finding you

seventy

I finish the cider cooler Rhys gave me and toss it the box of someone's truck. Everything is pitch darkness where we are because we've wandered quite a ways from the fire. I've taken my sandals off so I could feel the sand with my toes, but now I'm wondering whether or not that was a good idea. I can't seem to remember where I placed them.

"How the heck are you supposed to find anywhere to pee?" I mutter as I attempt to climb a dune. "I feel weird peeing on sand. Ouch." I step on something sharp and yelp. I hear Rhys's chuckles behind me.

We've left the fire to find somewhere to pee. Rhys insisted I just pee with him behind someone's parked vehicle. It was literally nearby everyone and I absolutely refused. The idea of someone possibly seeing me squat behind a car is mortifying.

"Theo, just dig a hole or something. I'll stand guard," Rhys says behind me. I can hear him smirking as he says it.

"I don't want you close to me when I pee! I can't have you see me or hear me!" I sound mortified. I shouldn't probably be that mortified given we've already... you know. He laughs again and I feel him come up close behind me. I turn around to face him. His face is kind of illuminated by the moonlight. Beautiful.

"You're cute." He smiles, but then lets out a frustrated groan. "Baby, just go! I'll go with you."

"Ew! No, Rhys!" I'm horrified by that thought even more and I'm sure it's showing on my face. "I'll go back and get Ronnie." I start my way back, but Rhys stops me. I walk into his chest and he grabs hold of me while looking down at my face.

I look up at him to find him smiling; teeth and all. I raise an eyebrow before something suddenly overcomes me. I reach myself up on my toes and bring his face down to mine. We kiss, and it's a moment I know I will never forget. It's just us two, and nobody's around us. We're both kind of intoxicated, but we're having fun. I'm having a blast with him even if it was just as a friend. Suddenly, I know right then that I would love him even if we didn't end up working out. He's just someone I want in my life. He's made my everyday sunnier. Everyday is a little bit longer with him. I'm excited to wake up to a new day knowing he's going to be in it. I don't want to lose him. I love him.

"I'm happy," I breathe, smiling against his mouth.

I open my eyes and watch him as he slowly opens his eyes, too. He smiles big and pecks me quickly on the lips before pulling back. "That makes me happy."

"Okay, dig me a hole quick. I'll meet you back at the fire," I state, after a long moment of just gleefully smiling.

I laugh when he rolls his eyes, but he does as he's told. I send him away and probably wait three whole minutes to be sure that he's far enough away. I quickly check my surroundings for the 80th time before quickly squatting myself above the hole Rhys had dug for me. A true gentleman.

Soon I'm well-relieved and making my way back to the party. I'm about two seconds into walking when big hands grab my waist spinning me around. I let out a blood-curdling scream and instinctively try to fight back. My fist lands on the rock-hard chest of a laughing Rhys.

"Rhys!" I squeal, my voice shaking, although I'm immediately relieved. "What the hell is wrong with you! Oh my God!"

He clearly is having a hard time quitting laughing, so I punch him again. Suddenly a horrifying thought comes to me.

"Oh my god. Did you see me pee?" I can only imagine how horrified I look.

"Baby, no!" He laughs even harder, his massive chest going up and down. "I just didn't want to leave you all alone out here. Now come on, let me take you back." He motions for me to get on his back and I do. Yay, piggy-back!

I spend the whole way back giggling like an idiot on Rhys's back, my arms wrapped around his neck as if I'm falling. I think I'm choking him. We're both laughing our asses off when we get back to the fire. I'm almost completely off of Rhys's back when Veronica comes into view. She's with Ashton. They're both laughing at me and Rhys.

"Theo!" She comes crashing into me, wrapping both of her arms around my neck. "I thought you got killed somewhere and Rhys dragged you off," she expresses rather dramatically while suffocating me against her.

"Nice," I hear Rhys groan from behind me.

"I was peeing," I explain.

She lets go and then scowls at Rhys, sputtering, "she's not a machine, y-you know. Let her recover."

"Oh my God! Ronnie!" I gape. I'm utterly horrified. I cannot believe she just said that out loud. Out loud in front of Rhys!

"What is this all about?" Ashton steps in. I want to punch the smirk that has just appeared on his face off. He is never going to let this down. He will bug me about this until the die I literally die.

I turn to look at Rhys's face, but he seems very impassive. He doesn't seem to be bothered at all. Me on the other hand? Our gazes suddenly meet, and something flashes in his eyes. Anger? No... he wouldn't be angry. Why would he be? Maybe because I obviously told Ronnie about our night last night...

A feeling of panic suddenly fills me. "Shots?" I suddenly suggest, turning my gaze completely away from him. I give him a quick look back.

"Absolutely," Rhys smiles, and just like that, his concerning look is gone. He's back to being party-mode Rhys. Weird...

The four of us walk to the area where all the cars are parked and Ashton grabs something from the box of a truck. It's a mickey of something.

"Whiskey," he announces before pouring some in little plastic shot cups he grabbed from the box also.

We each take the shots and together we clink our cups, downing the drinks in sync. I begin to choke slightly at the burning, and everyone laughs. I feel Rhys chuckle beside me, and his hand goes to the small of my back, gently patting me as if that would help. His touch sends tingles through my body, which is strange given I just took a shot of whiskey and that felt like nothing compared to this. How does he do this to me? I never want to stop feeling like this. I'm getting addicted to him.

"You good?" He eyes me up. I'm finished coughing and I'm just staring at him. He's smiling. His eyes are sparkling. Damn.

"Y-yeah..."

He chuckles and squeezes my side before taking his hand off my back. He leans his face in close to my neck, whispering, "I'm going to go find Nial. I'll be back. You good?"

I'm slightly disappointed but I'm not about to say that to him. I just nod and smile at him. He gives me a quick peck on the forehead before grasping the back of my neck and squeezing. His lips linger and for a moment and I'm in a Rhys Collins daze. I just want to constantly be touching him. I don't want him to leave me, even if it's only for a little while. I give him a sad smile as I watch him walk off and soon disappear into a crowd. Ashton and Ronnie are in some kind of conversation when I turn to them.

"What's up? Should we go down to the fire, too?" I ask them.

"Where is Rhys?" Ronnie asks, completely oblivious. Did she not just see him walk away?

"Gone. You probably scared him off with what you said. God, Ronnie!" I breathe out, and as I do, she snickers.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry I'm so drunk... er, what did I say again?"

I just roll my eyes and drag them both down with me towards the fire. It takes me a moment before realizing something isn't right. There seems to be a lot more people here then there was before.

It seems my inner gut is correct because it doesn't take long for my eyes to land on an all-too-familiar tall blonde.

Please... no.