Page 43 of Friends That Heal Us
“Hey, Vi,” I say.
“Violet, let’s go play beer pong,” the girl says at the same time, grabbing her hand. “It looks like they’re starting a new game.” Our heads turn to the kitchen table as a couple of guys are setting it up. Before I turn back over to them, she’s rushing her off to the table.
I sigh to myself, grab a barstool, and sit and watch her like I’ve done all weekend. I finish the rest of the Corona and then I grab another and finish that off too.
The haze in my head thickens as the alcohol settles deeper. My eyes roam the room, unfocused, searching for Zayn and Rya. Zayn’s easy to spot slouched on the couch—laughing too loud with his arm stretched across the backrest as a couple of girls lean in closer. I look away, scanning for Rya. Nothing. She’s nowhere in sight. The alcohol settles more in my system and I stumble as I get up. I decide to go lie down until they’re ready to go to bed.
I slowly make my way up the stairs then go from room to room looking for an empty bed. I find a small twin bed and lay down on it. The room is spinning, and I regret the last shot and beers I just had. We’ve been drinking all weekend. I’m going to have to detox myself once I get home.
Lifting my head at the creak of the door, I spot someone coming in. “Hey, this room is taken.”
“It’s me,” they whisper.
I push up onto my elbows and see Rya coming closer until she settles on the bed with me.
“Oh, hey. I was looking for you earlier and couldn’t find you.”
“Oh, really?” she asks seductively.
“Yeah. Zayn and Violet are still downstairs.”
She scoots further onto the bed, looking down at me as I rest my head against the pillow.
The slim light from outside filters in, enough for me to see her eyes are dark and heavy, locked on me. Her lips curve upward as she tilts her head. It feels like she’s drawing me in for something to happen. Or is the alcohol messing with me? My head’s spinning, and I can’t tell if her “oh really” carried an edge to it. I think it did, but maybe I’m just too drunk.
She lowers her lips to mine, brushing gently against my lips. My eyes squint trying to gain recollection if this is really happening? She lifts her head up and her face falls as she stares down at me in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
I shake my head. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
My head is still spinning as I swallow the lump in my throat.
“I like you, Ez. I’ve always liked you.”
My heart sinks, and a heavy weight presses into my chest as the realization settles in. Rya likes me? How did I never see it before? And then Violet floods my thoughts. My stomach knots tighter and my heart sinks even further, because I know where my feelings truly lie. I like Violet. I’ve liked her for longer than I’ve wanted to admit. And yet here’s Rya, standing in front of me, confessing she likes me.
Rya swings one leg over me, straddling me as she bites on her lower lip.
“Rya,” I mumble, bringing my arms up to stop her from going any further.
“What?”
“What about Violet and Zayn?”
“What about them? They’re doing the same thing as us…unless you stop us from going any further,” she says with a slight smile, looking down at me.
My mouth parts, and my breath catches the second the words leave her mouth. She likes someone else. The girl I’ve liked since I was a kid. My chest tightens until it hurts to breathe. How did I not see it? Did I miss something? Every smile and laugh we’ve shared after school plays in my mind, and confuses me even more.
Rya leans up, staring down at me with a tilt of her head. “You didn’t know?”
“Didn’t know what?”
“That Violet likes Zayn.”
I shake my head, trying to hold back the anger. It’s my fault I waited so long to tell her how I feel. Even if she didn’t feel the same way, at least she would have known my true feelings.
