Page 15 of Sunrise

Ry takes a swig. “Jesus, that’s fucking awful.” He passes it to Vault. “It burns.”

Vault takes a whiff from the bottle and shrugs beforetaking a massive pull from it, then he passes it over to me. I take a healthy sip, trying my best to not yack it up. This stuff doesn’t mix well with all the junk I’ve eaten.

We finally crash around three in the morning and the room is spinning a little. I have to keep one eye open to make sure I’m not going to fly off the edge of the world. “I ate too much cake.”

“Fucking idiot, you’re drunk,” Dmitri grumbles. He rolls over and pounds his pillow into submission on the floor.

I didn’t havethat muchbooze. I’m just whirly. But I probably shouldn’t have taken those last two chugs. I don’t even know why I did it. I have regrets now. It wasn’t even good. How the hell does my pops drink this shit?

Taking in a deep breath, I stare at nothing until my gaze finally focuses and I realize I’m looking straight at Vault.

He stares back.

Hey, at least I’m not the only drunk at my party. Ryker didn’t take more than a couple sips and I think he fake swallowed. Dmitri never touched it. Vault hung in there with me, though. He’s a good friend like that.

For no good reason, or maybe for every good reason, I lean over and keep staring at him. If I keep moving in like this, we’re going to head butt. Neither of us blink, and the room doesn’t so much as spin but stops existing. We’re closer. A lot fucking closer.

I’ve been wanting to kiss him for months just to see what it’s like. He helps me with my homework all the time and I stare at his mouth a lot. He chews on the corner of his bottom lip when he thinks too hard. It’s cute. And I love how smart he is. I’m trying to keep up with him, which is why he tutors me in both math and science. He’s at the top of the class at his school. I’m not a good student. Probably not a good kisser, either.

I should find out.

We’re super close now. He doesn’t back away. We still haven’t blinked.

Fuck it.

I press my mouth to his and it’s everything I thought it would be. Scary, fun, soft and—

He lightly pushes against me, and I ease back.

Shit. I fucked up.

Panic sobers me and I go to make up some stupid bullshit for my behavior, but Vault silences me with the look on his face. He’s… terrified.

No wait. Maybe he’s turned on?

I mean, I’ve got a hard on right now, does he have one too?

What does that look on his fucking face mean?

“Sorry,” I mumble and turn away.

Ryker’s watching us from across the room. He doesn’t say a word, just closes his eyes and pretends to fall asleep. D’s already snoring.

The next morning, I wake up with a pounding headache. It’s afternoon already. Ryker’s playing video games. D’s still passed out.

“Where’s Vault?”

“Left super early.” Ryker doesn’t mention what he saw us do last night. Maybe he didn’t see it at all. Maybe it didn’t even happen, and I made it all up in my head.

I’m never touching Wild Turkey again…

When I wake up the next morning, Sophie is in the kitchen and Vault is nowhere in sight. I feel his absence in my house considerably, which fucks with my head.

“Happy birthday!” She saunters over and hands me a mug with… not coffee in it.

“What is this?”

“Chocolate lava mug cake?” She looks down at it, confused. “I think that’s what Vault called it. He made it this morning before going back to the Monarch.”

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