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Chapter 47- Midnight's Kiss

Two hours or so later,  Aaron showed up, seriously drunk. I honestly did not expect that from him because I'd never once seen him being this drunk. He was usually quite responsible with alcohol. The clock was just about to strike 12 in ten minutes so I was glad he at least remembered and turned up. But someone else didn't.  Alex, whom he'd initially disappeared off with wasn't to be seen anywhere around. As everyone else gathered together, getting ready with their partners for a group toast and the traditional New Year's kiss, the only person missing was Alex. 

I looked for him everywhere I could, even called his phone four times but he didn't pick it up.

"Who are you looking for?" Aaron asked looking at my frantic self.

"Alex. It's almost time for the toast and he isn't here yet." 

"Oh yeah, we had some drinks together." He replied.

"Where did he go after that?"

"Actually, he was... with me the whole time. He just got up and left... I don't know how long ago but I'd say 15 minutes?" They'd left together almost 2 hours ago. Considering how drunk Aaron was, I assumed it would be the same or worse with Alex. I was really worried what they might've shared with each other during that time.

"Okay, where did you last see him?"

"By the deck." He said after some hard thinking.

"Wait... what if he fell into the sea or something? He was kind of drunk." Aaron said with not a hint of sarcasm.

"Jesus Christ, Aaron." That scenario never even crossed my mind but thanks to Aaron, I was now positively panicking.

Fortunately, anticipating something as horrible as the image drunk Aaron put in my head did not last long as Alex finally reappeared just minutes before midnight, along with Marianne, whose absence I'd not even noticed. 

His clothes were all sloppy and so were Marianne's, her dress strap falling off her shoulder. Her makeup was heavily smudged and not in a good way. He was all sweaty although it was a cold night. It was like the tour bus incident all over again but this time by the looks of them, I was certain that it was not just a kiss. There was that unsolicited feeling of betrayal again although I really couldn't be wronged in this case.

Alex looked over at me as he picked up the champagne glass but I didn't pay him any mind. I did not want to look at him knowing what had just happened between him and Marianne. 

"10, 9, 8, 7..." The countdown started and I didn't even realize as I'd completely spaced out. I had even stopped supporting Aaron, who was staying stood up all this time only because I was helping him. He was lucky Lorraine nudged my arm and helped me notice before he fell onto the ground with a thud.

"3,2,1, 0. Happy new year!" The space filled with everyone's joyful chants and the sound of clinking glasses while I had just gotten the worst start to a new year.

As the clock struck 12 and Aaron kissed me, I noticed Alex doing to same to Marianne. Judging from the way he was tonguing her mouth, he probably wasn't as drunk as Aaron mentioned. So whatever happened was not just another drunk mistake. Alex once again looked over at me as Aaron and I kissed. Aaron in his barely conscious state also took that exact moment to let his hands wander my body which made Alex look away immediately. 

After the celebration, I stayed with Aaron, trying to get him sober before the Yacht got to the harbour. If he passed out there was no way I was going to be able to get his 6 foot something self into the car. So I took him to he bathroom to get him under a cold shower as soon as possible with Lorraine's help. He put one arm on her shoulder and the other on mine. When we got to the bathroom, I kicked the door open with my feet and we scurried him in. The very first thing all three of us saw was a packet of a condom wrapper on the sink countertop. Alex and Marianne.

"I just know who's responsible for this. Can't believe they did it in here." Lorraine said scrunching up her entire face. 

"It wasn't us rainey!" Aaron yelled.

"I wasn't accusing you guys, Jesus. I said 'they' as in Alex and that girl."

"Oh so that's why he abandoned me all of a sudden." Aaron finally put two and two together.

Aaron was the one that was drunk but I swear I could've thrown up then and there. And the reason weirdly didn't have much to do with the fact that I was in a space where two people had recently fornicated.

We ignored what we'd just seen and just tried to get Aaron under the shower. Lorraine held him for support as I turned the shower on. I stood there with him as the shower got all of us wet and not just him.  When we got him out he was shivering like a kitten after its first bath but at least it helped him get more alert. 

"God, I am so sorry you have to spend New Years like this." He said, suddenly hugging me as I wrapped him up in a towel. 

"Don't apologize, this is the one night you get to do this. It's fine."

"I know but I just lost track of how much I was drinking with that guy. He is just so engaging." He said of Alex.

"It's fine, happens." I ruffled his hair, trying to get some of the water out.

"Guys, it's time to go. We're slowing down." Lorraine said as we reached close to the harbour.

We helped him get dressed and then went outside to thank all the guests one by one for joining us as they got off the boat. Alex and Marianne were the last ones before us and I didn't have anything to say to him. I didn't want to seem jealous or angry so I just smiled and thanked them for coming.  Aaron on the other hand gave him a hug and wished him New Years as he handed him a bottle of expensive wine as a gift. They seemed genuinely close based off of that interaction. I didn't know what must've happened between them for them to take a sudden liking toward each other but I sure hoped to get some answers out of Aaron once we got home.