“Come in,” I say after a knock on my door Sunday evening.
Everly pokes her head in tentatively and smiles. “Are you busy?”
“No, just finishing up.” I take off my glasses and sit up straight on the bed where I’ve been hunched over my notes from class for the past…shit, three hours.
My roommate comes in and shuts the door, then takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “I haven’t seen you all day.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been studying for finals and catching up on homework all day. Every one of my professors doubled homework after Friday’s snow day.”
“I know. Like it was our fault that we got two feet of snow.” She laughs softly and I join in. “So that’s the only reason, then?” she asks with concerned eyes.
Crap. I don’t want to lie to her, but I’m not sure how to explain everything she’ll want to know if we start talking about Gabe and what happened last night either.
“I promise it’s nothing you guys did.”
“You seemed really upset last night after running into your ex. I’m not going to pry, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here. I know a thing or two about shitty ex-boyfriends.”
My throat constricts at her words. It’s the most perfect thing she could have said. It’s been so long since I’ve had a friend offer that up. A sympathetic ear and the consideration and space to process things by myself first. I know some of that’s my fault for letting those friendships slip away, but I won’t take it for granted again. I won’t lie, though, it’s hard to think about confiding in anyone. Gabe is an asshole, but I’m still afraid that people will hear the whole story and think I was being silly or blowing things out of proportion. I never want anyone to take Gabe’s side over mine. So it’s easier not to give them a chance to take mine either.
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Lane’s over. We’re going to watch a movie. Join us and save me from being the third wheel?”
“I wish I could.” I chuckle softly, loosening the anxiety that’s sat on my chest all day. “I’m going to finish up and then go to sleep early. Another night.”
“Okay.” She stands and goes to the door. “We’re going out for my birthday on Friday. I know you usually use Friday night to catch up on sleep, but I’d love it if you came with us.”
“Where are you going?”
“Club Midnight. Have you heard of it?”
“Yeah, of course.” The new dance club opened a few weeks ago and everyone has been talking about it.
“Is anyone else coming?” I fidget with the edge of my notebook so I don’t have to look Everly in the eye while she replies.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t invite the guys. It’s girls only. Me, Grace, and hopefully you.”
“Not even Lane or Tyler?”
“Especially not them. Grace would be off making out in the corner all night, and Tyler, well I love him, but I’d love to have one night out where people in this town aren’t fawning over him like he’s the greatest thing ever.”
“Okay, yeah. I get that.”
“So, you’ll think about it?”
“I don’t need to think about it. Of course, I’ll come.”
The giant smile on her face makes me glad I said yes. She’s a good friend. Or at least I think she could be if I let her.
Friday night I wake up from a nap to voices in the living room. Last night’s shift at the hospital was awful. The quiet shifts are always the worst and last night there were no surgeries, no new patients, nothing to occupy my time or keep my thoughts off the run-in with Gabe and the texts with Ash. Classes are done for the semester, so I didn’t even have homework to busy myself. Staying awake all night was torture. But tonight, we’re celebrating Everly’s birthday and tomorrow I’m driving home to spend a couple of relaxing weeks with my family for Christmas break.
I get up and throw on a sweatshirt over my tank and shorts, then head out to the kitchen. My eyes are bleary and half-closed when I come up short.
“Hey!” Everly exclaims. “They didn’t wake you up, did they?”
My gaze scans over the five men standing in our small kitchen. Tyler, Leo, Declan, Jack, and Ash all look at me. Five hot hockey players in my house looking at me expectantly. I raise a hand in greeting.
“It’s fine. It was time for me to get up anyway.” I shuffle over to Grace, intending to hide in solidarity with her, another mere mortal in this small space of ridiculously beautiful people, but the joke’s on me. “Wow. You look stunning.”
“Thanks.” She smiles bashfully. She’s in a tiny black dress that shows off her long legs and perky boobs. Her hair is all done in big waves and her makeup somehow makes her eyes three times as big.
And I look like I just rolled out of bed. Because I did.
Now that I get a good look at Everly, she’s already dressed up for tonight too. Her dress is red, and her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. She has on less makeup than Grace but some eyeliner and red lipstick perfect the look.
I’m second-guessing the club tonight. I’d planned to wear jeans and a cute shirt.
“Sorry about waking you,” Tyler says to me, then wraps an arm around his sister’s shoulders. “This one wouldn’t let me throw her a party tonight, so I had to drop by to give my little sister her birthday present.”
“That explains the giant basket of candy and liquor on the counter,” I say. And wow, it really is giant. So many different kinds of goodies.
Everly pulls out a bottle of champagne and points to the label. Nonalcoholic. I fight a grin as she rolls her eyes.
“You guys know I drink sometimes. There’s literally wine in our fridge right now. I’m twenty, not twelve. I can handle myself.”
“Three hundred and sixty-five more days and we’ll stop giving you shit about it. Hell, I might even buy you a shot or two,” Ash says, finally forcing me to look at him. I’d been doing a really excellent job of avoiding his presence until now.
Like the other guys, he’s in some version of athletic leisure. Gray sweatpants and a black zip-up jacket that matches his all-black sneakers. He looks good in dark colors, something about the way his light brown hair contrasts against it. Today those long locks are tied back in a bun. I didn’t think I had a thing for long hair, but Ash’s is this great length. It’s long enough to pull back into a small bun but too short to do anything else. It suits him.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Ev tells him. “You are throwing me the most epic party when I turn twenty-one.”
Jack is standing with his back against the wall, arms crossed over his impressive chest. Grace showed me this advertisement he did for some suit company. He’s super intimidating but undeniably one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen in real life. “I’ll be skipping that one. Nothing says fun like a twenty-one-year-old getting alcohol poisoning,” he says dryly.
“You’re not invited,” Everly snaps back.
“And I think that’s our cue to get out of here.” Tyler steps forward and hugs his sister. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” She rests her head against his chest and wraps her arms around him. Their relationship makes me long for that closeness with someone. A friend, a family member, a partner. I’ve pushed away so many people that my circle is depressingly small. And the truth is I feel too old to form those kinds of relationships again. When you reach a certain age, people have already found their people. It’s not like high school where friend groups change weekly.
The guys each hug Everly and wish her a happy birthday. Tyler and Ash hang back as the others file out the front door.
Grace and I walk in the space between the rooms, standing between the two groups.
“Be careful tonight, and call me if you need anything,” Tyler says. “Don’t take drinks from strangers. Are you driving?”
“We’re taking an Uber,” Everly tells him. “And we’ll be fine. Tell your wife and the rest of the girls if they need a night out, to come find us.”
“Have fun, Little Sharpie,” Ash says. “Make terrible decisions and text me later to tell me all about it.”
Tyler cuts him a glare, which Ash just laughs off. Then those blue eyes find me and he winks. He winks at me in my faded high school sweatshirt and shorts that date back just as far. Do I own nicer things? Yes. But they’re not nearly as comfortable.
While Tyler is giving Everly more instructions, Ash walks by me slowly and whispers, “Text me later with embarrassing pictures of Ev dancing in the club?” He says the last word in a deep, mocking voice.
“Absolutely not.”
“Boo. You’re no fun.” He winks again and nudges me lightly with his elbow as he heads out.
Once Tyler is through the door, Everly closes it and turns with a huge smile on her face. “Who’s ready to party?”
She and Grace squeal together.
I glance down at my sleepwear. “Uhhh. I think I need to change first.”
They both look at me and laugh.
“Yeah,” Grace says. “Though with legs like that, they’d probably let you in regardless.”
“Are jeans okay?”
Grace’s brows rise, but she says nothing.
Everly pauses but then says, “Sure. Jeans would be fine.”
I’m going to stick out with these two. And not in the way I’d like. Sure, it’s Everly’s birthday and all the attention should be on her, but I’d like to look just slightly less hot than her for my first night out at a club with my new friends.
“I don’t have anything like that.” I motion to their outfits. “I have a knee-length dress I wore to Gabe’s company party last year that might work.”
My roommates exchange another look that I can’t comprehend, then they both walk toward me.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.”
