Chapter 21
Joe’s POV.
I slumped onto a leather ottoman in the far corner of the living room, the bass from the DJ booth rattling my chest.
Empty red cups littered the coffee table in front of me, and the glow from string lights gave everything a half-dreamy haze. I took a slow sip of beer, one of many tonight, trying to dull the itch in my skull.
I’d come to Kyle's party at the last minute, hoping a change of scene would settle my thoughts. But here I was, worse than before, dizzy with shame and longing. I scanned the crowd for Lily, but she was nowhere in sight. Every time I glanced across the room, my heart lurched, expecting to see her laughing in some corner… only to find strangers instead.
Two of my teammates plopped down beside me, Kyle and Jamal, flanked by two giggling girls i
