"Okay, can you breathe now?" I laughed while leaning against the wall in the bathroom.

"No," she gasped. "Landon! Landon is coming to the wedding! Landon!" she shrieked.

"Yeah, I know, I was there too. It's not such a big deal," I shrugged, "Just how Nick being here isn't, right?" I smirked.

Now she knows how I feel. Kinda.

"How is this the same? The whole point for you is to avoid Nick," she huffed.

"Which is why this is worse for me. Maybe you'll finally get the chance to make something happen between you two, last time it almost happened Nick and I broke up and you two stopped talking because I cut him off but you don't have to do that now," I shrugged.

When I was dating Nick, Zoey finally managed to get herself to flirt with Landon, but Nick and I broke up before he could ask her out and they never spoke after that.

"Look, you'll be fine. If we don't get back to dinner, people will genuinely think you're losing your mind, let's just go, come on," I pulled her out and led her back to the restaurant.

She sighed as we entered and took our seats.

"You okay?" William chuckled while looking at Zoey.

"William, don't even," she huffed.

I bit my lip to stop from laughing and focused on my plate. I think this is the most entertained I've been at dinner in a while.

After a while, dinner was done and us youngsters if you will, Mr. Johnson's words, not mine, were sent to the bar to enjoy. Finn and his wife Allison went to put Elijah to bed, deciding to join us later and Madeline was becoming her true form. A mom.

"They can't drink, Will, they're underage," she sighed at Zoey, Liam, Nick, and me.

"Well, they won't get in trouble because they won't do anything stupid, right kids?" He gave us all pointed looks.

"Sure thing, grandpa," I mumbled.

Everyone laughed and turned to the entrance when someone was let in. Landon. Zoey was already falling off her stool, I managed to sit her ass down before seating myself down while Nick went to meet Landon. He brought him over, introduced him to some of the cousins here he was unfamiliar with, there were a few more girls and guys our age here. Landon met everyone nicely.

"Hey, Emma," he nodded, hugging me briefly.

"Hey," I smiled. He then turned to Zoey and was speechless. I rolled my eyes. "Hi," I nudged Zoey. "Hi," then Landon. "How are you, Zoey? I'm great Landon, what about you?" I talked for them until they both chuckled and then actually talked for themselves.

William and Madeline had disappeared somewhere and I was sitting at the bar with Liam.

"Do you drink?" he asked.

"Occasionally," I shrugged.

He nodded, "Can we get four shots, please?" he asked. The bartender hesitated because clearly, we were underage but then gave in and served us all drinks. I clinked my glass with Liam's before we both downed two shots. "Four more," he nodded.

"Oh, I shouldn't. I get drunk really fast," I laughed, my head already feeling woozy. "Faster than a fat kid chasing an ice cream truck," I mumbled while he handed me two shots.

"Then drink up," he nudged.

I shrugged and downed the shots, feeling the burn of the straight-up vodka as it poured down my throat. I haven't been drunk in a while, I forgot how freeing it is.

-----

I don't know how many shots I had after that, but I was drunk off my ass. Barely functioning drunk. Most of us had left and it was just Zoey, Landon, Liam, Nick and me.

"All right, let's go," Liam stumbled up, catching himself and going into the elevator, waving at everyone before leaving.

I don't think I can even walk to the elevator.

You never know until you try.

I stood up slowly, grabbing the counter for support but it wasn't enough. I almost fell but someone caught me.

Nick caught me.

"You shouldn't have had that much, you get drunk faster than a fat kid chasing an ice cream truck," he sighed while pulling my arm over his shoulder and leading me to the elevator.

"That's what I said," I laughed before falling limp, "I'm tired," I huffed.

"Fuck's sake," he mumbled before bending down and picking me up. He stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button with his elbow. My arms fell to my sides and I closed my eyes, humming a random tune.

"Okay, can you at least put your arms around me so I'm not carrying dead weight," he sighed.

"You used to be strong enough," I opened my eyes and looked at the walls of the elevator upside down.

"I am," he mumbled before grabbing my wrists and pulling them around his neck, pulling me upright. The elevator dinged open and he adjusted his grip on me before walking down the hallway, stopping at our room. "Where's your key?" he asked.

"In my phone case," I dangled it in his face.

He set me down, holding me up with one arm while grabbing my key. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, picking me up again and taking me inside. "Sit still," he demanded while making me sit on the bed, against the headboard. He flicked the lights on and grabbed a water bottle, handing it to me.

"You still look the same," I slurred while looking at him as I struggled to open the bottle.

He opened it for me and held it to my mouth, making me drink. "We only broke up a month ago, it hasn't been years," he mumbled while closing the bottle and keeping it on my nightstand.

"Yeah, but you don't act the same. You're mean now," I mumbled while pouting.

"Sit still, I'm gonna clean you up," he mumbled while grabbing makeup wipes that I kept in my bathroom and bringing one out. He grabbed my wrist and pulled the hair tie off, tying my hair loosely in a ponytail as he began cleaning my face.

"You didn't have to do what you did, you know," I mumbled while scanning his face.

The same blue eyes. The same freckles. The same face I used to love.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"You didn't have to cheat, Nick. You didn't have to break my heart like that if you didn't like me anymore. All you had to do was say it," I mumbled as my eyes began closing, my eyelids feeling heavier now. I opened my eyes when he sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"How drunk are you, Emma?" he questioned.

"Very drunk," I nodded.

"So you won't remember," he cleared his throat, "I did like you," he nodded while I scoffed. "And I didn't cheat. You just don't know it. And you'll wake up tomorrow and forget this. So you still won't know it," he shrugged while tossing the makeup wipe in the trash.

"But I liked you," I whined while throwing a pillow at him limply. "Why did you do it, Nick?" I sniffled.

"I liked you too much," he shrugged while tossing the pillow and grabbing my ankles, pulling me down so I was lying down.

"But you hurt me, that's not fair," I huffed while hugging a pillow.

"I didn't want to. Emma, I think you should sleep, I'm leaving an Advil here for tomorrow, you're not gonna feel so great when you wake up," he said while standing up.

"Nick," I sighed while grabbing his hand, "Can you please just stay awhile? I don't wanna be alone," I mumbled sleepily. He sat down and said something but I wasn't listening. I was looking at him. "Hey, your dimple's still there," I sat up and began poking it.

"Emma," he huffed pulling my hand away, "Are you listening to what I'm saying?" he questioned.

"Nope," I laughed while sitting in front of him while he held my hands down in my lap.

"We went down there to hang out and you decided to drown yourself in vodka," he mumbled, "Can you tell me one thing?" he asked, sighing in defeat.

"Yes," I nodded while looking at him expectantly.

"Did you love me?"

The question caught me off guard, and even my drunk self knew better than to blurt out my answer.

Yes, yes I did.

"I can't tell you that," I shook my head.

"Please?" he questioned.

"Mm-mm," I shook my head again, "You're not drunk so you will remember this tomorrow. No comment," I lay back down and pulled the covers up.

"Does that mean you did?" he asked.

"No," I huffed.

"Does that mean you didn't?" he questioned.

"No," I shrugged.

He groaned and mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm drunk, Nick. Not stupid."

Not stupid.

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Chapter five

I was that kid chasing the ice cream truck while growing up. Where are my people?

Sneak peek: Everyone is going to go to Miami beach, chill out, swim around and there are going to be some games... you know what that means, don't you?

Teams. It means teams.