Melting Point

glacial

From the other side of the party, Faith Hill's "This Kiss" was playing, and Rory wished it wasn't. He had always liked that song when his mom played it during cleaning days, but tonight ruined it. For the rest of Rory's life, he'd correlate that song to the moment he broke up with Ethan Taylor.

Ethan looked down at his chest like Rory just stuck a knife through it.

"I just don't think this is working out," Rory said, past the lump in his throat. He didn't know what else to say about a relationship that was dead upon arrival. Three months in a one-sided relationship, Rory just discovered he'd been playing catch up this whole time.

Finally, someone was nice enough to let him in on the joke. Ethan had been dating Brooklyn Getty the entire time Rory was with Ethan. Brooklyn Getty, daughter of a man born from generational wealth. Daughter of Elizabeth Getty, the famous chef and owner of the local diner. Princess of the town's parade every year. They called her mother the Fry Queen, and she was her princess. Brooklyn Getty, the birthday girl of this party.

Rory knew they dated.

Dated.

Past tense.

At least, Ethan said that when they met. Now, Rory was the idiot, the other person in the relationship that bought his boyfriend's girlfriend a present. The most humiliating candle purchase of Rory's life. His dignity cost twenty-seven dollars and smelled like cinnamon pumpkin pie.

They stood on someone's back porch. People packed Brooklyn's friend's house and crowded on the lawn, despite the cold. But Rory guessed these people lived in Cloverleaf their whole lives and were used to shivering their asses off. Rory was the only bug outside, mesmerized by the bonfire in the middle of it all.

Party lights hung from the porch to the trees while people played beer bong on the lawn and corn hole. It was just wall to wall noises of chatter, laughter, cheering, crying, singing, and the thrum of Brooklyn's favorite 90s music. An hour ago, it didn't matter to Rory that he didn't know a single person here. However, now facing all these strangers alone, his courage vanished.

Ethan shook his head and combed back his shoulder length dirty blonde hair. The first thing Rory noticed about Ethan Taylor was his broad shoulders. First class on his first day, Rory sat behind him in Algebra 1 and couldn't help but stare at his impressive back. Ethan turned, smiling lopsidedly, and Rory thought movie stars were the only ones this attractive. Ethan had asked for a pencil at the start of class and ended it with Rory's number.

What charmed Rory then made him pathetic now.

"I don't understand." Ethan's brow pinched together. Shaking his head, Ethan scowled at Rory, his jaw so tight the vein in his neck throbbed. "Did I do something wrong? Because whatever I did, I'm sorry, Rory."

"Don't apologize when you don't know what you're apologizing for," Rory said, trying to keep his cool. The last thing he wanted to do was draw a crowd. Putting down his drink on the railing, Rory crossed his arms tight and eyed every available exit. "I just want to get out of here."

Ethan's nose flared with that vein in his neck, threatening to pop and spray Rory with his blood. He nearly growled. "I swear to God, Rory, if you walk away without telling me the reason you want to break up, I might actually strangle you. I thought everything was going fine."

"Yeah, I did too."

"Then it's just the drinks. You'll feel different in the morning."

Rory refrained from rolling his eyes up to whatever God or Goddess was listening, asking for lightning to strike this house party down. His leg jostled, eager to make a run for it. This was a house full of people who'd be upset for the birthday girl if they found out her boyfriend was cheating on her with Rory, and he'll become public enemy number one.