Colm shoved a glass into my hand and passed the rest out to everyone else. He had to physically lift Emmett’s hand and wrap his fingers around the shot to get him to hold it.

Those old fight-or-flight feelings kicked into high gear. My head whipped around, adrenaline pumping as I looked for the nearest exit. Maybe someone will give me a boost out the kitchen window?

Emmett stood between me and the exit. Like being trapped in a house with a grizzly bear, I was fairly sure he’d gnaw on my femur if I made any sudden movements. His light eyes weren’t filled with the casual displeasure or distaste he usually wore so well. Now they were burning, like back at the graduation ceremony. He glared at me so hard I ran a hand over my chest to make sure it wasn’t, in fact, singed.

Finished being our resident shot giver, Colm lifted his glass. The superman curl tickling his forehead was a bright white, just like the stripe that trailed up the back of Liv’s hair. “To a wonderful summer with old friends and new. May we all enjoy the time we have left before the real adulting begins. Cheers!” He slammed his shot. “Damn that’s good. Nice job, Avery. I need that recipe.” He put the glass back down on the tray balanced on the edge of the table. Were we all just pretending like Emmett and I weren’t in the same, non-auditorium-sized room for the first time in years?

I broke the staring contest and tossed back my shot. Maybe I should go back into the kitchen and grab the whole bottle, though the sweet burn did little to distract me from the knot in my stomach.

“Drink up, we’re having a party.” Heath tapped Emmett on the shoulder, and he glanced down at his hand like he’d been completely unaware of the whole exchange with Colm. The grim line of Emmett’s mouth set even deeper, and he put the glass on the table.

“I need to talk to you.” The muscles on the outside of his jaw worked triple time. He grabbed Declan and Heath by the arm and dragged them down the hallway.

I jumped back, giving them a wide berth.

“You two, too.” He motioned with his head, and Colm and Ford followed behind him. The door at the end of the hall—the one to my room—slammed shut so loud it was like a gunshot went off in the house. The knot in my stomach had turned into an entire herd of balloon animals. Instinctively, I stepped toward the front door.

Mak grabbed me around the waist. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not running away. I invited you, and everyone agreed. This is his problem to deal with.” The fire in her eyes was enough to melt steel. A few people’s gazes shot up to the ceiling, not daring to even entertain the idea of a challenge.

“Mak…” My words fled just as quickly as my courage about forging ahead and putting the past behind me. “He hates me.” That raw ache threatened to consume me. “I’m not going to have this turn into a shit show because I joined at the last minute.”

“It’s not going to be a shit show. It’s something you both need to deal with. Stop running away from this. He’s not going away, and neither are you.” She grabbed my hand, squeezing it firmly. “Tell him everything.”

I shook my head so fast it made me dizzy. He couldn’t know everything. There were so many things I’d kept hidden so long I’d lost the words to even say them. If I told him, I would cause him even more pain than I had already. He’d never forgive the betrayal, and then there was the gut-churning realization that he’d thought the worst of me. His first reaction had been to shut me out. It was easier this way.

My eyes stung. I blinked back tears. No, everything would never work. I could tell him some, but even in my worst nightmares, I didn’t like to think of everything that had led up to that night. Bile rose in my throat. I shut those memories out, squeezing my eyes shut.

“I fucking paid for this house!” His voice boomed, and our nervous glances shot toward the darkened hallway and closed door.

I blanched. “He did?” My gaze whipped up to meet Mak’s. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Because he didn’t.”

“What?” Now I was confused.

“The guys let him think he was paying, but everyone chipped in.” I opened my mouth, but she cut me off. “And before you say anything, no, you’re not contributing anything. You’re not creating any more expenses, and it would have cost the same regardless of whether or not you came.”

“But—”

“No buts. You’re not leaving. If he wants to be a child about this, he can leave. I’m not going to let him run you off.” She looped her arm through mine and dragged me onto the couch. “Liv, can you get us a few more drinks? I think we’re going to need them.”

Olivia rushed off to make some before Colm got back and punted her to the moon. Kara flopped onto the couch beside me, and Mak filled her in on the sanitized version of our past. I stared straight ahead. No more yelling came from the back bedroom, but the tension traveled all the way to the living room.

Liv thrust a cool, tall glass into my hand. “It’s a Long Island Iced Tea. I figured we could use something that packs a punch.” She drained hers in less than a minute while keeping an eye on the hallway.

“Damn, Liv, this is amazing.” Mak took long sips before I pulled the straw out of her month.

“Slow down there, Miss Tipsy.” I laughed, and she laughed in between her hiccups. Declan would be in for it later.

“I think you guys would totally get along with my grad school friends,” Kara offered before sucking down some more of her drink. “This is dangerously good.”

The bedroom door opened with a lot less force than had been used to close it. Like they were on the way to a funeral, the five of them came down the hallway.

“I didn’t want to have to do this, but I’m straight up making you guys choose.”

Sharp breaths and wide eyes accompanied Emmett’s declaration.

“Avery.” Mak’s hand shot up with her lips wrapped around her straw.

He shot her a look. “I meant the guys.”

“Why just the guys? We’re all here for the summer. This isn’t just your trip, Emmett.” She jabbed her finger at him, her drink sloshing over the rim of the glass.

I wanted to hug Mak and tackle her to the ground at the same time.

“Emmett, calm down. Don’t do this. We can rearrange some things and it will be fine. I can take the couch. Avery can have the other bed in the triple, and you’ll get the bedroom down here.” Heath ran his fingers through his sunshine strands and pointed to the hallway they’d just emerged out of.

“No.” I could practically hear the enamel on his teeth creaking from the tightness in his jaw. It was still weird seeing him without any scruff on his face.

“Dude, be reasonable.” Declan stepped in front of me, but that didn’t stop Emmett’s glare. It was the kind of look that would leave bruises in its wake.

“You want me to be reasonable? You of all people? You were there that night—you know what happened.” Emmett’s words sliced through the air, and it sounded like he was barely holding himself together.

“I know that, but I also know it was a long time ago.” Declan held out his hands in front of him like he was trying to placate a feral animal.

Emmett shot him a look like he’d punched him in the face. His biceps bunched.

Colm broke the staring match going on between us. “Listen, it’s late. Why don’t we all go to bed and we can sort this out tomorrow?”

“There’s nothing to sort out. She goes or I go. It’s that simple.”

Everyone knew Mak’s vote. No one else came down on either side, which was probably the best I could hope for given the situation.

“Wow.” Emmett stared around the room, skipping over me with such a sharp look of betrayal on his face, part of me wanted to go to him and help smooth over the pain.

See, that right there was why I didn’t need to be anywhere near him. Old feelings like that were unwelcome and unneeded. He hated me, and I couldn’t blame him one bit. I’d invited it and put a nice big bow on it like the ones in car commercials.

The guys crowded around him, trying to talk him down.

I opened my mouth, ready to concede defeat. I should have been leaving anyway, but Mak pinched my side. “If you say a word, I’m going to put Nair in your shampoo. Zip it. This is going to happen.”

“No, it’s not. He’s going to leave,” I whispered back.

“No, he’s not.”

Emmett broke away from them and stormed out the front door.