Eventually Kiera and I got up off the couch. Okay, I got up while holding her and helped her to her feet. My girl was suffering pretty badly from last night. We made our way to the kitchen, shuffling around passed out partygoers scattered around the floor. I started making a pot of coffee, then filled a glass with water for Kiera; she instantly started chugging it. Leaning against the counter while I waited for the coffee, I wrapped my arms around Kiera. No matter where we physically woke up, this ritual, right here, was home to me. This might be what I missed most of all.

Matt came into the kitchen while Kiera coughed on some over-eager water consumption; he looked like death. “Hey, guys…good morning.”

I threw on a bright smile. “Mornin’. How do you feel?”

I already knew the answer just by looking at him, but it was fun to hear him say it. “Peachy,” he grumbled.

Amused by the look on his face, I laughed a little as I popped my thumbs through Kiera’s belt buckle loops. Matt seemed peeved by my merriment. He poured himself a glass of water, then told me, “God, it’s annoying how chipper you are in the morning.” He paused to take a long drink. “I hope you’re not like that on the road. It would really get on my nerves.”

His comment made me laugh, but the sentiment behind it kind of ripped a hole through me. I didn’t want to leave yet. Or maybe ever. But Matt’s next words confirmed that time wasn’t going to wait for me; this was happening. “Bus leaves in a few hours, so we should start getting people up…especially Griffin.”

With a reluctant sigh, I nodded. We had to go. It was time.

Things were okay as we started getting ready to leave—Kiera just about killed me by accidentally saying something super suggestive to Matt; I swear to God, it sounded like she thanked him for letting us have sex in his bathroom. Poor guy had to leave the room after she said it. I was truly going to miss the embarrassing things Kiera unintentionally sputtered.

After coffee, the poker players in the dining room finally finished their game, and eventually we got the rest of the stragglers to leave Matt’s house. That was right around when Evan and Jenny rejoined our group—guess they’d left the party sometime while Kiera and I were…busy.

Yes, everything was fine…until Jackass woke up.