Chapter 61

The hallway is dark. As we leave, others push into the living room, vying for the loveseat we just vacated. I feel Dan against me, his hands on my hips, his chest on my back as he guides me to the kitchen. The liquor bar is in the den, though. “I thought we wanted more drink,” I say, pointing back towards the stairs. The den is that way.

Dan doesn’t let me turn around. “We’re fine,” he tells me. “Aren’t you tired, babe?”

“A little,” I admit. In the kitchen, I stare at the refrigerator longingly, my throat still raw. “Aren’t we thirsty?”

“Are we?” Dan asks. I nod and he stops at the sink to pour me a glass of water. It’s cold and sharp as ice, and he holds the glass for me while I drink, pulling it back before I can choke and then letting me have more, just small sips that I swallow greedily. When the glass is empty, he sets it in the sink but I want more. “Come on, Michael,” he sighs. “Why don’t we get to bed?”