Chapter Five
1036 Words
Andrew's POV
The party was in full swing now. The music was louder. Laughter filled the air.
Jake was definitely drunk. More than usual. I noticed it the moment he stumbled over an old joke Anderson told and laughed too hard. His easy charm was still there, but now it was sloppy around the edges.
“Jake,” I said quietly as I passed him, offering a glance. “Maybe slow down?”
He waved me off with a lopsided grin. “Drew, relax. It’s a party, man. Don’t be a party popper.
“Exactly,” I muttered, but he didn’t hear me.
At some point, Owen stood up on the coffee table—why was someone always on the furniture at these things? —and clapped his hands together, his voice cutting through the music. “Alright, everyone! How about a game? Something to really get this party going?”
Anderson grinned. “I call Truth or Dare.”
Groans and laughter rippled through the room. I raised my eyebrows. “What are we, college kids?”
Jake perked up, sloppily enthusiastic. “Hell yeah. Bring it.”
Of course. No one listens to the voice of reason at parties. Truth or dare was always a bad idea. Toss in alcohol, it became something else entirely.
We circled up in the living room, drinks in hand. The air was thick with heat and the kind of nervous excitement that only comes when you’re all too aware of how much everyone’s had to drink.
I sat down between Jake and Owen with Anderson sitting across from me, trying to keep a neutral expression. Jake’s knee bumped mine more than once, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Anderson smirked at me, clearly having fun at my expense. “Ready to spill, Drew? Or are you going to hide behind your ‘tired’ act some more?”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just get it over with.”
The questions started easy — favorite movies, embarrassing moments. Then, as the circle tightened and the drinks took effect, the questions got more personal. More shots are thrown back.
“Alright, Carter,” Nolan said, his voice teasing but with an edge. “Who’s your secret crush?”
Jake blinked. His grin faltered, eyes glassy. “Uh… my girlfriend.”
A round of ohs and awws filled the room
Anderson laughed. “You’re f*****g whipped, man.” His words slurred.
Jake waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s nothing.”
When it was my turn, Anderson leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Truth or dare, Drew?”
I chose truth, dreading what might come next.
Malone smirked. “Ever had a crush on someone here?”
I kept my face neutral. “Nope.”
A few of them raised their eyebrows, clearly not believing me, but no one called me out directly.
Jake gave me a sideways glance, lips twitching like he wanted to say something but didn’t.
Finally, Nolan stood up, announcing, “Let’s switch it up. 7 Minutes in Heaven, everyone.”
The room buzzed with excitement.
I hesitated, heart pounding. “Yeah. Sure.”
After a few spins of the bottle, more people disappeared, some for more than 7 minutes. The circle grew tighter and the bottle ended between Jake and me.
Anderson hollered loudly. “Let’s give it up for the love birds.” Everybody cheered loudly.
Jake stood first, and I followed him to the closet at the end of the hallway, ignoring the teasing noise from Anderson.
The door clicked shut behind us, leaving us in near darkness, except for the light filtering in through the gap between the door and the wooden floor. The air was warm, scented faintly with detergent and something faintly musky.
Jake leaned against the wall, swaying slightly.
“Drew,” he said quietly, voice thick. “I’m really drunk.”
“Yeah, I can tell,” I whispered, stepping a little closer.
He laughed, soft and shaky. “You’re still sober, right?”
I nodded, heart hammering. “Yeah.”
There was a long silence, just the two of us breathing, the world outside muffled and distant.
I wanted to speak. To confess everything. The jealousy, the longing, the nights spent staring at him when he wasn’t looking.
But words failed me. They sat on my tongue, hot and dangerous.
He swayed, almost falling. My hand reached out by instinct, keeping him steady with my hand on his waist.
He didn’t pull way. Instead, he leaned toward me, close enough for me to feel his breath. He sniffed my neck, his lips brushing my skin.
“You smell so nice.” He murmured, barely coherent.
My body tensed, desire flaring like fire under my skin. Threatening to engulf me. Sober Jake would never do this, but my body reacted nevertheless.
He leaned back, his face inches away from mine. He reached up, putting his palm on my cheeks. “I’ve never been this close to your face,” he said. “I like your freckles.”
His fingers traced along my cheeks, and my breath hitched. I was barely holding myself back. I couldn’t form a reasonable sentence at this point.
My body was hyper-aware of every movement, his breath slowly fanning my face, the way his waist felt under my palm.
My mind was screaming. Every muscle was screaming. Don’t do it. Don’t ruin this. I couldn’t help myself.
Jake’s eyes widened as I leaned in, and then...
Our lips met.
Soft, hesitant, but full of all the things I couldn’t say.
His mouth was warm, soft and hesitant, but he was not pulling away. My hand slid up his back, pulling him closer, relishing the moment.
For a moment, the world stopped.
Then… like a spell, quickly broken.
“Hey, you two ready?” Nolan’s voice called from the hallway.
Jake blinked, stumbling back a little, his cheeks flushed. Lips parted.
I swallowed hard, breathless. “Yeah,” I called. “We’re good.”
He didn’t look at me as we stepped out of the closet. We didn’t say a word as we walked back toward the party.
But something had shifted.
- Writer
