My boy / Drew Starkey

47

Drew

Mila and I made our way back to the VIP section, where the rest of the group was still gathered. The tension had settled somewhat, but the weight of what had just happened still lingered in the air.

And yes—Rudy was there.

I wasn't mad at him, not really. He was my best friend, and this was just... a mess. A drunk, impulsive mess. But it had caught me completely off guard. I knew Rudy was touchy with Mila—he always had been. He was flirty, playful, the kind of guy who could get away with anything because people knew it didn't really mean anything. But watching him touch her like that? Watching his hands on her waist, on her thigh?

That had been different. That had felt different.

And yeah, okay, maybe I shouldn't have confronted him like that. But fuck, what was I supposed to do? Sit there and pretend it didn't bother me?

The punch, though... that was crazy.

I sank into the couch next to Austin, stretching my legs out and exhaling slowly. My lip still stung slightly, but the whiskey I'd downed earlier dulled it. Mila sat next to Jonathan across from me, her fingers playing absentmindedly with the stem of her champagne glass. She looked unbothered, completely at ease. Meanwhile, I felt like my head was spinning.

I looked around for Madison, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Mads?" I asked Jonathan.

He chuckled under his breath. "Be prepared to act, both of you," he said, nodding between me and Rudy.

I glanced over at Rudy, who was uncharacteristically quiet. He looked just as confused as I felt, running a hand through his messy curls.

Before either of us could say anything, the music cut off abruptly.

The entire club went silent.

The lights shifted toward the small stage at the front of the VIP section, and suddenly, there was Madison—standing confidently, champagne glass in hand, eyes slightly glazed over from alcohol.

Oh, fuck.

She was about to make a scene.

"Hey everyone!" she called out, her voice carrying easily over the hushed crowd. "I hope you're all having the best time tonight, drinking, dancing, celebrating. I know I am!" She grinned, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

I ran a hand down my face.

This was not about to be good.

Madison continued, swaying slightly but keeping her composure. "I was supposed to make this little announcement before I had this many drinks, so bear with me," she teased, earning laughter from the crowd. "Tonight, we're celebrating something very, very important—the launch of our new season! OBX Season—well, you all know what season it is. The first episode drops in two weeks, and let me tell you, this team has put in so much work to make it happen. We love you all, and we can't wait for you to see it."

The crowd cheered, raising their drinks.

I took another sip of whiskey, eyes narrowing slightly as I watched her closely. I knew Madison too well to believe this was just a PR speech.

"And," she continued, her tone shifting slightly, "I want to give a special thank you to the people over there."

She pointed directly at our VIP section.