Chapter 56 Chapter fifty-Two
Alex’s Point Of View
The bottle shouldn't have mattered.
It was just glass. Cheap, half-empty, rolling unevenly across a scratched hardwood floor that had seen better nights than this one.
But everyone leaned in like it was fate itself, laughter overlapping, voices blurring together under the pounding bass.
The air smelled like alcohol and sweat and something sweet burning in the corner, and I felt too warm in my own skin.
I was already on edge before it stopped.
It slowed, wobbling, the label flashing past again and again.
I told myself not to look. I told myself it didn't mean anything.
That whatever happened next, I could laugh it off the way I always did.
Then it stopped.
Pointed at me.
"Alex!" someone yelled.
A cheer went up. I forced my mouth into a grin that felt stretched too tight, like it might tear if I wasn't careful. My heart kicked hard against my ribs, sudden and sharp.
"Alright, alright," I said, lifting my cup. "Relax." I said as I leaned in and gave the girl a peck on the lips and began the game.
Someone grabbed the bottle again and gave it to Demi, he spun it, It rolled faster this time, clinking loudly, before slowing.
I looked up without meaning to.
Demi was already watching me.
That was the thing about him. He always noticed.
Always paid attention in a way that made me feel exposed even when we weren't doing anything wrong.
He sat on the couch with one leg tucked under him, fingers loosely wrapped around a soda instead of a beer, dark hair falling into his eyes.
He didn't smile when the bottle spun. Didn't chant. Just watched.
The bottle stopped.
Pointing at me.
The room erupted.
"No way!"
"Holy shit!"
"Do it!"
"Yaoi??"
My stomach dropped so fast it felt like freefall.
I felt every eye swing between us, felt the heat of attention press in from all sides.
Chris laughed loud from across the room, already grinning like this was better than whatever game he'd been playing on his phone five minutes ago.
"Oh, this is good," I heard him say. "You can't back out now."
Demi didn't move.
He just looked at me, expression unreadable, eyes searching my face like he was bracing himself. Like he already knew what I was going to do and still hoped he was wrong.
I should've just said no.
I should've taken the penalty shot, made a joke, kept it light. That was the smart move. The safe one.
The one that wouldn't unravel everything we'd spent months keeping hidden.
Instead, panic surged up my spine, fast and blinding.
I laughed, sharp and too loud. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."
People hooted.
"C'mon," Maya- some girl- said. "Rules are rules Alex."
I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes darting around the room.
I could feel Demi watching me, but I was panicking and I didn’t want anyone getting any ideas, I can’t kiss him.
I scoffed. "Nah. That's-" i gestured vaguely. "That's not happening."
The words came out harsher than I meant them to. Too loud. Too sharp.
A beat of silence followed.
I could feel it even before I saw it, the way the energy in the room shifted, laughter faltering, people exchanging glances. Someone coughed awkwardly.
Demi's face changed, his body stiffened.
It wasn't dramatic. No visible anger. Just... something closing. Like a door quietly but firmly shutting.
"Why not?" someone asked but I chose to ignore them, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone.
I shrugged, forcing a grin. "I'm not-" i stopped, laughed again, harder. "I'm not into that gay shit, okay?" The lie burned going down.
The room went awkwardly silent. Someone muttered "Dude..." under their breath. I heard a few people laughed but it didn’t sound genuine, it sounded uncomfortable, maybe unsure.
"I mean, no offense, man," i said, finally looking at Demi, but my eyes slid away just as fast because I can’t look him directly in the eye. "It's just a joke. I'm not kissing a guy."
I saw my best friend gulp before he managed a laugh, thin and fake. "Yeah. Yeah, it's fine, I'm not gay either so it doesn't bother me."
A part of me feels like I’ve done something bad and it isn’t sitting well with me.
I felt relieved when people started talking again, when the bottle was spun away like nothing had happened.
I side eyes Demi and saw he was just sat there, barely moving, it was like he was on pause.
I leaned closer, voice low. "You okay?" I was concerned.
Demi nodded automatically. "Yeah. Just drunk, remember."
I smiled, grateful that he was talking to me. "Okay, good"
"Still the MVP," i said fondly trying to get him to lighten up.
As we continued playing the game I could feel Demi shift, he stood up and began walking away.
He didn't look at me again. Just stepped around the table and headed down the hallway, disappearing before I could stop him.
The party restarted like nothing had happened. Music surged. Someone refilled their drink.
Chris slid into the space Demi had left, elbow resting casually on the couch.
"Damn," Chris said, smirking at me, it made me want to slap the smirk out of his face. "Didn't know you were so intense about that."
"Shut up Chris," I muttered.
He raised his eyebrows. "Relax. I’m just saying."
I couldn't breathe.
I stood abruptly, chair scraping loud against the floor. "I need air."
No one cared. No one stopped me.
The night outside was cool, the kind of chill that hit your lungs and reminded you, you were still alive.
I paced the porch-a large part of me was hoping to see Demi here-, dragging my hands through my hair, replaying the look on Demi's face over and over.
‘Why did I say that?’
I knew why. And that made it worse.
I scanned the yard. Empty. The driveway. Empty.
"Demi?" I called, my voice lower than I meant it to be. "Demi!"
Nothing.
I stepped off the porch, gravel crunching under my shoes, heart pounding harder with every second. I walked on the sidewalk for a few minutes before I got to the park that was close by.
Demi was sitting on the bench
Chris was there with him.
They were close. Too close.
Chris was talking, head tilted toward Demi, voice low like he was sharing something personal.
Demi wasn't smiling, but he wasn't pulling away either.
Something hot and vicious flared in my chest.
And I knew that feeling all too well, it was what I always felt whenever Demi was close to anyone.
Jealousy.
Before I could think better of it, I walked straight toward them.
Demi noticed me first. His eyes widened slightly.
"Alex-“ he was cut off as I grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward me.
"Hey!" Chris snapped. "What the hell are you doing Alex?"
"I'm taking him," I said, my voice rough.
Demi stumbled into me, breath hitching. "Alex, stop-“
Chris stepped forward trying to get Demi back but I was angry and irritated with his face. "You don't get to just grab him like that."
I turned on him, anger boiling over. "Stay out of this."
"Make me," Chris shot back. "You already embarrassed him enough tonight."
That did it.
I swore, words spilling out sharp and ugly, laced with fury and fear I didn't know how to handle.
I didn't care who heard.
I didn't care how it looked.
"Stay the hell away from him," I snapped. "This doesn't concern you Christian” I barked at him.
Chris laughed, disbelieving. "You don't get to decide that."
I pulled Demi away, hard enough that he gasped, and didn't stop until we were halfway down the street.
"Let go of me Alex” Demi said, yanking his arm free.
I stopped, chest heaving.
"What the hell was that?" he demanded, his eyes looked red and puffy.
I stared at him, at the tension in his shoulders, the shine in his eyes that made something twist painfully in my chest.
"Why do you look like that?" I asked suddenly.
"Like what?"
"Like you're heartbroken," I said. "Like I just, destroyed you."
He laughed softly, but there was nothing amused about it.
"Because maybe you did Alex," he said, his voice was almost like a whisper.
The words hit harder than any punch.
And I realized, standing there under the flickering streetlight, that this night wasn't going to end the way I wanted.