Page 128 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Mano stood by the water, tossing pebbles like before.

“How much longer are we gonna sit around here?” Elias whined.

“Until they sober up. Unless you want to carry them yourself,” Steve shot back.

“Relax, man, what’s your deal? This is hilarious. They’re getting roasted tomorrow.”

Ody didn’t look up. Roasted… just for kissing?

Half an hour later, they finally got them awake with a few light slaps and made them drink some water. Getting them to the restrooms was a mess, but once they could stand on their own, they headed out. They made it back to the hotel with Pierce leaning heavily on Elias, and Chris on Steve.

“Should we just put them in the same bed?” Elias joked.

Steve shot him a look and walked straight into the room with Chris.

“Night, guys. See you tomorrow. It’s gonna be hilarious,” Elias said, heading into his own with Pierce.

Ody and Mano stepped into theirs, the door closing behind them with a soft thud. Ody dropped onto the bed, leaning forward, his gaze fixed on the floor.

“What’s wrong?” Mano asked, still standing.

Ody fidgeted with his fingers. “Didn’t you hear what they were saying?”

“I heard. So?”

Ody looked up at him. “What do you mean, ‘so’, Mano?”

“Does it bother you?”

“Of course it does. They’re my friends. My best friends. What are they gonna say if they find out about us?”

“Just don’t tell them.” Mano shrugged. “You’re good at keeping secrets anyway.”

Ody’s expression hardened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means. You care what your friends think, but Anna doesn’t matter as much, does she?”

“You’re not in my head, Mano. You don’t know what I’m thinking!”

“You know what I’m thinking?” Mano stepped closer, his voice low. “I’m sick of feeling guilty every time I hear her name.”

Ody swallowed. “You think this is easy for me? That I don’t feel guilty?”

“Then do something about it.”

“I tried,” Ody said. “More than once. I kept telling myself I’d do it the next time I saw her, but then something would happen. She was crying in my arms after fighting with her parents. Another time, she was talking about us, about what we’d do together next summer, like nothing had changed. And I just… couldn’t do it. I couldn’t look at her and destroy everything she still thought we had.”

Their eyes locked, tension snapping between them.

“If she didn’t love me so much… I would’ve already ended it.” He dragged his hands through his hair, exhaling. “I can’t hurt her like that… I used to be in love with her. And now…” He hesitated, his gaze drifting. “Now I look at her and I feel nothing.”

Mano looked down, his eyes closing.

“I still care about her,” Ody went on, softer now. “I want her to be okay. I just… I’m not in love with her anymore.” He looked back up. “My heart doesn’t race when I see her. I don’t miss her. I don’t think about her before I fall asleep.”

Their eyes locked.

“It only happens with you now.”