I roll my eyes as Lila laughs, and then Ethan laughs, too. I don’t dare turn around, worried what I might see the two of them doing if I do.

Out of the corner of my eye, I check on Mikey’s car, relieved it’s still parked and quiet. “I think we should go home,” I say, looking back at Micha.

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Micha asks innocently as he glances around at the four of us and then chuckles under his breath. “Is anyone sober? Because I’m not.”

“I’m not either,” Ethan says with a slur to his speech and Lila laughs even louder.

I blink my eyes, hoping the blur and merry-go-round effect has vanished, but no such luck. “No, but we could always call your mom,” I say, racking my mind for more ideas but all I get is a headache.

Micha waves me off and staggers to his feet, grinning proudly like he’s just come up with the best idea ever. “Nah, we can just walk. Walking’s fun.”

I laugh as he tugs me to my feet and grips my waist to hold my balance as I stumble in my heels. “Easy for you to say,” I tell him, gripping onto his shoulder as we both slide on the ice. “You’re not the one wearing heels.”

He works to steady us and then his eyes roam down my legs as he sucks his lip ring in between his teeth. “God, those are some fucking sexy legs.” His eyes heat with lust and I know if I don’t get him home soon, I’m going to have my hands even fuller. If a fight doesn’t break out, then a live porn show might. “I just want to rub my hands all over them,” he growls, moving in for a kiss.

I laugh louder, trying not to trip as I gently put my hand to his chest and push him back. “I’ll tell you what, you call your mom to come get us and I’ll let you rub my legs as long as you want.”

“Promise?” he asks, with an intense look on his face.

I cross my heart with my finger. “Promise, but make sure she brings Thomas. We can’t leave your car here.” Otherwise it’ll probably get trashed.

He grins at me and then retrieves his phone out of his pocket to call his mom. I keep an eye on Mikey’s car, hoping he stays in there until we’re gone, because if he gets out and Micha finds out he hit me, all shit’s going to hit the fan. Micha isn’t the most violent person, except when it comes to me. I remember how Micha told me he punched Grantford Davis because he was the one who drove me to the bridge that night.

“Okay, she’ll be here in, like, five,” Micha announces, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Then he steps forward, rubbing his hands together, breathing out a cloud of air. “Now for some leg rubbing.”

I laugh as he backs me up against the car and then lifts me and sits me down on his lap as he sinks into the driver’s seat and shuts the door. He starts rubbing his hands up and down my legs, tickling my thighs and making the air feel sweltering even though it’s below zero out. Ethan and Lila start making out in the passenger seat, making these breathless noises, and Micha whispers something about them challenging us and then kisses me roughly.

The next few minutes move by in a blurry haze full of kissing and touching and awkwardness because Lila and Ethan are in the seat next to us doing the same thing. But everyone’s too drunk to care and by the time Micha’s mom pulls up beside us in Thomas’s old pickup, she damn near gets an eyeful.

Thankfully, everyone’s clothes are still on when she raps on the window. She makes Micha and I get out, cracking a joke about us acting like teenagers again, almost like she sort of misses it.

Micha and I get in the backseat and Ethan climbs back, too, ungracefully diving over the console. Then Lila follows him, jumping onto his lap. We’re crammed in the backseat, Lila’s knees pressing against mine as I pretty much ball myself up on Micha’s lap.

“There’s room up here,” Micha’s mom says, patting the empty passenger seat and then she adjusts the rearview mirror.

“We’re good,” the four of us say nearly in sync and then we laugh.

Micha’s mom sighs and then follows Thomas out of the parking lot, leaving the bar, Mikey, and our past behind. At least for now.

Micha

I feel bad about getting wasted, but I was having fun hanging out and drinking beers and shots with Ethan and I got a little carried away. I promise myself that I won’t be mean to Ella no matter what and it’s actually pretty easy, considering the moment I see her I want to tear off her clothes and bury myself inside her.

As we head back to my house with my mom, our designated driver, like we’re a bunch of teenagers again, I can’t seem to keep my hands off Ella. I suck on her neck, giving her a hickey as my fingers sneak up her dress. She breathes against my skin as she buries her face against my neck, trying to be quiet. She smells like vodka and vanilla and I bask in the scent, ready to get home because I’m seriously about to lose it.

The only time I get distracted is when we pass by a group of Christmas carolers standing on the corner near the park, bundled up in hats, coats, and gloves singing at the top of their voices.

“Wait a minute,” I say, leaning forward and slapping the console with my hand. “Stop the car.”

“Jesus, Micha.” My mom flinches in surprise but then starts to tap on the brakes. “What’s wrong?”

“We should go throw snowballs at them,” I say nodding my head at the carolers and then pinch Ella’s leg. “Like we used to do when we were kids every year. It was kind of like our tradition.”

“Micha Scott,” my mom says in horror. “That’s terrible.”

But Ella starts to laugh. “I completely forgot about that. Remember that one time I hit that guy straight in the face with one and then he chased us for blocks.”

“You always got us into so much trouble,” I say with a grin. “Let’s do it again.”

Ella starts to smile and even though we’re probably too old to keep carrying on that tradition, we’re both drunk enough that we’re seriously considering it. But my mom presses on the gas and drives down the road, sighing disappointedly.

“You two and your crazy ideas,” she mutters under her breath.

I’m disappointed that she’s not letting us, but I quickly forget about it and start kissing Ella again until we’re pulling up to my house and my mom is turning off the engine.

“Do you guys want me to make something to eat?” my mom asks as we hop out of the car. “It might be good for you guys to eat something.”

“We’re good. Thanks again for coming to get us.” I wave her off and she sighs as I lead Ella inside, not even bothering to wait for Lila and Ethan or listen when my mom asks me to come back.

By the time I get us to my room and the door closed, I’m burning with the need to touch Ella as I flip on the lamp. I don’t even give her a warning as I jerk her leather jacket off and throw it onto the floor.

“I’m going to have my hands full tonight, aren’t I?” she states with a wicked glint in her eyes like that’s exactly what she wants.

I squint at her cheek, grazing my thumb across it. It looks even redder and more swollen in the light. “How hard did that girl hit you?”

She shrugs. “A normal hit.” Then she grabs the bottom of my shirt and yanks me toward her. “But it doesn’t matter. I got her back twice so everything’s good,” she says and then smashes her lips into mine so hard I think we’ll have bruises in the morning.

I slip my tongue inside her as my fingers wander through her hair, up her body, under her dress, into her panties. I feel her from the inside but only for a moment because it’s all that I can take. Then I pull my fingers out of her and peel her tight dress off, chucking it onto the floor, too. She helps me out of my shirt and then undoes the button of my jeans so I can I slip them off. I notice that she only uses her left hand and I wonder if she hurt her other hand when she hit the girl. I’m about to ask her when she unhooks her bra, and then all thoughts leave my mind.