The Best of Us (Love in Isolation 2)

"I don't want to see him," I say. Grabbing the tequila, I pour another shot, then down it.

A laugh escapes her. "I would've believed you if you weren't dressed like that, but..." She lowers her eyes as she makes her point.

I roll my eyes, then grin. "You know me too well, but I’m not lying. I don't want to see him, but if I happen to run into him, then…” I sweep my hand down my body. “I'll be ready."

"I'm sure there's an explanation for everything, but you have to quit being so damn stubborn," she says, filling our shot glasses again.

"Wow, way to call me out.” I groan. “I’m not stubborn...I’m strong-minded.”

“Yeah, you’re something.” She cackles.

“I just want to avoid him because I don’t know what I’d say. I'm not over him yet. It's going to take some time," I admit, swallowing down the liquid. I’ve been here for ten minutes and have already had three shots. Great.

"We should do some karaoke. There’s a DJ on the roof by the pool," Cami says, then grabs my hand and leads me through the house. On the way there, we run into Eli.

"Good to see you, Kendall," he says, giving me a hug.

"You too, Mr. St James," I tease, then the three of us exit the double patio doors.

The outdoor heaters make it bearable, and the alcohol definitely helps too. Two people are up on the makeshift stage singing “I Got You Babe.”

Cami takes a slip of paper and snickers. I shake my head. "You better not be signing me up."

"It's tradition," she reminds me as if I've forgotten. It’s a game we play where we sign each other up and you have to sing whatever’s chosen for you no matter what.

Cami hands the slip to Eli. "You know what to do with this, baby," she says, then kisses him.

"You two are so adorably disgusting," I tell her, though I've said that a million times since they became official.

She grins. "I still feel like I'm living in a dream."

I can relate to that more than she knows. As soon as Ryan comes to mind, my mood changes, and she immediately notices. Cami gives me a pouty expression. "None of that."

A handful of people sing, and soon, I hear my name being announced. Thankfully, we got a refill of drinks because I couldn’t do this sober.

The emcee speaks into the microphone. "Sorry, I was told I can't tell you what you'll be singing until you're on stage. "

When I take the steps up, I shake my head. "This is your fault, Cami. I hate you," I say into the mic.

"I love you," she yells.

The DJ starts the song, and I immediately burst into laughter when the piano starts. Of course she chose Journey's “Don't Stop Believin’.”

I belt out the first few lyrics and try to hold back a smile. When the buildup to the chorus, Cami stands up and screams the words with me. I wave her toward me, but she shakes her head. “It’s your theme song! You’re the main character tonight!”

When I look into the crowd, smiling and singing, I spot Ryan watching me in the back. The way his eyes pierce through me makes me almost forget to read the words. I try my best not to look at him, but it's so damn hard knowing he's right there.

Cami comes up on the stage and belts out the chorus that's on repeat at the end. My face is flushed, and my body feels like it’s on fire when the music finally fades off. The small crowd of older people go wild when I walk off the stage. Cami nearly knocks me over when she swings her arms around me.

"You've had a lot to drink, and I've apparently not had enough," I say with a chuckle, leading us back to the table. As soon as I saw Ryan, I sobered up. Once we’re seated, Eli offers to get us more drinks, and I see him stop and chat with Ryan.

"There he is," I mutter.

Cami perks up and sees her brother. "Ryan!" She waves him over.

I shake my head and grab her hand. "No. No. Please."

"It's time to rip off the Band-Aid," Cami demands. "Just give him a chance."

When he comes closer, I force a smile, then glare at Cami.

"I'm going to get you back for this," I say between gritted teeth as Eli returns with our drinks.

He looks at me, and a million unspoken words stream between us. Right now, I want to disappear.

“Have a seat," Eli offers to Ryan.

"You can have mine. Excuse me." I walk past him, then hear Cami calling out my name. I know she means well, but as much as I thought I was prepared to be around him, I realized I'm not ready.

Needing to get away, I go back inside and go down the stairs. Considering I have this house memorized, I walk the long hallway that leads to a balcony that oversees the city.