Somewhere Only We Know

XXII - A Night To Remember

Chase observed as Edward helped Jesse into his room. As he peeked inside, he noticed Jesse lying on the bed with his shoes still on. Meanwhile, Edward sat silently nearby.

"I'm sorry, guys. I shouldn't have purchased that kombucha in the first place," He said, feeling guilty about the situation.

Edward glanced up from his shoes and reassured him, "It's okay, mate. Don't worry about it. I'm also sorry for, you know," before looking back down at his shoes.

As Chase walked out, he let out a sigh and the sound of the front door opening caught his attention. It was then that he noticed Kai, looking incredibly upset, as he stumbled into the kitchen.

"Anyone got DoorDash?" He asked as he explored the mini fridge, "There's no food here." Chase nervously walked toward him, grabbing his phone from his pocket, "I do. What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is good," Kai barely acknowledged him, staring at nothing in particular. It was obvious he was frustrated, even if he wouldn't say it.

Chase could see it in the way Kai's shoulders slumped, in the slight tightness around his eyes. He wasn't good with words, but he couldn't just stand there and let Kai stew in his own thoughts. "Max probably didn't mean whatever she said," Chase tried, his voice soft. "She's just tired. She's not usually like that, you know?"

Kai shrugged, his face blank. "Doesn't matter." But it did matter. He knew it, and he could see that Kai knew it too, even if he was pretending otherwise. Chase wanted to say something that would make it all better, to somehow fix the hurt that Max's words had caused, but he wasn't sure how. Kai didn't seem like the type to want a heart-to-heart conversation with anyone, let alone a person he met not too long ago.

"Maybe," Chase suggested, grasping for something to lighten the mood, "we could order some drinks too? Something to take the edge off?"

Kai's gaze finally shifted to meet Chase, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "Yeah, that sounds good," He felt a small wave of relief wash over him. It wasn't much, but it was something. Chase quickly added a few drinks to the order, hoping it might help ease the tension. "Cool. They should be here soon."

As things began to get awkward again, the door to Jesse's room creaked open. Edward shuffled out, looking a bit tired. "Jesse's finally asleep," he said, plopping into the armchair with a sigh.

Chase gave him a nod, grateful for the distraction. "Good. I ordered some food and drinks. Should be here any minute."

"Nice," Edward said, stretching. "I'm starving." They all sat together in the living room, the earlier tension slowly fading. When the DoorDash delivery finally arrived, they unpacked the bags in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The argument still lingered in the background, but as they started eating and drinking together, the weight of it seemed to lessen, if only a little.

Chase noticed that Kai seemed more chill now. The earlier hurt wasn't completely gone, but it was dulled by the food and the quiet company. They didn't need to talk about it; just being there for each other was enough for now. As they sat together in a comfortable silence, Chase felt a sense of relief—things would be okay, even if it would take some time.

By 10 PM, the apartment was a mess of bottles, napkins, and leftover food. Chase felt the alcohol's heavy warmth and his head spinning. Edward was slumped on the couch, half-closed eyes, while Kai, quiet all night, seemed unfazed by the alcohol.

Chase chuckled to himself, wondering how Kai could hold his liquor so well. For Chase, the drinks had done their job, blurring the sharp edges of the day's stress. He could barely keep his eyes open, and from the looks of it, neither could Edward. But Kai? Kai was still sitting upright, his gaze distant but focused.