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I blanched, "No! Absolutely not"

"God, Bliss, you’re such a prude"

Kelsey sentsmile And I definitely needed that distraction I reached forward and set the bottle spinning

It landed on Rusty, and I didn’t even give him a chance to opt out of the kiss I leaned across the circle, grabbed his collar and pulled hih that the kiss was a little sloppy, but ere all drunk, so what did ithi back to ay, I would ask you out right now"

I threw o

Rusty went next, and poor Jererabbed the bottle of vodka and said, "No offense, Rusty, but you’re just not htning fast peck on Rusty’s lips

We oooh’ed like middle schoolers

A knock sounded on the door, and Kelsey hopped up and skipped down the hall She returned with ten more people from our department

"You don’t mind, do you?" She asked et per

"Excellent, take your seats ladies and gentlemen It’s time for some debauchery"

And there was really no other term for it In aout with friends, regardless of whether they liked each other or drove each other crazy or thought of each other as siblings For one night we put everything aside and let a bottle of Aquafina determine our lives

The next tiuys all booed us e both chose the penalty shot But they cheered at our peck anyway Laughing, I spun the bottle again and it landed on Cade

Cade had that cute boy-next-door look, right down to the boyish grin he fixed onbefore him, I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned in

The kiss was just like any other kiss at first… and then suddenly it wasn’t Cade’s hand cradled my head and his other pulled ainst mine feverishly, desperately, like the world was about to end and this was his last chance at happiness

The kiss was just hard enough to h that I felt like I was being worshipped For a ot where I was and who I ith and I just basked in the heat, in the pleasure

Then someone whistled, and piece-by-piece the world came back to me I opened my eyes to stare atbut

I returned tomy friends’ commentary on the kiss Dazed and way beyond confused, I retreated into h the next few turns

I could feel eyes on me Cade’s for sure, probably Kelsey’s, too But ether, because I was one crack away fro

We were drunk It probably didn’tAnd I was so messed up over Garrick, that I was desperate for contact with anyone That was it

It didn’t

We’re still friends Cade and I will always be friends

I stayed for a few nore I was feeling a bit sick toeveryone to stay as long as they’d like I told them where to find extra blankets and pillows if they wanted to stay and crash, and then I retreated intothe forced s

Chapter Thirteen

Whencame, Kelsey was passed out besideroom and one in over not-so-gently reminded me how much I hated the world

I brushedto my room I heard my front door open and close quietly, and I peeked my head out of the curtain to see who it was

Cade had returned with enough greasy breakfast to feed us all

I took a deep breath and entered the room

"You are a life-saver!" I whispered

He looked up, s, and cheese burrito

"How are you feeling?"

I frowned "Like I got hit by a bus A really heavy one, full of suretted it for another ten seconds as my head spun He took a seat on the barstool below s, delicious salsa

"I am in love with this burrito I would edy of true love," Cade whispered

I sort of smiled and he sort of smiled, and for the first time in years, I felt aith Cade I looked away and focused on the people littered aroundafter I went to bed?"

"More of the same If he wasn’t already, Jeremy’s most definitely head over heels for Kelsey Victoria left half a pack of cigarette butts on the ground outside And Rusty was atrociously sick in your bathroom"

I wrinkled my nose

"Don’t worry It’s all cleaned up I knew you’d have a heart attack if you woke up to that"

I sed and a weight settled deep in ed He’d always been too good to ht…"

He scratched at the back of his head, and his mouth pulled up in a half-hearted smile