“We’ll see them tomorrow. It’s been a long day. I think they’ll understand,” I said, unable to even pretend I wanted to stay a second longer.

Taylor stood, bringing me with him. “We’re out!” he called.

We walked in a not-so-straight line from Sails to the sidewalk leading back to our building. The waves crashed against the sand less than fifty yards from our path, but it was dark, and all I could see was the sprinkling of lights along the hills across the cove.

Soon, voices could be heard between the sounds of restless water.

“You act as if loving someone can just be flipped off like a light switch. We’ve had this conversation a dozen times. I want you. I’m with you.”

Taylor froze, and I ran into him from behind.

“Sorry,” Taylor whispered, but he wasn’t being as quiet as he likely thought. “That’s Tommy.”

“Shh,” I said.

“… missing her,” Liis said, “wishing you were with her. And you want me to change everything I trust for that?”

“This is an impossible situation,” Thomas responded.

I cringed, feeling guilt and empathy for them both. “C’mon,” I whispered. “We shouldn’t eavesdrop.”

Taylor held up a finger.

“Your payback?” Liis cried. “You’ve made me believe all weekend that you were falling for me!”

“I am! I have! Jesus Christ, Camille, how can I get that through your head?”

“Oh, fuck,” Taylor said. “That’s not good.”

“Did he just call her Camille?” I asked, horrified.

Taylor nodded, weaving as he tried to stay upright.

“Goddamn it,” Thomas said, his voice desperate. “I am so sorry.”

“Can we please go?” I asked, tugging on Taylor’s arm.

“I am so … stupid,” Liis said. The hurt in her voice could have carried all the way across the ocean.

“Taylor,” I hissed.

“I wanna make sure he’s okay.”

Just then, Thomas emerged from the beach, startled to see us standing there. His features turned severe.

“Hey, man. You all right?” Taylor asked, using me to steady himself.

Thomas’s expression softened from anger to concern. “How much have you had to drink?”

“A lot,” I said.

“Not that much,” Taylor said at the same time.

Thomas glanced at me and then leaned closer to his brother. “Remember what I said. Just sleep it off. You know how you get.”

Taylor waved him off, and Thomas patted his brother’s shoulder.

“Night.” He looked at me. “Make sure he goes straight to bed. No shower. Don’t even undress him. Just get him into bed, so he can pass out.”

I frowned. I’d seen Taylor drunk before. He had been wasted on New Year’s Eve. I was the sad drunk. Taylor just liked to talk a lot—like, until sunrise. But I liked it. He was honest and shameless about his thoughts and feelings on everything. There was no filter, no holding back.