Drowning

Chapter 44:

We let a few more people in over the next thirty minutes and the house was starting to get pretty full. Aiden and I sat on the couch and people watched. People were rotating in and out of the kitchen. Ezra had moved to the other side of the table so he could still keep an eye on me even if we weren't in the same room. I chewed on my lip nervously every time I caught him watching me.

"How much do you want to bet that girl is puking in the next five minutes?" Aiden wrapped his arm around me and pointed to a dark-haired girl stumbling out of the kitchen. She was crying and asking if anyone had seen her boyfriend. The other girl next to her told her, "Your boyfriend's not here. You broke up with him, remember?" The drunk girl was crying even harder. "Yeah, but I need him to be here."

Mark ran out of the kitchen and JD was on his heels. JD tackled Mark and twisted his nipples hard. Anna was standing in the doorway. Her eyes were unfocused as she watched JD.

"You win" Mark yelled. JD jumped up, celebrating his victory while punching the air and cheering.

"Lil Bit," JD slurred when he saw me sitting quietly next to Aiden. "You should have a drink with us."

"Not tonight." I turned him down, keeping my promise to the earlier and more sober JD. He would thank me in the morning.

Mark crawled over to where my legs were and placed his elbow on my knee. He rested his face on his hands and batted his eyelashes.

"Yeah, JD, not tonight." He used a high-pitched voice mocking me. I smacked the back of his head and he pretended to fall over.

"You deserved that." Aiden told him.

Anna walked up behind JD and whispered in his ear. From the grin that spread across his face, I could tell we wouldn't be seeing them for the rest of the night. Without another word, she took his hand and she pulled him up the stairs.

More people trickled in and out of the kitchen. I started looking around to see if Ezra had made it back in the living room yet. He had been throwing shot after shot back. Every time I looked at him, he had a new drink in his hand. I should probably go make sure he was alright.

"Should we go check on Brynn and Ezra?" I asked Aiden.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He offered me his hand to help me up from the couch.

We walked into the kitchen, where Brynn and Ezra were standing talking. She was still a little closer to him than I would like, but when he saw me, he pushed her aside and crossed the room. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. He must have forgotten everything that happened earlier in his intoxicated state. Aiden walked over to Brynn and put his arm around her.

"Hey, my beautiful girl," Ezra slurred. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine before I could react. My body began to ignite at his touch. Damn my body for reacting to him this way when I was still mad at him.

"Are you a little drunk?" I asked and gave him the same stare I had seen my Mother give my Father a million times when she was angry with him.

"We're not drunk." Brynn hiccuped. Aiden pulled her head on his shoulder and gave it a small kiss. He was supporting all her weight against him. She looked like she might pass out any second. I looked up to Ezra's eyes and saw the clouds covering them. He was completely trashed too.

"It might be time to get these two to bed." Aiden said with a smile at me.

"I like that idea." Ezra raised his eyebrow and smiled.

He grabbed my hand and started pulling me upstairs to his room before I could say goodnight to Brynn and Aiden. He stumbled a bit as he rushed up the stairs. I pulled my hand from his and tucked myself under his arm to help support him so he wouldn't fall over.