— t w e n t y - n i n e —

devolving into drunken chaos by the time they arrived and it was safe to say, before Oliver had even stepped foot into the house, the house was on its way to being utterly trashed. Teenagers gathered in messy groups and spilled out from the gate leading to the back garden, stumbling over each other as they moved in and out of the front door. Someone had shoved open the window to the front room as far as it would go and people were taking the liberty to use it as another entrance into the house. Oliver winced at the sight of Mrs Lockwood's white sofa sitting right under the window, trampled now by endless pairs of muddy shoes.

"Christ," Adam said, as a pair of girls ran past them, screeching with the volume of a small army. Something about losing their friend Bianca and a stolen bottle of wine. Oliver tried not to listen too closely, but it was hard when they were yelling the words loudly enough for the whole street to hear. "How many people did Charlie invite?"

"I'm sure he didn't put a limit on it," Oliver said dryly.

Reed snorted. "If Charlie has seen them at some point in his life, they've probably heard about the party. Meaning we can expect to see most of Woodway and a good number of Lexus students."

They had to shove their way through the crowd that had gathered on the stairs and porch leading up to the front door, and inside the house, it wasn't much better. The wide hallway was a sea of shoes and bags and coats, haphazard cups tossed across the floor amid sticky puddles of spilled liquid. One couple were making out further down the hall and didn't seem to care that they were doing so in such an open place. There was a very questionable stain across the carpeted floor and one guy was bent over one of the potted plants by the door, puking his guts out while a girl who was no less drunk than him patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, we'll get you some bread," she assured him, in a very slurred voice that was not reassuring in the slightest.

"I..." He lifted his head with a grimace. "I can't eat gluten."

"I said bread, silly," the girl giggled. "Not gluten!"

Reed, who had also bore witness to this scene while Adam had been smart enough to continue into the house, exchanged a look with Oliver. "I think we deserve a shot for that," he said.

Oliver would usually have a quip for that, and he had one ready on the tip of his tongue, but one look at Reed had it drying up in his mouth. He just nodded and motioned for Reed to follow Adam to the kitchen. Oliver certainly needed a shot, just not for the reasons Reed was suggesting. Possibly multiple shots. He knew nothing had changed between them, not really. His revelation in Juniper's had all been in his head and there was no reason things with Reed couldn't continue as normal. But that was the problem. This sneaking around and kissing in private had been normal with Finley, when he hadn't cared if it meant nothing more. Oliver cared too much about Reed for it to mean nothing more.

In fact, he was fairly certain he was in love with Reed and he didn't really know what to do with that information. Not when it felt like it was only going to end in heartbreak for Oliver.

Oliver was pouring himself a rather generous shot in the kitchen when Reed suddenly said, "Shit." Oliver looked up and his confusion faded to dread when he followed Reed's gaze. In an outfit that showed off her long, slim legs and supple curves, long red hair tumbling past her shoulders, Clair strode into the kitchen like she owned it. They weren't the only ones who had noticed her entrance and Oliver didn't miss the way guys gazes followed her, heads turning to watch her. She had clearly come tonight with the intention of looking as hot as possible and was entirely aware of the power she held. Adam, by some miracle, hadn't seen her yet; he was talking to some girl from his maths class and facing away from the door.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Reed demanded.

"You said it yourself," Oliver said, topping off his shot and knocking it back in one go. It was disgusting but he'd be needing it in his system to deal with whatever was about to happen. "Anyone with even the most tenuous link to Charlie will be making an appearance tonight. That means pretty much anyone who attends Woodway."

Clair scanned the room, sharp gaze lingering on Adam for longer than necessary and finally settling on the two of them. Oliver barely suppressed a groan when she made a beeline straight for them. Next to him, Reed made no such effort to hide his displeasure and said bluntly, "Leave us alone. Neither of us want to speak to you."

"Goodness, there's no need to be so rude, Reed. Not that I would expect anything else from you." Clair's keen hazel gaze flicked to Oliver and he looked back at her warily. "So you speak for Oliver now, do you? That's fun. Very cute."

Across the room, Adam had finally clocked what was happening. He was staring at them with an intensity that left Oliver itching to pour himself another shot but by some miracle, or maybe Adam's keen sense of self-preservation, he didn't come over to join them. When Clair glanced over at him, he turned away without another word and engaged the girl he had been talking to with an enthusiasm that was uncharacteristic of Adam, laughing at whatever he heard. It was the oldest trick in the book but it worked like a charm. Clair's eyes flashed and Oliver was instantly on guard when she turned back to the two of them. Judging from the mean curl to her lips, she had every intention of taking out her barely suppressed anger over Adam on the two of them.

"It's been a while, boys. Let's catch up. How are things with the two of you? Finally confessed your feelings to one another? Oh, please," she said derisively, at the startled look on Reed's face. Oliver was careful to keep his expression neutral but there was a sinking feeling in his chest. He already had a bad feeling about this. "Anyone with eyes can tell you guys are boning. It's so boring that you're insisting on pretending you're not."

"Shut up," Reed snapped, with an intensity that surprised Oliver. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. There's nothing going on between us and there never will be. So you can shut the fuck up about shit you don't know about, Clair."

The words coming from Reed were more of a slap in the face than anything Clair could have said and Oliver muttered some excuse about needing a drink, slipping past the two of them to head over to fridge which was mercifully on the other side of the room. He stared blankly at its contents without really seeing any of it. Oliver knew Reed might not be ready for people to know about the two of them but the vehemence he had spat the words with felt a little too real. This was Oliver's own fault. He'd put off having any kind of conversation with Reed about what exactly was going on between them even when it was clear Oliver had feelings for him. It only stung all the more now hearing it confirmed that Reed obviously felt nothing for him, to Clair of all people.

Oliver grabbed a random bottle of beer from the fridge that he was fairly certain was Mr Lockwood's, and not for the teenagers roaming his house, and slipped out of the kitchen before anyone could notice he was gone. He couldn't be around Reed right now. He needed a distraction, and to get drunk, and luckily Charlie presented himself with the perfect timing.

"If it isn't Oliver Sterling!" Charlie flung an arm around his shoulder and yelled the words into his ear as if there was even a chance Oliver wouldn't hear him. "Hi, Oli! Where's your partner-in-crime, your bestie? Inseparable in the water, inseparable outside the water — "

"No," Oliver said, the word coming out a little sharper than he intended. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about Reed right now. He took a deep breath and was grateful Charlie seemed too drunk to notice anything was off. "No, we're not inseparable. He's around here somewhere and I'm in sore need of a drink. Got any alcohol?"

Charlie lit up at the request. "Do I? I thought you'd never ask, Oli!"

Some indeterminable period of time and many shots later, Oliver was drunk enough that he almost managed to forget about the fact he was in love with his best friend and that the feeling wasn't mutual. He moved around the house chatting with friendly faces from class and made sure to duck out of the room at even a glimpse of pale hair. At one point, he was fairly sure he saw Adam and Clair holed up in some dark corner, standing far closer than any exes should be. Not long later, he definitely saw them slipping into one of the empty bathrooms. Oliver made the executive decision to pretend he hadn't seen that. It was none of his business and even if it was, Oliver had no intention in getting involved in anymore of their drama.

Oliver ended up crammed on one of the sofas in living room with Charlie and Dex, listening to Kessy regale the members of their swim team about her disastrous date last night. He was trying to explain to Kessy why, in his opinion, it was always a bad idea to go out for dinner on a first date when a familiar figure walked into the room. She'd chopped her dark hair to her chin in a sleek bob but otherwise Cora was just as Oliver remembered, self-assured and all the more attractive for it. When she caught Oliver's gaze, she flashed him a lazy smile and made her way over.

"Cora!" Charlie exclaimed. "You came!"

She sank down on the armrest of the sofa by Oliver's, curling an arm across his shoulder in a bid for balance when she crossed one leg over the other. "There wasn't much else happening around this town on a Friday night," she said, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "I figured I could pop into your party for a bit, see if it was interesting enough to stick around."

Oliver looked between the two of them with some bemusement. "How do you two know each other? You're not even in the same year, forget school."

"We met at Adam's party for Halloween, remember? I hosted a rather spectacular game of never have I ever in the basement, as I'm sure most of you remember," Charlie said, wagging a wobbly finger around the group before settling it on Oliver. "You, in particular! That game was really good fun for you and Reed, huh?"

"If by fun you mean traumatic," Oliver said, "then yes, it was incredibly fun."

"I don't really like never have I ever," Dex with a sad look. "I never get to drink."

Kessy gave his hair an affectionate ruffle. "You just need to get out there, do some more scandalous things that are worth drinking for!"

"Kessy, stop," Charlie said in accusation, and clapped his hands over Dex's ears. "Don't corrupt his innocence with your dirty ways!"

"Fuck you Charlie, there's nothing dirty about my ways!"

They descended into their usual loud bickering and Oliver's attention shifted to Cora, who was still balancing against him where she was perched on the armrest. There was a considerable amount of tanned skin on show as the hem of her skirt rode of up and Oliver made sure to keep his gaze fixed on Cora's face, something he didn't think went unnoticed judging by the amusement in her dark eyes. He was hung up on Reed, and he was drunk, but that didn't mean he wanted to do hook up with Cora. Nothing had really changed since that kiss at her party. The only person he wanted to kiss was Reed, a fact he couldn't escape even after a whole evening trying to avoid Reed and any thoughts about him.

As if hearing his thoughts, Cora asked, "Still complicated with Reed?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's a shame." She swiped his beer from his hand and took a long swig. She lowered the bottle with a smile at Oliver's raised eyebrow, holding on to the bottle even after she had finished drinking. "I think I deserve some compensation, for not being allowed to kiss you again."

"A whole beer for that?" Oliver asked, amused.

"What, you don't think you're worth a whole beer?"

"I think you could kiss anyone you wanted to at this party. Yet here you are, wasting your time on me."

Cora tapped light fingernails against his arm as she considered that. "I guess I've always preferred chasing emotionally unavailable guys. I must enjoy making myself suffer."

"Anyone choosing to drink that shitty lukewarm beer definitely wants to suffer."

Cora laughed and let Oliver steal his drink back, holding his gaze as he took a sip. Oliver might not want to hook up with Cora but he wasn't opposed to a harmless bit of flirting, either. It provided a more than welcome distraction from Reed. It's not like they had ever discussed being exclusive, forget being anything more two friends who slept together. If Reed was so adamant on covering up that anything was going on between them, Oliver was perfectly entitled to talk to a pretty girl for a bit if he wanted to. He thought how upset Reed had been at Brooks finding out about them, how quickly he'd snapped back at Clair for suggesting anything was going on between them. Yeah, he was more than well within his rights to talk to whoever the hell he wanted.

"Now would be the time to point out that you're the one who chose this shitty, lukewarm beer out of all the drinks on offer," Cora said, arching an eyebrow as Oliver drained the contents of the bottle. "What did you do to deserve such self-inflicted punishment?"

"I also seem to prefer chasing emotionally unavailable guys," Oliver said, emboldened to voice his self-pity in a way he would rarely do if sober. Cora's dark gaze invited him to continue but that was enough therapy for today. "I like the new hair. It suits you."

"That might be the least subtle subject change I've ever heard."

Oliver shrugged. "Girls usually don't care how unsubtle I am as long as I'm complimenting them."

"Smart," Cora said, with an approving nod. "Wisdom like that will carry you far in life."

Flirting aside, Cora was easy to talk to and Oliver found he enjoyed her company more than he had been expecting. He passed the rest of the party chatting with her and before he knew it, people were trickling out of the house in groups, the music that had been pounding all night winding down. More than a few people had passed out around the house and Charlie, who was no less drunk than anyone else, took it on himself to try rousing everyone to get them out. Dex was yawning repeatedly as he struggled to keep his eyes open and Kessy was chatting up some girl while her friend threw up in a bowl.

"That's my cue to leave," Cora said, eyeing the vomiting girl with distaste. "Nice catching up with you as always, Oliver."

Oliver smiled. "Likewise, Cora."

"Good luck with your boy drama. And if the drama ever ends, well..." She rose to her feet with a sly, knowing look. "I'm obliged to remind you that my offer still stands."

"Obliged?" Oliver raised an eyebrow. You make it sound like you're being forced."

"My bad." She leant down, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. The scent of cherry lipgloss with a flowery note of perfume lingered even after she had drawn back. "I'd be more than honoured to act as a rebound for you," she said, in a drawl that might have been mocking if not for her smile. "All physical, no strings attached? How ideal. And even if not, you wouldn't be too bad to hang out with as just friends."

She breezed out of the room without another glance back and Charlie, who had just finished directing the vomiting girl and her friend to the Uber waiting for them outside, bounced right over to clap him on the shoulder with enough enthusiasm it almost hurt. "Oli! I saw you and Cora, getting all cosy over there. Nice one," he said, with an approving nod. "She's not."

Oliver waved a hand. "It's not like that. She's just a friend."

"Just a friend!" Charlie looked as if he was about to slap his shoulder again and Oliver deftly moved out of the way before he could dislocate it. "Do friends kiss each other on the cheek?"

"Uh, yes?"

Charlie was stumped for a moment. "Well, I suppose, but you know who else kisses each other on the cheek?"

"The French?" Oliver suggested.

"Lovers," he declared, as if Oliver hadn't spoken. "Although, I really thought there was something going on between you and Reed. You've seemed even more cuddly and cosy than ever since the Christmas holidays. I guess that's one another twenty quid I owe to Kessy. I need to stop making bets against her, the evil cow. She's bleeding my dry."

"I heard that, you ugly pig!" Kessy yelled from the other room.

"What was the bet?" Oliver asked, not surprised in the slightest that they were being discussed by the two of them behind their backs. Half of the time, Kessy and Charlie didn't even bother doing it behind their backs, much to Reed's irritation. "About me and Reed?"

"That you were secretly dating," Charlie said, with a dramatic sigh of disappointment. "I was so sure of it, especially after all those hickeys you left over each other in London. Oh, well. I hope you and Cora are very happy together."

"I already told you, there's nothing...you know what, never mind," Oliver said, fully aware that he'd have a hard time convincing a sober Charlie otherwise when he had his mind set on something, forget a drunken Charlie. He already looked like he was planning their wedding and Oliver didn't have the time or energy to spoil his dreams like that. "Doesn't matter. Have you seen Reed?"

Oliver might have spent the whole of this party trying to avoid but him he was a little surprised, and disappointed, at how well he had succeeded. He still hadn't figured out if he was angry, upset or annoyed, or maybe even a confusing mix of all three, but that didn't mean he didn't miss Reed. It was about time Oliver had a proper, honest discussion with him about the two of them. If Reed didn't see this going anywhere serious, if it was just a fling for him, Oliver had to cut things off now. As much as it would hurt, it would only hurt a lot worse the longer he let it go on and it was the only chance he had of getting over Reed to the point they could still stay friends. He might need some space and it might break his heart, but Oliver didn't want to lose Reed again. Not for good.

He wished he had another drink even though the night had ended. Being mature was much harder than drinking to escape his problems and his feelings.

"Reed? Saw him not long ago, passing through. No clue where he is now," Charlie said, with a shrug. "He's your bestie. Aren't you supposed to know these things, like a spiritual connection? Feel his presence in your mind?"

"He's my friend, not my twin," Oliver said, and headed off in search of Reed (and Adam for that matter, who had remained mysteriously absent after disappearing into the bathroom with Clair) seeing as Charlie wasn't going to be much help.