“Hi, I’m Celeste, Harleigh’s sis—”
“Don’t care,” he said flatly.
“Wow, rude much?”
“Come on, we should go,” I said, reaching for Celeste, but she shrugged me off, stepping toward Zane.
“What did you say to her?”
He inclined his head, glaring at her with icy intent. But Celeste didn’t flinch. Not even a little bit.
“Harleigh has been through a lot, she doesn’t need you.” She jabbed her finger at his chest. “Upsetting her.”
“I suggest you get your finger out of my face, little girl.” His voice was low, deadly, and I stepped up to Celeste, gently tugging her arm.
“Or what?” she seethed, the air crackling.
“Ladies, what are we— Celeste?” Miles drew to a stop, gawking at the scene before him. “You’re Zane Washington,” he said.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take Harleigh and Celina home.”
“It’s Celeste, asshole.”
A smug smirk tugged at Zane’s mouth as he pinned me with a final warning look and took off, melting back into the crowd.
“Okay is someone going to tell me what the fuck I just walked into?” Miles looked between us, confusion clouding his eyes.
“Nothing,” I whispered, wrapping an arm around myself.
“Do you want to go?” Celeste asked, and I loved her even more for it.
And maybe I should have heeded Zane’s words, maybe I should have told Celeste yes.
But I didn’t.
Because hearing Zane talk to me like that, it steeled something inside of me.
“No, let’s go check out the stalls,” I said. “Didn’t you say something about Miles winning us a stuffed toy each?”
A slow, knowing smile tugged at her mouth. “Why yes, yes I did.” Celeste moved beside me, lacing her arm through mine. “Feeling up to the challenge, Mulligan?”
He returned her smile and I saw a flicker of desire there. “I was born ready.”
Their laughter enveloped me like a warm blanket as we took off toward the stalls. But I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over my shoulder.
There was no sign of Zane among the crowd, as if he’d been a mirage, a ghost. But his words lingered, coiling around my heart like barbed wire. The way he’d warned me to stay away from Nix, as if I was the danger. As if I was the one who had held the power in our friendship.
It was laughable really, when I’d spent years, years under his thrall. Years begging for any scraps of his attention I could get.
I’d never held the power where Nix was concerned. So for Zane to stand there and suggest otherwise was, quite frankly, insulting.
Shaking the whole conversation out of my head, I focused on Celeste and Miles.
Screw Zane Washington.
But most of all, screw Phoenix Wilder.
I felt good. Maybe it was the couple of beers Miles managed to score us from the cute girl at the concession stand, or maybe it was the fact he’d won me a giant stuffed toy. But I felt so freaking good.
Not the kind of good that lasted, but the temporary kind. A fleeting high that buzzed in my veins and made my skin tingle. It hovered around me like a warm breeze, and I basked in it.
“What?” I asked Celeste as she watched me grinning at Miles as he tried his luck on the strong man game.
“Are you okay? You look… I don’t know…”
“Happy?”
“Yeah, it’s weird.”
“Bitch.” I poked my tongue out at her. It felt weird, tingly and numb.
“Oh, it’s a good look. But I guess I’m surprised after earlier. With Zane.”
“Nope. Not listening. La la la la la.” Clutching the stuffed bear to my chest, I spun around, refusing to give Zane Washington even one iota of space in my mind.
“Is she okay?” Miles asked.
“I’m fine, you guys.”
It was a good night. Everything felt easy and breezy and the balmy air felt so good kissing my skin. I tipped my face to the night sky, sucking in a deep breath, letting it roll through me.
“Maybe we should go,” Celeste said.
“Go? But it’s early.”
She studied me. “How much did you have to drink?”
“Like two beers.”
“Just two?”
“Yeah. You were right there.”
“And you didn’t take anything else?”
“Like what?” I balked, not liking the accusatory tone in her voice.
“Pills?”
“Just my usual meds…”
“Maybe you’re having a reaction.”
“Would you relax? I’m not having a reaction to anything. I’m fine. Fine.” I flung my arms out and the stuffed bear fell to the ground. “Oops.” I giggled, bending down to scoop it up. But the world spun and I swayed, almost falling on my ass.
Come to think of it, I did feel a little tired. Maybe I could lay on the ground and stare up at the stars and—
“Okay, we’re taking you home.” Celeste grabbed my hand, steadying me.
“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Mom,” I slurred a little.
“Miles, some help.”
He bent down to pick the bear up. “Come on, Harleigh, let’s get you home.”
I laced my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Miles Mulligan.”
“Uh, thanks, I think.”
“The two of you would make a cute couple. You should ask Celeste out. I bet she’d say yes.”
“I… uh, maybe we can talk about this another time?” he said, flicking his eyes past me.
“Oh crap. Did I say that out loud? Did Celeste hear me?” I glanced around and grimaced, mouthing, ‘Sorry.’
She shook her head gently. “Just… come on.”
They led me through the thinning crowd toward the parking lot, which was really just part of the field that had been cordoned off with temporary fences.
“I’m just going to…” Miles pointed toward the line of porta-potties.
“Me too actually. Harleigh, do you need to go?”
“Not me,” I said. “I’ll wait here.”
“Miles can go first and then I’ll—”
“Seriously? I’ll wait riiight here.” I dropped down on the bench just down from the line. “Go.”
“Promise you won’t move?”
“Scouts honor.” I lifted two fingers in the air but my arm felt all heavy.
Weird.
“Go.” I shooed them off.
“We’ll be as quick as we can.”
Miles handed me the oversized stuffed bear and I waved them off, swaying from side to side as I watched people come and go. Sweat beaded along the back of my neck, my skin clammy. Maybe Celeste was right, maybe I was having a reaction. It would explain the goofy smile I couldn’t wipe off my face.
There was probably a good reason you shouldn’t drink alcohol on benzodiazepines.
But it was only two beers.
Although I hadn’t been thinking about the risks at the time, desperate to escape the gnawing pit inside me. The way Zane’s words had clung to me like a bad smell despite my attempts to brush them off.