded lovesick, but Curran knew how he would react if he pointed it out, so he didn’t.
Deryn always insisted that he didn’t need love or a relationship, but he wanted one anyway.“Seriously.Go talk to him,” Curran pushed.“Maybe this is your chance.”
“You think so?”
“Why not?You won’t find out until you go, will you?”
Deryn licked his lips.He was still staring at the human, who didn’t seem to have noticed.“Are you sure?I don’t want to abandon you.”
“You’re not abandoning me.Besides, you know me.I’ll have one last drink before heading home.”
Deryn wrinkled his nose.“You’re no fun.”
“Yeah, well, I alreadyhadfun.”
