Page 52 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“He quite literally flew thousands of miles because you drunk dialed him.”

“Yes,” I sigh wearily. “That’s like the tenth time you’ve said it.”

“I’m just saying,” Lisette scoffs, snark in full force from where she’s standing next to me mixing our drinks in the Bettencourts’ white and gold contemporary kitchen. “You couldn’t get most grown men to do that.”

“I know,” I snap back, darting my eyes around nervously as the crowd from tonight’s party continues to grow. “Again, like the tenth time, can we drop it now?”

She shakes her head at me, giving my gin and tonic a stir before holding it up with a lifted brow and another unnecessary reminder. “And he came bearing gifts.”

“ I know ,” I hiss.

The one currently around my neck being the source of another minor meltdown before I put the damn thing on tonight. Pairing it with a strappy white sundress and sandals and lying to myself that it all doesn’t mean as much as I’m making it out to.

All those carefully laid arguments and decisions I made with myself throughout an afternoon of trying and failing to keep him at arm’s length being blown to pieces the second he stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from the shower with only a towel hanging low on his hips. I decided to come downstairs then.

“Freckles.” I spin around and look up at him, taking in the white T-shirt that stands out against his skin. “Thought we could match.”

“Cute.” I scowl, seeing the pretty grin and mischief in his eyes that has me snapping. “Stop that.”

“Matching?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t think I do.” He lifts a brow, bracing a hand against the counter and leaning a little closer to me. “Why don’t you tell me?”

What were we talking about?

Damn. His hair is still kinda damp.

“God,” Lisette gags, coming up beside me. “Would you two just get a room already?”

A choked noise leaves me before I can stop it, cheeks heating instantly as she smiles up at Hayes.

“Flynn.”

He flicks his eyes to me once, curiosity over my choice of companions front and center like it has been all day, but he still gives her a polite nod. “Lisette.”

“Anyway.” She takes a sip of her drink, turning to me. “I’m going to see if Graham wants to play beer pong and leave you to…” A smirk lights up her face, and she trails off purposefully before winking. “This.”

Bitch.

I don’t get a chance to respond before she skips off, giving me only her back to shoot daggers into with my eyes.

“I see that not only did you not let the crown slip, but you’re making alliances.” I turn back to find Hayes studying me intently. “What changed there?”

“No one can exist in a bubble, not even the crown,” I quip back, a bit uncomfortable by the truth I find in my own words. “She surprised me, I guess.”

“Speaking of surprises…” He leans back against the counter. “You planning on surprising anyone for your birthday tomorrow, or are we staying here?”

He tilts his head at me in the silence that follows and I take a sip of my drink, probably because that very question has been sitting in the back of my mind all day.

Right there beside all the rest of them.

It’s a shame I don’t have answers on anything, really.

But it does make me suspicious.

I lower the drink from my lips, guessing without really needing him to confirm. “You talked to Ollie.”

“I did.” He pauses, gaze dropping to the glass in my hand before he snags it. “I had to find out where you were.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “And what else did my dear brother have to say?”

“Not much,” he scoffs softly, lifting the drink to his lips to take a sip and making my stomach flip through the whole thing. “Just that it had been a weird summer.”

That would be putting it mildly.

“And that he thought you missed me.”

My face blanks at that along with my brain because…that doesn’t make sense. Not with how we left things. Not with how he’s been all summer.

It doesn’t make sense.

“It has been.” I clear my throat, forcing myself back to the present and finally answering. “And I don’t know…about the birthday.”

That tension fills his face again in an instant. “What happened with you two?”

I drop my eyes with a lame shrug, stealing my drink back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Is it because of me?”

And just like that, I lift them back up with a snort. “So humble.”

“O—”

“Listen.” I cut him off with a sigh, desperately trying to push it off. “A lot happened, and it’s not like you were around—

He leans in closer. “Whoa—”

“So let’s not pretend like it would be some quick catch-up when we hardly talked all summer.” I cock my head at him, knowing I’m pushing it here. “I’m kinda getting whiplash.”

Something sparks in his eyes at my little show that has me swallowing nervously, not really sure what I want the outcome to be for a split second before Mia interrupts.

“Hey.” Her hand closes around my elbow with a squeeze before dropping away while informing me. “Just wanted to let you know that Talan’s taking over for the night.”

“Perfect,” I spit the word out like it’s the exact opposite as the bodyguard himself comes up looking far too curious and making me snap. “Here’s your resting bitch face fixer, by the way.” Gesturing at Hayes with my drink to just get it out of the way. “Mystery solved, Sherlock.”

I blink once at all of their surprised faces before spinning on my heel and marching away.

Tossing my drink back and downing it with my next five steps.

Setting it on the first piece of furniture I pass and pushing through a couple of people to make it out the back door.

Gasping for the first breath of ocean air that hits me and knowing my time is running out all around.

“Fitzroy!”

I snap my head to the right at Graham’s shout, seeing him posted up at the outdoor kitchen and pouring a shot for himself.

That’ll do.

My feet take me there without much thought, fingers immediately closing around the glass and lifting—

“Nope.” A hand closes over the top of the shot glass, stopping it midair. “She’s done.”

“What the fuck?” I look up at Hayes, seeing the challenge written all over him now and narrowing my eyes in warning. “Let go.”

“Try.” He nods down to the glass. “Go ahead, be my guest.”

“I’m not five,” I snap. “You can’t—”

“I can do this all night, but you’re done trying to drink your feelings away here.”

The shot glass slips from my hand, clattering to the counter loudly with liquid splashing everywhere as Graham whistles in disbelief. “Damn.”

I lift my chin, anger sparking to life behind that knot in my chest and making me lash out, “Fuck you.” I suck in a deep breath. “I didn’t call you to come stage an intervention.”

Panicking when my words don’t even seem to hit him.

“Yeah, well.” He leans in, eyes flicking between mine as his voice drops low. “If you wanted someone to let you keep spiraling, you wouldn’t have called me, would you?”

Fuck.

He’s going to get—

“Ugh!” I push past him none too gently, not even knowing where I’m heading, but when I catch Talan out of the corner of my eye again, I know it’s nowhere around here.

The panic sends me fleeing back to my room on the second floor in search of something to calm me the fuck down since apparently alcohol isn’t on the menu.

Hating the way my heart just beats faster with every step.

So much nervous energy coursing through me that my hands are shaking by the time I make it there and push the door open.

Not even getting a freaking second before he’s right there again.

“Ophelia.”

“Stop,” I whisper, coming to a halt in the center of the room and keeping him at my back purposefully.

“I’m here, okay?” he starts, voice unbearably heavy with something in my ears. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere, but you need to tell me what the fuck is going on.”

That’s the problem, though.

“What happened with you and Ollie?”

I shake my head stubbornly, barely choking out. “Nothing.”

“Fucking hell.” I hear a few quick steps before he suddenly appears in front of me, brows pulled down sharply over hazel eyes that are suddenly drilling into mine. “What has you so twisted up inside that you won’t let me help you?”

I blink up at him, knowing it then. That he’s going to get—

“Why the fuck are you toting around two bodyguards like you picked them up shopping for shoes?” he scoffs darkly, head dipping closer to mine and bringing that smell with him. “Why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you,” I gasp, trying for another breath, but—

“Then why are you acting like life would have been easier for you if I did fuck some random girl this summer?” he bites out, sending my stomach flipping again. “Especially when we both know that it’s bullshit.”

Fuck.

I can’t breathe.

“And I swear if you don’t tell me who made you look so sad, I will go downstairs and launch a full-scale fucking inquisition.” He pauses, nostrils flaring for a beat before his next words come out like a promise. “Your choice, baby.”

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe because…I don’t think there’s any escape here either.

I can’t see it if there is.

Can’t see anything but the cause and the cure.

“Goddammit.” I gasp, barely choking out, “You’re going to get one of us killed,” right before giving into something that seems like the only way I’m going to be able to keep getting air.

His face falls, eyes flashing with surprise right as I jump without any thought as to whether I’m going to fall or not.

Lifting up on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck while pressing my lips to his.

Barely giving him time to catch up before digging my nails into his shoulders and lifting a leg up to hitch around his hip.

Only knowing deep down inside that I need this—him—and working off nothing but instinct from there.