affluenza (1.) | ✔️

Evan North

"A little bit over tipsy. One of those days," I mumble, sounding a bit like I'd fallen into a Western movie that neither of us wanted to be in. Roman and I laugh and he shakes his head, taking the now empty glass.

"If you're going to be drinking underage, at least let it be a quality drink. Not some $7 beer," he scolds.

I lick my lips once, finding it a bit harder than normal to argue. "It was $5. And it's all I could afford."

Roman's face softens a bit. "Really has been rough, yeah?"

I hiccup once. "Yeah."

He cocks his head to the side before sighing. "Fine. I'll make you a drink, Braylen. On the house. And you're going to tell me what it is you're doing here."

A slow smile spreads across my lips. "Okay, okay. If you insist."

Roman laughs and gets to work, grabbing bottles of stuff I don't think I could pronounce and shaking them up. I watch his fingers as he works, moving swiftly and so quick that it takes my eyes a few moments to take in exactly what he's doing.

He pours it into its final glass before setting it in front of me, face expectant. I glance up at him before taking a sip. It was stronger than the beers I'd been downing but also way tastier. Something fruity and fresh hits my tongue and I sigh. "It's good," I say, taking another sip. "Should I ask what it is?"

Roman laughs. "It's something I've been working on. You really like it?"

        I had downed half of the drink. "Yeah, it's alright, I suppose."

        Roman grins and then looks at me again. "Well. Let's hear it."

        I take a breath. "Long story short, that guy we talked about, Sebastian? Well, we're dating now. I'll save you the long saga of the many trials we faced to get to that point but we did. We made it. We're together. But lately he's just been so closed off again, like when we first started liking one another. And it's sucks because I thought we were that couple that told each other everything, you know? And I'm just so scared that he maybe doesn't want to be with me or that I did something to push him away when all I really want is to be his. I love him and it's killing me."

        Roman's brows furrow. "Why do you think he's shutting you out?"

I shrug my shoulders, swirling my finger around the rim of the glass. "I have no clue this time and that's what scares me. I just...I don't want to lose what we have. It took us eight years to get to this place. I don't want it to be thrown away just because we can't communicate."

"Then communicate," Roman says, leaning forward. "He's not opening up, I get that. Maybe he feels like he can't. Maybe he needs you to remind him that he can. At any rate, I don't think this is healthy for either of you."

I roll my eyes. "Who said anything about healthy?" I mumble.

Roman sighs. "Look, if you love this Sebastian guy and he loves you, it'll work out. This could be nothing."

But it could be something, I want to say. Instead, I settle for something else. "He hasn't actually told me he loves me."

Roman raises an eyebrow. "How does that make you feel?"

"Fine," I mumble lamely. "I mean, it sucks. But I know he does. He has to."

Roman's eyes twinkle in what looks pity. I sigh. "Get me another one of those drinks," I whisper, slapping my head down onto the table.

After another half hour or so, Roman sighs. He'd been bartending for that amount of time, watching as the alcohol slipped deeper into my bloodstream and infiltrated my mind. "Alright, you've gotta go kid."

I wrinkle my nose. "Technically, I just turned eighteen, so."

"Where's your phone? Did you drive here?" he asks, completely ignoring my previous statement.

I pull the phone out of my pocket, nearly dropping it against the wet and dirty floors. He grabs it easily, glancing at the screen. "Your boyfriend texted."

"What's it say?" I slur, leaning over to look.

He holds the phone up for facial recognition and reads it aloud. "'Hey, what're you up to tonight? Haven't heard from you in a while,'" he recites as Sebastian.

I scoff. "Yeah, ditto, Roman. I mean, Sebastian."

Roman's eyebrows furrow before he begins typing on my phone. "What'd you tell him?" I ask, straining my neck to see.

"Gave him the address. Told him you're off your face and need a ride. You didn't drive here, right?"

I shake my head. Devin dropped me off here with a very judgmental face and offered me a ride back home, too. I declined. Devin was hardly my babysitter. I'd planned just to call Robs instead. I didn't need Devin Forrester seeing me wasted again.

I lay my head back on the table, groaning. "Sebastian's gonna kill me. Last time I was this drunk I yacked on his bedroom floor."

"Beautiful anecdote," Roman jokes. "I gotta start mixing again. You keep out of trouble until he gets here, okay?"

I lift up my left thumb in agreement and Roman gives it a squeeze before leaving again. "Get a hold of yourself," I mumble. "You can't be drunk when he gets here."

The time seemed to suddenly begin moving quickly and before I knew it, there was a tap on my shoulder. I look up to see Sebastian's angry blue eyes. He looked good, dressed in a white t-shirt and a black jacket. "A bar, Braylen? You're actually kidding me right now!" he yells, voice drowned out by the sound of music.

"Shhh!" I say, bringing my finger to his lips. "In here I'm Evan West. No, wait. That's not right." A laugh leaves my lips and I watch as his pretty eyes roll, even though they seemed a bit shinier and glitzier than I remembered.

Sebastian is still fuming. "I had to tell the bouncer I was your brother to even get five minutes in here."

        I snort. "Sorry, Sebby, but you're the whitest thing I've ever seen in my life. There's no way we'd be brothers."

        There's a laugh from behind me and I turn my head to look at the source. Roman's there, wiping off a glass with a cloth. I grin at him. "Oh, yeah, this is my buddy Roman. He texted you. He's a barista."

       "Bartender," Roman corrects, reaching out and shaking Sebastian's hand. Sebastian gives him the smallest smile he can manage underneath his anger and shakes his hand back. "So you're the famous Sebastian. Certainly attractive. You described him well, Braylen."

        I yawn. "Paws off, Roman. He's mine."

        Sebastian's arms hook underneath me and he nods at Roman. "Thank you. For looking out for B. I appreciate it, really."

        Roman nods and I nestle my head into Sebastian's side, breathing in his scent. The lights suddenly felt too bright, the scent of alcohol and sweat too much.

        "You take care of that one, Sebastian. He's a good guy. You're very lucky," Roman remarks, but I can hardly hear him as I pull Sebastian closer to me.

        I can't see, but I'm sure Sebastian nods. "Trust me. I know."