Page 26 of Huge Games

"So, Colby said this is a good wine. I know nothing about wine, but since he's been working, he's picked up some adulting skills that are coming in useful."

"Soooo mature and grown up." Gabriella wrestles with the expensive bottle of wine, trying to pull out the cork.

I find three plastic tumblers for us to drink out of. "Would Colby cringe if he saw these glasses?"

"Probably." Ellie unwraps the chocolate, breaking it into long rows and places it on my desk. "He does like things to be done properly, which is mostly a good thing."

"If he puts as much effort into sex as he does into choosing wine, you're onto a winner." Finally pulling the cork from the bottle, Gabriella holds it up and whoops. "I thought that fucker was never coming out."

We all giggle as Gab pours us almost overflowing cups of wine. I gulp mine with more enthusiasm than I should, bearing in mind I'm supposed to be cramming to improve my grades.

"So, Gab told me about Eddie and Abbey. How are you feeling about it?" Ellie bites off a chunk of chocolate, chewing it with her eyes focused on me.

"You know how I feel."

"Well, Dornan mentioned you asked him out for another fake date?" She eyes me carefully as though she's conscious that she might be pushing too hard but feels justified in doing so. Her friendship with Dornan dates to kindergarten, so I get why she might feel protective.

"I asked them all: Dornan, Elias, and Travis. Dornan is the only one who agreed."

"He's worried about you. We all are."

I bristle because this surprise wine and chocolate night is starting to feel like an intervention. "I'm fine," I lie. "This whole thing is just a bit of fun. You're the one who told me that rebound dick beats this." I wave my arms around to indicate what we're doing.

"Yeah, well, I kind of meant a one-night stand with a hot stranger, not hooking up with all the single men in our circle."

I frown. "It's not all the single men in our circle. Elias and Travis aren't even part of our circle. Do you not want me to hook up with Dornan? Is that what this is?" Ellie blinks and presses her lips together. Turning to Gab, I shrug. "Do you feel the same about Travis?"

She offers me a sympathetic expression. "It could get messy. Is it worth it?"

I put my now empty cup on my desk, feeling the alcohol warming my body already. "Men do this shit all the time, and no one has a thing to say about it. I just want to show Eddie that he means nothing to me and that I'vemoved on spectacularly and am fine without him."

"Well, you've done that." Ellie raises her glass in a toast. "Your Instagram is burning up with heat."

"All I wanted was one more night. To go out with all of them to the same restaurant as Eddie is taking Abbey. But Travis and Elias haven't replied, and it's just…" Feeling suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, I press my face into my hands. "I just…I can't talk about this with you. Can we change the subject?"

"No, honey." Ellie rests her hand on my shoulder. "We're friends through everything, okay? Good stuff and tough stuff. Don't shut us out when you need us the most."

"I'm flunking my classes. Everything's going wrong."

I can't look at either of my friends, but I sense them sharing unspoken communication. Ellie squeezes my shoulder, and Gab pats my leg.

"You've got a lot going on. I'm sorry that all this is happening to you."

"It's okay to feel overwhelmed, sweetie," Ellie adds. "When things pile up, it can feel like you can't catch a breath."

"I need another shitty cup of amazing wine," I say, forcing a bright smile on my face. Their pity is grating at my emotions. Gab pours me some more, and I gulp it down. It seeps through my brain with a tingling warmth that makes everything feel better. Even though I'm on my way to getting drunk, I can still register that drinking away pain isn't a good thing.

Mom did this after the divorce. I think she might be an alcoholic, but I haven't confronted her about it. On my rare visits, there are way too many empty liquor bottles in the trash than there should be.

"Just give us a second and eat some of that chocolate. It is soooo good."

Ellie and Gab stand and search for their phones in their purses. Both disappear into the hallway, and their muted conversations are only a light murmur through the door. The chocolate is delicious, melting on my tongue and coating my throat. I close my eyes and moan, contemplating whether Ellie was wrong, and alcohol and chocolate actually beat rebound dick hands down.

Oh, who am I kidding? Between Dornan and Elias, I might be ruined for other men. Just thinking about those evenings of mindless passion makes me simmer inside and flush brightly on the outside. And Travis's kisses. My lips tingle when I recall how he worked to help me with my stupid fake dating games.

I finish two delicious rows of chocolate by the time my friends reappear in my doorway. "It's all sorted," Gabriella says. "Tomorrow. They'll pick you up and take you to Eclet."

"Who?"

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