My stomach hurt, but I couldn’t stop the laughter. People turned toward us, giving us odd looks. Eventually the humor subsided, and we fell quiet.
Shiloh’s face sobered. “Can I ask you something?”
I wiped my face, cringing as my hand came away smeared with mascara. “Sure.”
She took a deep breath and faced me, all humor gone. “Do you think… do you think the pain ever goes away?” Her eyes fell. “I mean after losing your dad?”
Her words were a punch to the gut. All the sorrow and anger returned full force. I glanced away to collect myself.
Shiloh winced. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that… it’s just…” Her tear-filled eyes met mine. “My dad has been battling cancer for as long as I can remember.”
She paused, her bottom lip wavering. It hurt to see her so broken.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and placed a hand over hers. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
Guilt filled me. I was too wrapped in my own problems that I’d never even bothered to ask her about her family or past.
She swiped at her tears, her makeup faring little better than mine. “The doctors all say he doesn’t have much time, but my stepmom won’t let me come home. She doesn’t want me to see him like this. I still call him, but I’m scared.”
Her head dipped, her feet splashing the water. “What if he doesn’t make it until I get home? What if I never get to say goodbye?”
An ache filled me. I knew exactly how she felt, but unlike her, I didn’t have time to prepare for my father’s death. It came so fast and so suddenly.
Tears blurred my vision, making the lights around the pool look like a watercolor painting.
She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m bringing this up now.”
A cool breeze swept over us, giving me goosebumps. I stuck my hand in the pool. The water was warm, but the air was growing chilly.
“It’s okay.” I shrugged.
I tossed her question around in my head and stared out at the smooth surface of the water.
“I… I don’t know, Shiloh. I don’t know if the pain ever goes away. Some days it feels like he’s still here. Only a phone call away. And others… it’s like this deep, dark hole inside me now, and if I just keep ignoring it, I can numb the pain.”
I choked up, unable to control my emotions. Her other hand came up and grabbed mine. Our eyes met and the shared grief I saw written there ripped down my wall. She threw her arms around me, and I returned the hug, letting the tears spill out.
The smell of alcohol and her flowery perfume surrounded me as the tulle of her dress made me itch.
“Who is that?” someone’s voice interrupted.
I released her and turned to see what everyone was pointing at. A figure stood outside on the balcony, peering down at us. In the dark it was too hard to make out the face, but I knew who it was.
Grayson. What was he doing? Spying on me?
“Oh my god. Rose! There you are,” Monica called. Her words were slurred as she stumbled outside toward us. Sofia came up beside her, helping her walk, but she wasn’t walking much straighter.
The drunk helping the drunk.
Shiloh and I exchanged glances, our earlier conversation returning to us as we watched them make their way over.
I bit back a smile. “What is it?”
Her eyes were wide, and her breath reeked of beer. “It’s Javi! He… he—” Her nose wrinkled.
“He’s gone!” Sofia finished her sentence.
Fear slammed into me. “What do you mean gone?”
19
A vision of him laying sprawled on the ground came to mind. Alcohol poisoning? Overdose? An accident? A million scenarios played out in the span of that minute.
Monica shook her head. “To the prison. Brady dared him to go and he did it!”
The other girl nodded emphatically. “The guy’s got balls.”
Monica smirked. “Yeah. Big ones.”
I made a face. Gross.
Shiloh scowled at them. “You didn’t try to stop him? Where is he now?” she demanded, her voice catching everyone’s attention.
I rose to my feet, water splashing up as Shiloh followed and slipped on her shoes. My heart raced as we followed tweedle drunk and tweedle drunker back inside. The people outside watched us, their curiosity piqued. They didn’t even try to whisper as they started talking about Javi.
I glanced up at the balcony just in time to see the figure disappear back inside.
Monica led us through the packed room as the party raged on. Music blared and bodies moved to the rhythm. Shiloh pressed closer to me, her brows knitted together.
We elbowed our way to the center of the room where everyone stood around a door. I reeled back in surprise. The door was unattached to anything. It just stood there on its own.
“A portal.” Shiloh paled.
My heart sped up. A portal to where?
“What did you do, Brady?” Grayson’s voice broke through the noise.
I turned to see him enter the room, a stormy look on his face. My stomach flip-flopped at the sight of him. I pushed away the feeling, not ready to handle what it meant.
Brady nursed another drink. How many was that now?
He stiffened as Grayson walked up. “He took the dare.”
I whipped toward him. “What does that mean? What dare?”
He smirked. “Sneak into the prison without getting caught by the guards.”
Grayson swore. “Brady, you idiot.”
Brady scowled. “I didn’t force him. Blame his chauvinistic ego. Not to mention all the alcohol.”
I bit back a groan. What did my cousin get himself into now?
Shiloh huffed. “If he gets caught, they’ll expel him.”
My eyebrow arched at her concern. Was she starting to feel something for my cousin? She flushed and averted her gaze.
“It’s worse than that.”
