Big Roomie

But in her buzzed stupor, Lillian doesn’t back off.

“Lillian, maybe you should get some coffee in you,” Deb says. It seems everyone can see how uncomfortable and uninterested I am except for Lillian. Channa is chewing on her thumbnail, looking horrified.

Lillian doesn’t listen to her friend. She grabs my hand and stands up. “Why don’t we take this party of two back to my room?”

I shake her off and put her at arm’s length.

She giggles. “Playing hard to get?” By now she’s had way too much to drink and is slurring her words.

“Stop,” I tell her, putting force behind the words. “Look, I’m sorry, but I’m into Channa. We’re together.”

Lillian’s mouth falls open. Deb looks confused and stares at Channa, but Channa is watching me. Pain and anger distort Lillian’s features. She whips around and glares at Channa. “Is he serious?”

Channa looks like she might cry. I can tell it kills her to hurt her friend, and I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but they were going to find out eventually.

“I’m sorry, Lil, I should have told you yesterday.”

Lillian stands up and puts her hands on her hips in a display of irritation. “You’re damn right you should have. You had every opportunity to tell me when I was going on about how hot he was and talking about my crush, but instead you wait until I humiliate myself? Some fucking friend. Thanks for ruining my vacation.”

“Lillian, wait,” Channa calls out, but it’s too late. She’s already stormed off into the house.

9

Kain

I chase after Channa who runs into the house behind Lillian. Lillian grabs a bottle of tequila off the counter and takes a large gulp. The last thing she needs right now is to get drunker than she already is, but there are no signs of her slowing down.

“Will you please just calm down,” Channa begs.

“You made me look stupid, Channa. I wouldn’t have hit on Kain had you been honest with me and told me you guys had a thing. Why would you do that?”

Channa sighs. I want to hold her, comfort her right now. I hate seeing her so upset, but I know it’s not my place to butt in. This is my fault to begin with.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Channa admits.

Lillian taps her foot and scowls. “There’s no excuse. It was selfish.”

“I know. I agree with you.”

“Did you have sex with him?” Lillian asks.

Both Channa’s friends are staring at her. Channa glances at me. I shrug, not knowing what she should do. If she lies, it will only make things worse, and I know Channa is sick of lying to her friends.

“Yes,” Channa says.

Deb gasps.

Lillian shakes her head. “You’re an idiot for losing your virginity to a guy you’ll never see again.”

That’s it. I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer. I get that they’re best friends and they need to hash this out, but I’m not about to sit here and let Lillian go after Channa and attack my character.

“I’m not just some hookup,” I tell her. “Don’t tear Channa down just because you got your pride hurt.”

Lillian makes a sound of disgust. She stomps off. I was assuming she would go to her room and sleep it off, then tomorrow morning she would wake up with yet another hangover and they would make up. But instead of going up to her room, I hear the front door slam as she heads off into the storm.

Deb rubs her hands over her face. “Well this night is a bust.”

“I’m sorry, Deb,” Channa says.

Deb smiles with the corner of her mouth. “I know. This isn’t your fault. How were you to know she was so interested in Kain when Lillian was flirting with half of London? She’ll get over it. You know how she is when she’s been drinking and there are guys involved.”

Channa nods but doesn’t seem to take any comfort from her friend’s words. Channa goes to her room and shuts the door, leaving me alone with Deb.

I’m surprised to see the annoyance on Deb’s face when she looks at me. “You know this is your fault, right?” she says.

“How so?” I ask.

I’m sure she’s right, but I want to hear it from her. It’s hard for me to see the bigger picture when all I can think is how much I want to be with Channa.

“Channa is naïve when it comes to romance. She’s twenty-five and only now lost her virginity. You know better and you should have backed off. You’re going to break her heart. She’s not going to think of this thing she has with you as just a fling. It’s selfish.”

“To me it’s not just a fling, I—” I abruptly stop talking when Channa walks past me wearing a thick winter coat.

“Where are you going?”

“To get Lillian. She’s out there, wandering the streets in the rain, drunk.”