| |
THE NIGHT WENT ON, and people got more and more drunk. Brody had had quite a few drinks and had been talking with Jesse for some time. Jesse seemed to get along with all of Ciara’s American colleagues, and she had hardly had the chance to talk with him. So, Ciara made the mistake of joining the conversation. After finding out Ciara and Jesse had dated in the past, Brody wouldn’t stop bugging them about it.
“And when was the last time you slept together?” Brody asked, first looking at Ciara and then turning to Jesse. The smug grin on his face widened, seeing their faces.
Ciara’s eyes grew wide. “Brody!” she scolded.
Jesse raised his hands up. “No comment.”
“You slept together, didn’t you?” Brody said, the stupid grin on his face widening.
“None of your business.” Pointing to the kitchen, Ciara said, “Go get yourself another drink and stop talking.”
“Wait,” Brody said, holding his finger up and turning to face Jesse. “Next time I come visit England, I have to see that gym of yours.”
“It’s a deal,” Jesse said, grinning.
Brody grinned. “Now I’ll get that drink.” He stood up and headed to the kitchen.
Ciara turned to face Jesse, grimacing. “Sorry.”
Jesse chuckled. “All good.”
Liam was in the kitchen, talking with Shawn. They had both just grabbed cans of beer from the fridge.
“When will you tell her?” Shawn asked, lowering his voice.
Liam furrowed his eyebrows and popped his can open. “Tell who and what?”
“Tell Ciara about your feelings,” Shawn whispered. Except he didn’t know how to whisper when he was drunk.
To Liam’s bad luck, Brody walked in. The smirk on his face told enough; he had heard Shawn. “You like Ciara?” he asked, his voice drunkenly loud.
Liam glared daggers at Shawn while Brody grabbed himself a canned cocktail from the fridge. Then Liam turned to Brody, trying to think of an excuse for Shawn’s words. “It’s, uh—”
“A secret.” Brody nodded. “Don’t worry, it’s safe with me.” He patted Liam on the shoulder and winked. “Unless you don’t tell her soon.”
Shawn grinned and turned to face Liam. “See? Even Brody agrees.”
Liam shook his head. “She’s not even over Theo. She—”
“Let me correct you there,” Brody said, interrupting Liam with a more serious tone. “She still misses him, yes. She blames herself for not saving him, too. The way she lost Theo was horrendous, and that leaves eternal scars. But she’s moving on. And honestly, you seem like a good guy.”
Liam smiled a little, with appreciation and unease, and nodded. “Thanks.”
“Just tell her,” Brody said. He gave Liam a thumbs up before he walked out.
“See?” Shawn said, grinning again.
Liam glared at Shawn. “I see you should keep your voice down,” he hissed. “She’s still upset about Theo’s death. I’d feel as if I were taking advantage of her...state.”
“Brody just said—”
“He wasn’t here last night.” Liam shuddered from the memory. Brody was right about Theo’s death scarring Ciara. But there were no scars yet, just wounds. What Liam had witnessed the night before had proven that. Ciara wasn’t ready.
Shawn furrowed his brows, turning serious. “What happened last night?”
“She came home upset. She talked about losing Theo and...other stuff. She, uh, asked me to sleep with her in her room and—”
“You two slept together?”
“We didn’t have sex.”
Shawn nodded, holding back a grin until he could no longer hide it.
“What?”
“You’re so into her.” Shawn shook his head and tried to hold in his chuckles. “I knew it.”
“Knew it?”
“You liked her even before you and Iris called things off, didn’t you?”
“I—”
“I’m not judging, just saying.” Shawn raised his hands with his palms facing Liam, and a smile spread onto his face. “I ship it.”
Liam rolled his eyes.
“Here you are!” Both guys turned to the kitchen doorway to see a grinning Mia walk in.
Liam wanted to either let out a long sigh or hide. But being polite, he didn’t do either.
“Hey, Mia!” Shawn said, grinning, as if he had read Liam’s mind. “I have something I need to ask about your job as a journalist.”
“Oh,” Mia said, her eyebrows raised. “Ask away.”
Liam saw his chance. He gave a quick, grateful smile to Shawn and walked—or ran—out of the kitchen.
***
JESSE AND MAX WERE the first guests to leave, around midnight. Evie and Lola left a little after them. They had all had only a few drinks, while most others had drunk double that or more.
“Wait, so you came here, like, super early,” Shawn said, gaping at Josh.
“It was ten in the morning in Vancouver when I came here,” Josh said, nodding.
“So, it’s only half past four for you?”
Josh nodded.
“That’s crazy.” Shawn blinked, staring wide-eyed.
Liam’s eyes sparked with amusement. “He’s drunk.”
“Seems like it,” Brody agreed, unable to contain his laughter.
“I’m not that drunk!” Shawn argued. “I’ll prove it. In a drinking game!”
“You sure?” Liam asked, eyeing Shawn. Shawn had already had plenty of drinks.
“Hell yes!” Shawn grinned. “Who’s playing with me?”
***
SHAWN, LIAM, BRODY, Jenna, Mia, and Josh gathered around the table to play.
Ciara, Henry, and Alec stood nearby, observing the game with mild worry. Meanwhile, Charlie and Trixie were still talking on the sofa. They had been chatting together for most of the night, having hit it off pretty well.
“Never have I ever is the game!” Shawn announced, earning both horrified and excited reactions from the others.
The questions started with everyday things, but little by little they became more personal.
The game went on for a while before Ciara started worrying about how it would end. It looked like it wouldn’t end until someone vomited.
***
CIARA TURNED OUT TO be right. The game ended when Jenna dashed to the bathroom, Henry rushing after her. At the same time, Shawn passed out at the table.
“That was fun,” Mia said, slurring.
Trixie realised how drunk Mia was and told Mia it was time to head home. Mia almost fell off her chair. At least Charlie had the perfect excuse to tag along with Trixie—and Mia.
“I don’t want to go.” Mia tried to get out of Trixie’s grip to wrap her arms around Liam who moved his chair further from Mia as a precaution.
It took a while for Trixie and Charlie to get Mia away from Liam so the three of them could leave.
Soon after Alec, Brody, and Josh left, too. Jenna and Henry were still in the bathroom.
Ciara walked back to the dining area. Liam was still sitting there, staring at the passed-out Shawn. When Ciara sat down, he turned his gaze to her.
“I don’t think Shawn will wake up anytime soon,” he said, gesturing to his friend.
Ciara tried to shake Shawn awake, but he didn’t open his eyes. She checked he was breathing fine, and he was. Using magic, Ciara helped him onto the sofa. She grabbed a blanket and placed it on top of Shawn to keep him warm for the night.
Meanwhile, Liam had somehow stood up. He was leaning against a wall near the sofa, swaying.
“You can still stand?” Ciara teased once she had tucked Shawn in. “You drank quite a bit.”
Liam smiled at her and shrugged. “I can do a lot of things.”
Ciara chuckled. “Like what?”
“Like—”
“Actually, don’t answer that,” Ciara said. “Let me get you to bed before the alcohol kicks in.”
“You want to get in bed with me?” Liam asked, his words coming out as a slur. His eyes were glassy, and his breath reeked of alcohol.
Still, Ciara blushed at his comment. “Confirmed, you’re drunk.”
Liam’s face turned into a pout. “I drank too much, didn’t I?”
Ciara walked closer to him. “A bit.”
“I’m sorry.” He was like a child apologising for eating the last biscuit.
Ciara smiled at him, amused by his drunken state. “Don’t be. Just let me—”
“I love how caring you are,” Liam confessed, staring at Ciara.
She looked up at him, wide-eyed. “You need some sleep. Now.”
“Can I sleep in your room again?”
“Shawn would never stop teasing us if he woke up and found us in bed together,” Ciara reasoned.
“He thinks we should be together.”
Ciara’s eyes widened. “What?” If Shawn said something to Liam...
“He—”
The bathroom door opened, cutting Liam off mid-sentence. Henry walked out, supporting Jenna, so she stayed somewhat standing. “I think Jenna and I will head home now.”
Ciara nodded, eyeing Jenna who was struggling to keep her eyes open. “That might be a good idea.”
“You alright with that one?” Henry asked, gesturing to Liam.
“I can handle Liam. And Shawn is already sleeping on the sofa. So, I’ve got this.”
Henry nodded. “Good. We’ll be back tomorrow to help with the mess.”
“I can handle it, too. Don’t worry.”
“No need,” Henry said.
“Thanks for coming.”
Henry smiled and nodded. “Of course.” He grabbed his and Jenna’s coats before teleporting them to their shared flat.
Ciara turned to face Liam who stared at her. “Can you walk without tripping over?”
“Yes.”
“Then, go to bed. I’ll get you a glass of water. Okay?” Ciara said.
Liam nodded. He moved away from the wall and walked towards his room, swaying.
Ciara looked after him for a moment before she walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Taking the glass with her, she went to see if Liam had made it to his room. She couldn’t see him in the hallway, but she couldn’t find him in his room either.
She walked to her room to check if he was there.
And he was. He was lying on the bed in his underwear.
Ciara sighed and walked over to her bed. “Can you sit up?”
He sat up without answering the question. Ciara handed him the glass, and he gulped it down in one go. She took the glass from him and placed it on the bedside table.
“Did you notice you’re in the wrong room?”
“Yes.”
Ciara sighed. “And are you sure you want to wake up in the wrong room in the morning?”
“I want to wake up next to you,” Liam slurred.
She chuckled at his drunken flirting. “Calm down, tiger. You’re drunk.”
Liam shrugged and lay back down.
“You’ll get cold if you sleep on top of the duvet,” Ciara pointed out.
Liam’s mouth twisted into a confident smirk. “I saw you checking me out this morning when I walked out of the shower.”
Ciara gaped at Liam’s words. Sober Liam would never have said that. But his words still made her face heat up. Hoping he didn’t notice her glowing red cheeks, she said, “Remember you just broke up with your fiancée? You were supposed to marry her in less than two months from now.”
“Until she cheated on me.”
“Well, I’m not planning to be your rebound relationship.”
Liam’s expression twisted into a frown. “Ciara, you—”
The doorbell rang, startling both of them.
After regaining her composure, Ciara sighed and stood up. “Someone must have forgotten something.”
She left the room and jogged to open the door.
“Ciara!”
It wasn’t what—or who—she had expected. The blonde woman threw herself at Ciara, wrapping her arms around Ciara’s neck. She stank like a drunk, and mascara had run down her face. She was sobbing and swaying in her high heels.
“Iris,” Ciara gasped.
“Can you ask Henry where Liam is staying, please?” Iris sobbed, clinging onto Ciara’s shirt.
“I’m sure Liam is fine,” Ciara said, unsure if she should have told the truth. “You should head home and—”
“I don’t want to go there without him!” Iris sobbed. “I miss him so much!”
Ciara cringed as Iris’s sobs echoed through the stairway. She shut the door behind Iris, with the woman still hanging onto her.
“Iris—”
“Can you please call H-Henry?” Iris gasped. Her grip on Ciara’s shirt released, and she fell to her knees, continuing to sob.
Ciara sighed. “Iris, calm down.”
“No! Just call Henry!” Iris screamed. Ciara was glad she had placed a soundproofing enchantment on the flat for the party.
“How do you even know where I live?” Ciara asked, feeling a little helpless.
“I went through your medical records and found—”
“What’s going on here?”
Both Ciara and Iris turned to look at Liam. He was still drunk, swaying a little. And he was wearing just his underwear.
Iris stared at her ex-fiancé wide-eyed and gaping. She scrambled up clumsily. Her gaze moved to Ciara and then back to Liam. She kept looking at them in turns.
The flat filled with tense silence. No one moved, and everyone was holding their breath.
The silence broke when the sound of hand hitting skin echoed through the flat. Iris’s nails left a stinging pain on Ciara’s cheek.
Ciara’s hand flew up to her face.
Liam, still drunk, rushed to stand between the two women.
“So I was right!” Iris screamed at Liam, still sobbing hysterically. “You have been sleeping with her. You left me for her!”
Liam shook his head and clenched his jaw. “You’re crazy,” he spat at Iris.
“You didn’t even want to marry me at first! You’ve been in love with her this whole time!” Iris yelled.
“Ciara has nothing to do with any of it!” Liam said, raising his voice.
“She ruined everything!”
“You ruined everything!”
“Your whole freaking family adores her! Your little sisters are obsessed with her, and your little brothers can’t shut up about her! And your mother doesn’t find anyone but her good enough for you!” Iris screamed at Liam, pointing an accusing finger at Ciara.
His eyes hardened, and his voice turned cold. “What is your problem?”
“She is!” Iris’s hands were shaking, and her eyes had turned red and puffy. “She stole you from me. She stole my life!”
Liam shook his head. “You’re delusional.”
“Why won’t you believe me?” The anger in Iris’s voice turned into despair.
“What the hell is this?” This time it was Shawn. Iris’s screaming had been enough to wake him up. He was still drunk and could barely stand.
Ciara walked away from the couple, eager to get away. She went over to help Shawn stay upright. “Let’s give them some privacy,” she whispered to him, trying to pull him towards Liam’s room.
Shawn didn’t budge. Instead, he stared at the arguing ex-couple and pointed a finger at Iris. “Why is she here?”
“That’s a brilliant question,” Liam said, turning back to glare at his ex-fiancée.
“Liam, come home,” Iris begged. She was still drunk, and her mood swings were getting worse.
“Shawn, let’s go,” Ciara hissed. She wanted no part in the argument.
Shawn nodded and let Ciara lead him to Liam’s room. He stumbled onto the bed, and Ciara tried to ease the fall.
Iris and Liam continued to argue. Both Ciara and Shawn could hear the argument all the way from the flat door. At first, Iris was sobbing and begging for Liam to go with her. Soon, though, she started screaming at him again.
Shawn lay on the bed, unable to sleep. Ciara was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees.
“You sure he can handle himself?” Shawn slurred.
“I can’t intervene.”
Shawn’s eyebrows rose. “Why not?”
“She thinks Liam and I are dating or whatever.”
“Oh.”
Ciara stayed in Liam’s room. Shawn fell asleep within minutes, but Ciara still stayed there. She didn’t want to interrupt the argument. She wanted no part in it.
Although, she already was a part of it. She thought back to the time she had talked with Liam outside his parents’ house. She hadn’t thought of him as her friend, but as something more. It had been wrong, and it hadn’t been the only time. Even if she hadn’t acted on her feelings, she was guilty of having them.