New Girl - By Paige Harbison Page 0,89

went back.

Blake finally got on the bus and said we were ready to go. “Now I know it’s not much of a surprise probably, but my brother, Wes, bought me all the alcohol we could possibly need for tonight.”

There was a collective cheer on the bus. I looked out the window. Max definitely was nowhere in sight.

Cam stood up. “But hey, everyone remember to be respectful to the hotel rooms. This is Blake’s present to all of us for her birthday, so let’s not make her regret it. Okay?”

I envied their relationship. They were both so good to each other, and always seemed happy. Cam was even willing to play bad cop, doling out the warning.

Someone started singing “Happy Birthday,” and then everyone joined in. I couldn’t help but smile.

I would have fun tonight. I had to. Plus, what did I have to lose?

Three hours in, all thoughts of Becca and the mystery surrounding her were gone from my mind and everyone else’s. Maybe it was the change in scenery and routine that did it. Perhaps I felt it less immediately because Max wasn’t there. Instead of being at dark, cold Manderley with its cobwebs and secrets in every corner, we were in a fresh and clean hotel room. There were soft, comfy beds, clean, white walls and a phone to connect us to someone who could bring us towels or pillows if we wanted them. I didn’t know who’d been in this room before, and whoever it was, they hadn’t left behind their suitcase or a lot of questions for me to wonder about.

It was one of those nights that had few activities but was fully occupying for every moment. I chatted with people, played card games and finally felt like myself. I was confident and happy. I also watched what I drank, because I knew I never, ever wanted to feel like I had earlier in the year.

We were playing Kings, a simple game in which everyone sits around in a circle, each person taking their turn pulling a card from a facedown circle and obeying the rule connected to each card. After drawing the card, we placed it in the space under the tab of a beer. Whoever makes the tab pop loses and has to chug the beer.

Blake pulled a seven and, as the rule goes, put a hand in the air toward the rhyming “heaven.” Cam was the last one to do it, so he took a sip of his drink.

“Oh, Cam, you should have known! I’m your girlfriend, aren’t you supposed to know what I’m thinking?” She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“I did, sweetie, I just wanted to take one for the team.”

“Ha!” Blake scrunched up her nose and kissed him.

Johnny was next. He pulled one. “Poorly shuffled. I got an eight.”

“Pick a date!” one of the guys Johnny had arrived with, said. Tony? I didn’t remember his name. And right now I didn’t care.

Johnny looked at me and grinned. “You.”

“Me?” I asked, laying a hand over my heart in mock honor. I knew he was just doing it to make me feel better and more included.

He nodded.

“Well, I’m touched. After all, being your drinking date means I have to drink every time you do. Considering how bad you are at this game, we’ll both be wasted.”

Everyone laughed, and the girl next to him took her turn.

Johnny, probably intentionally, lost almost every round for the rest of the game. I glared at him, unable to wipe the smile from my face. In the end, Blake lost when she popped the tab. Cam drank the beer for her.

When he finished, he pulled his phone from his pocket and then looked at me.

“Max is on the way. He’s taking a cab.”

My heart lurched.

“Wha— Really?” That was uncharacteristically spontaneous of him.

“He said he needs to talk to you.”

Everyone looked at me, and there was a flip in my stomach. What could he need to say now?

Fifteen minutes later, he walked in and directly to me. He laid a hand on my cheek and kissed me. In front of everyone. He’d never done that before.

I could feel the eyes on us. At first no one noticed, but then the conversations died down one by one. I almost laughed as I realized they all wondered what was happening. Had this been going on, had they been right about Max and the new girl?

I reveled in the beauty of showing them all that I was worthy of more