Page 26 of Thick & Thin

His words fueled the flames of hurt in my stomach, turning them into anger.

“I was born a fucking girl!”

Then I walked away again, going for the house, which seemed like the less crowded place. Not to mention, the music was outside, not inside, and my head was pounding. Before I went through the front door, I grabbed two beers to take with me for good measure.

Fuck it. If Josh drank, I would have someone come and pick me up.

Inside was a haven. The music thumped from outside, but it was nothing compared to being outside and close to the speakers. Except for a few stragglers, no one was inside. I went to the plush sectional, sat back, and put my feet on the coffee table. I finished the drink JJ had given me and popped the cap on a bottle of beer. It wasn’t my favorite, but it would do the trick. I needed to wash away the fears and hurt. I needed to forget for the night about how badly things were about to shift in my life.

Josh stayed outside, leaving me alone, and I was glad. I was sure he didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, but for some reason, his words had. Sure, I wasn’t overly girlie. I didn’t dress up usually, and I wasn’t flirty, but that didn’t mean no one found me attractive.

Right?

I visited the front porch, grabbing a new bottle of beer every time I finished one until I lost count. The night outside grew darker, and the house grew empty as the partiers moved from the front yard to the back where the lake water was. When I went to the back door, I could hear them splashing around and laughing, but I stayed inside in the darkening house, getting drunk and wishing I had stayed home.

“Are you going to ignore me all night?” Josh asked from behind me, making me jump.

“I don’t know. Are you still being a condescending asshole?”

He tapped his chin in thought before smiling. “I’m sorry, okay?”

He tossed a small bag of candy at me, and I caught it.

Gummy bears.

“Did you go to the store for these?”

Did the boy walk around with gummy bears in his pockets?

“Maybe.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I forgive you, but just so you know, I’m hot, and the boys around here all think so.”

No.

I was drunk.

I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that I was speaking, I could hear the slur in my voice.

At my words, he laughed. “Noted. Think you’ve had enough?”

He moved down the back hallway toward me, and the lights from the back shone across his face.

I giggled.

Like giggled as if I were one of those annoying airheads. “Nope.”

He reached out and took my beer from my hand and set it on the table at our side. “I disagree.”

I snorted. “You would.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re a stick in the mud. You always drink. I always drive. It’s our unspoken agreement. Well, tonight, I’m drinking. Twelve years and we are finished. I deserve to celebrate just as much as anyone else.”

Josh smiled and shook his head. “Suit yourself. Are you coming outside, or are you going to hide in here all night?”

He talked me into going outside with him, and he stood at my side, letting me drink while he sipped at a water bottle. It was nice that he was taking the wheel for the night, allowing me to let loose for once. Not that he wouldn’t before. It was that I wasn’t usually interested in drinking.

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