The Sound of Summer

28. CEO of Cockblocking

"Let's get fucking wasted," Lenny yells, and Claire squeals in excitement. Her eyes are frantic and desperate to be anchored somewhere. She finds safety in a bottle of vodka Lenny pulls out of his bag. 

"Leonard, I like the way you think," she says before attempting to take it from him. He respectfully pulls the bottle away from her.

"Sorry, Claire we have drinking rules in this family. Nico takes the first swig." He hands Dom the bottom and Dom lets out a nervous wince, though he does take the bottle. 

"Jesus, no mixers? we're not in college anymore."

"Rules are rules, Nico. Consider this your last act in the name of forgiveness?" Dom gives Lenny a sturdy headshake before taking a deep gulp from the bottle. Everybody cheers three times and it seems the seal is broken. Dom passes me the bottle and I take a swig, followed by three cheers. So it goes until the bottle finds itself at Reina. She eagerly lifts the bottle up before Dom intervenes.  

"And what do you think you're doing?" He asks her so sternly I start to feel guilty for drinking earlier.

"Taking some?" She says innocently,  her eyes sweet and persuasive. Dom relaxes his stern face and offers her a curious smile.

"You think I'm gonna let you drink?"

"You drank when you were 14. Please, my big brother who I love and respect with all my heart?" She gives him cheeky smirks that mirrors his own. Dom can't help but let out a chuckle. 

"One drink, not from the bottle. I'll mix you something. And you're doing all my laundry."

"Two drinks. I'll do your laundry and the dishes for the rest of the weekend"

"Two drinks laundry dishes, and you promise to call me anytime you want to drink something. Deal?" he says offering her a firm handshake. She brushes it aside and wraps him into a tight hug. It takes Dom aback at first, but then his arms are tight around her. He places a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Deal. I'm glad you're back. I really did miss you, Dommy."

"I missed you too. And I'm not going anywhere again, okay?" The look she gives him then tells me so much of what I need to know. She looks nervous, but like she very badly wants to believe what he says. Her soft smile tells me that she does. 

"Okay." 

Most of the night goes by in a blur and thank the good lord the awkwardness mostly dissolves. It turns out Ruby and I have quite a bit in common, and I spend most of my time chatting away with her about music and college while the others make up for lost time. She doesn't say it, but I can tell she's embarrassed about how coldly she treated me, and she makes up for it with hearty conversation. 

I take a peek at Dom and the way he is with Phillip and Lenny. They look up at him with so much admiration, like they can't get enough of the things he has to say. Interestingly, despite being his idea, Lenny is the soberest of us all. The drunker Dom gets the more lively he gets, his voice growing louder and arm gestures getting larger. He catches me staring from the kitchen and ushers me to come sit next to him on the floor. 

He puts a warm welcoming arm around my waist before continuing on with his story.

"I mean we were really a shitshow, weren't we? I'm surprised we made it this far," He says, his cheeks flushed with joy or intoxication, I'm not quite sure. 

"I mean it was a hell of a fun time wasn't it? Mild trauma aside, I can't imagine not being with you guys this long." Ruby says, before making her way to the couch opposite us. She cuddles up between Reina and Phillip on the couch, placing a cozy arm over Reina's shoulders. She takes a sip from her drink to hide her nervousness, but her cheeks still burn red. I look away before she catches me staring.