felt. And, perhaps, in some ways he wasn’t wrong. We were all here, arguing because Will—as flighty and wild as he had been—had been the glue that held us all together. He had knit us as a fearsome fivesome when we were just children and had ensured that we stayed together as adults. But he wasn’t here to police Vince or any of us.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” Vince said, his eyes bulging as he stared out over Seth’s shoulder.
“You’re wrong,” Tori said, speaking up with everyone else was silent. “I know I’ve only known you all for a handful of days, but even I can see how close-knit you are. You may not share blood or names, but you are a family. As real a family as mine. And you’re the only family Liam has and you’re here arguing about facts that cannot change. Liam didn’t go on this trip. Will went and Will died. Your excessive drinking won’t bring him back any more than wishing you’d been on the trip with him will.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry you lost your friend. Will sounds like a good one. But the fact remains that you have a problem with alcohol, Vince.”
“Tori, shut the fuck up. Seriously.”
“Hey, hey,” I said, stepping forward.
“No one fucking asked her!” Vince struggled to move around Seth, but Chad joined the blockade so Vince could only yell at us from over their shoulders. “No one! She’s not even one of us. And somehow she gets to speak about us like she knows us?”
Tori turned to look at me. I couldn’t read her eyes.
“She’s a friend you fuck. That’s what you said at the visitation.”
“I didn’t say that,” I said, finally piping up. Because I knew I hadn’t. Vince had said that.
“‘She’s not my girlfriend. Don’t call her that.’ That’s what you said. She’s temporary—as you said, Liam. She won’t be here after tomorrow.”
I couldn’t defend myself against that one, especially not when I saw the hurt in Tori’s eyes.
23
A million thoughts flashed through my head. Liam telling me how I soothed his aches, Liam telling me it was more than sex. Liam asking if I had feelings for him.
I didn’t want to believe it had all been a lie. While I knew we had started as a temporary arrangement of sorts, something had shifted. Hadn’t it? I couldn’t name when the shift had happened, but Vince—a guy who wasn’t even a good friend to Liam—claimed that as recently as the visitation, Liam had said I was temporary. Not his girlfriend. Not anything.
But did I have any right to be upset? It had been my decision to label us as short-term. It had been my decision to push him away. So why was I surprised that he listened?
It hadn’t been my decision to grow real, sincere feelings for Liam. That had to be what these were. I wouldn’t be so hurt if there wasn’t something tender within me, something fragile, something that Liam himself had inspired.
“Let’s get you back to the hotel,” Seth said, shaking me out of my head. “You need to sleep this off before the funeral.”
“He’s just going to go down to the bar,” Naomi said, stepping forward. “You know he is.”
“It’s not like we can stop him,” Chad countered. “He’s an adult. If he wants to get blitzed, it’s on him.”
“But he’s still your friend,” Naomi said. “What if he gets arrested for drunk and disorderly? Or what if he gets alcohol poisoning?”
“Vince is an adult. At a certain point, he has to be accountable for his own decisions,” I pointed out.
Naomi closed her eyes and said, “Tori, please, that’s not helpful.”
Oof. I didn’t know how to respond to that. I could feel Liam’s eyes on me, but he remained silent.
“What would you have us do, Naomi?” Seth asked, frustrated. “We can’t babysit him forever.”
“I don’t need a fucking babysitter,” Vince growled. “I can handle my liquor.”
“No, you can’t,” Liam said, stepping in. I had no right in being hurt that he hadn’t spoken to me—not when the crisis at hand was much more important, but I hurt anyway.
“What do we do?” Chad asked. “It’s a lose-lose either way.”
“Leave me the fuck alone,” Vince said, this time shoving his friends hard enough to get them out of his way. “Seriously, leave.me.alone.” He turned and stalked away in the direction of the hotel.
“Do we follow him?”
Seth shook his head at Chad’s question. “No. Let him figure it out.” He turned to