Chapter Nineteen.                             19
( that won't save us! ) ━━━━━━━━
↳ crossing boundaries ↲

❝ LOVE SUCKS.  ❞

↢ ❦ ↣

AUGUST
taylor swift

salt air, and the rust on your door
i never needed anything more
whispers of "are you sure?"
"never have i ever before"
but i can see us lost in the memory
august slipped away into a moment in time
'cause it was never mine
and i can see us twisted in bedsheets
august slipped away like a bottle of wine
'cause you were never mine

0:05 ⊙────────── 4:21
↻      ◁ II ▷     ↺

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THE NIGHT DEEPENED, the fire crackling softly as the group continued to drink and share stories. Rosie laughed with Newt, their comfortable banter hinting at their history. They had been close once—closer than friends—but things had changed between them, settling into an unspoken understanding. Now, there was no awkwardness, just a deep bond of friendship. As Newt told a joke that had Rosie doubling over in laughter, Thomas watched the two with a curious feeling. It wasn't jealousy, just... something else.

Meanwhile, across the fire, Frypan sat next to Brenda, fidgeting slightly. He handed her the whiskey bottle, his usual confidence replaced by a rare shyness. "You want some more?"

Brenda raised an eyebrow, accepting the bottle. "You trying to get me drunk, Frypan?"

He laughed nervously. "No, just... you seemed to like it." He scratched the back of his neck, clearly out of his element. Rosie nudged Thomas to get him to look at the pair across from them in slight amusement.

Brenda chuckled, taking a swig before handing the bottle back to him. "I didn't say I didn't."

As the bottle passed back and forth between them, Brenda found herself glancing at Frypan more than usual. His goofy grin, his genuine warmth—it was starting to make sense to her why he always seemed to hover near her. And for the first time, she wondered if maybe... maybe she liked it.

On the other side of the fire, Jessie and Mara were inseparable, as usual. They sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against each other as they shared a flask of their own. They were always like this, always a unit. Jessie, the quiet thinker, and Mara, the bold one, trying to balance each other out despite the fact that they needed Samadhi to fully balance each other out.

"Alright, that's enough for me," Newt said, stretching his arms above his head. "If I have one more drink, I'm going to start seeing double."

"Same here," Brenda agreed, standing up with a slight wobble, though she glanced at Frypan one more time before heading toward the tents.

"Yeah, we should probably sleep this off," Frypan added, heading to his shared tent with Newt and Thomas.

Jessie and Mara stood up as well, still glued to each other. "C'mon, let's call it a night," Mara said, pulling Jessie along. "Before we get any more embarrassing stories out of Frypan. You coming Rosie?"

Rosie sucked in her breath as she shook her head, "I think I might stay out for a little longer. Don't wait up." Rosie stated.

Mara looked between her and Thomas. The boy glanced up at Mara which caused her to raise an eyebrow. Mara had sensed it. There was a vibe between the two tonight. She had speculated the moment he carried her in his arms out of the compound. A pang of jealousy swam in her body but Mara shook it off knowing she had no chance anymore.

"Alright then." Mara murmured heading off with Jessie.

The group headed off toward their tents, leaving just Rosie and Thomas by the fire. The night had taken on a quiet calm, the only sounds the soft crackling of the fire and the distant hum of the night. She glanced at Thomas, her body feeling warm from the drinks, but her mind clear.

"Let's get out of here," she said, standing up and brushing off her pants. "I need some air."

Thomas nodded without a word, following her as she led him away from the campsite. They walked in silence for a while, moving through the trees until they reached a small clearing. The moonlight bathed the area in a soft, silvery glow, and the stars were scattered across the sky like a blanket of lights.

Rosie plopped down on a patch of grass, staring up at the sky, and Thomas sat beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The quiet between them was comfortable, almost soothing.

"You know," Rosie finally said, her voice soft, "I wasn't sure you'd join us."

Thomas shrugged. "Neither was I."

She turned her head to look at him, her expression thoughtful. "Being around friends just having fun, that was my first time in a really long time. I loved it. The guys told me you don't like it. But I know... I know it's hard sometimes, but we're your friends, Thomas. We care about you."

He was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "I don't know. It's not that I don't want to... it's just..."

"It's just what?" she pressed gently.

"It's hard to let go," he admitted. "Every time I start to relax, to enjoy myself... I feel guilty. Like I shouldn't be allowed to be happy when there's so much still wrong. Minho is still stuck in there and so is your sister."

Rosie's expression softened, and she reached out, resting a hand on his knee. "I get that, I really do. But you deserve to live too, Thomas. I wasn't expecting all of you to work day and night when I was stuck in there. You can't carry the weight of everything on your shoulders forever."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't know how to stop."

"You don't have to stop caring," she said quietly, her thumb absentmindedly rubbing small circles on his leg. "But you have to find a way to live, even in the chaos. Because if you don't... you're going to lose yourself. Trust me, it's really hard to find yourself again."

Her words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Thomas didn't know how to respond. He looked at her, really looked at her, and realized how much she had grown, how strong she had become despite everything. She had been through so much, just like him, and yet here she was, still fighting, still surviving.

"How do you do it?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rosie smiled faintly, looking up at the stars. "I don't know. Some days I feel like I'm barely hanging on. But then I look at you guys—my friends—and I remember why I keep going. You're all the reasons I keep fighting."

Thomas felt something stir in his chest, a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time. He reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Thomas felt grounded—like he wasn't alone.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion.

Rosie squeezed his hand, her gaze meeting his. "We're all in this together, Thomas. Don't ever forget that."

They sat there in the moonlit clearing, holding hands in the quiet of the night, the weight of their pasts and futures hanging unspoken between them. For now, in this moment, they weren't subjects trying to stay safe, they weren't soldiers who wanted to save their friend—they were just two teenagers trying to make sense of the world, finding solace in each other's presence.

For the first time in a long time, Thomas felt like he wasn't drowning. Rosie was right. He had to find a way to live—even in the midst of the chaos. And maybe with her by his side, he thought, just maybe, he could.

Thomas rubbed her knuckles feeling the roughness and remembering the training earlier. "How are your fists?" He questioned looking at the hand he was holding.

"Pretty fucked up." Rosie replied looking at her bruised hands.

"You want an ice pack?" Thomas asks

Rosie shook her head, "no. Harriet's right. You guys baby me too much."

Thomas smiled, "it's okay to let someone take care of you. Especially if there are people willing to help you."

Rosie glances over to him who's already looking at her. His eyes study her face and it's a weird feeling because the two have never been alone. Someone was always around. Now the two struggled a little bit with what to do with themselves.

"You loved her didn't you?" Rosie asks.

"Teresa?" he questions as she nods "I think so. Why?"

Rosie shrugs her shoulders looking back at the field before admitting, "love sucks."

Thomas let out a chuckle, "why would you say that?"

Rosie turned to him like if he had two heads. "Have you not witnessed what I've been through? Newt—disaster. Mara—disaster. Jeremy—bigger disaster. Gally—"

"Gally?" Thomas asked cutting her off. "You liked him?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders fidgeting with Gally's bracelet admitting to him, "I loved that boy, Thomas, but I didn't realize it until it was too late. It's too late now."

"Is it?" Gally asked appearing out of nowhere.

Rosie almost flinched feeling the boy's presence on the other side of her. Gally observed their hands and how close they were sitting with each other. He would appear when Rosie thought of him.

"I didn't know you had feelings for him." Thomas admitted.

Gally rolled his eyes crossing his arms speaking to Thomas even thought he couldn't hear him, "I didn't know you had feelings for my girl. Out of everyone? Seriously? Rosie? C'mon man she's mine."

Rosie's breath hitched as she glanced between Thomas and the hallucination of Gally. It was happening again—the way Gally appeared, almost too real, his voice, his posture, everything. He stood there, arms crossed and looking as irritated as ever, just like he had back in the Glade when he didn't get his way. "Shhh." Rosie shushed Gally.

Thomas frowned. "What? Rosie, why'd you shush me?"

She blinked, trying to focus, trying to push Gally out of her mind, but it was like he was always just there. Watching. Waiting. "I—nothing, sorry, I just..." Her voice trailed off, her fingers still toying with the bracelet Gally had given her long ago, a small token she refused to part with. She glanced up, feeling the weight of both Thomas and Gally's gaze on her, though only one of them was real.

"I didn't know you had feelings for him," Thomas said again, softer this time, but there was an undercurrent in his voice—curiosity, maybe even a hint of jealousy.

Gally scoffed, stepping closer to her side. "He's clueless. Thinks he knows you. But he doesn't. Not like I do."

Rosie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, wishing Gally would disappear. Wishing her heart wasn't so tangled in knots between the memory of him and the reality of Thomas sitting next to her. She opened her eyes again, focusing on the boy who was actually there. "Yeah... I guess I didn't realize how much he meant to me until—until everything went to hell."

Thomas leaned back slightly, his brow furrowed silent before Gally spoke. "Is it really too late?"

"I don't know." Rosie's voice wavered, and she glanced at Gally who was now sitting on her other side, closer, his presence as vivid as ever. "Is it too late?" she whispered under her breath.

Gally shook his head, his eyes softening for the first time in what felt like forever. "You think I'd leave you like that, princess? After everything?" He tilted his head, his gaze flicking to Thomas. "And this guy... You're gonna get with him? Him? Really?"

"Stop," Rosie whispered, rubbing her temples. Her mind was in chaos. Was Gally really gone, or was he just another figment of the madness WCKD had caused? She wasn't sure anymore. "Why are you still here?" she muttered to herself, though Gally's presence loomed heavy in her mind. Was he dead? Or had her mind conjured this haunting version of him to keep her from moving on?

Thomas watched her with concern. "Rosie, are you alright? You're... talking to yourself."

Rosie shook her head, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm fine," she lied. She wasn't fine. She didn't know what was real anymore. Her feelings for Thomas were real—or at least, they felt real in this moment. But Gally... Gally had always been there, whether in person or in her thoughts.

She turned to Thomas, the conflict evident in her eyes. "I just... I don't want to be alone tonight."

Thomas looked at her, his expression softening as he reached out to touch her hand. "You're not alone, Rosie. Not tonight, not ever."

Gally's presence loomed closer, his voice a low growl in her ear. "He doesn't get you like I do. He never will. You're mine, little one. Always have been."

Her heart pounded, the conflicting emotions tearing her apart. She wanted to be close to someone, to feel something real. Thomas was here, solid and warm, offering comfort. But Gally—his memory or his ghost—was a part of her she couldn't shake, no matter how hard she tried.

Rosie bit her lip, her hand trembling as she looked into Thomas's eyes. She leaned in, her breath mingling with his as she moved closer, but Gally's voice echoed in her mind, louder, angrier. "Don't you dare."

     Rosie ignored him. The girl brought her lips to Thomas who kissed her back. Gally isn't real. She kept thinking. He had no right to try and keep her from moving on. Whatever he kept saying, Rosie was imagining it. Gally wasn't real.

She just imagined what she wanted him to say.

      "Do you think it would be crazy?" Rosie pulled away to ask.

      "What?" Thomas asked still savoring the kiss.

      "If we hooked up."

      Thomas' eyes widened in shock not knowing if that would be a good idea. "Crazy would be an understatement." Thomas responded.

     Rosie let out a short laugh nodding, "ah, you're right. I shouldn't even think of that."

      "I didn't say we shouldn't." Thomas responded alcohol clouding his judgement.

      "You're kidding?"

      "No?" Thomas began scratching his head. He didn't know when would be the next time Rosie would let him get this close to her. Both of them were intoxicated from the bottle they had been drinking out of. "I mean we know each other. I think we're sort of friends. I don't think there's harm in hooking up one night."

      Rosie's heart was beating faster because maybe they both sounded delusional and insane but they were both attracted to one another. Both of them had needs they wanted to resolve.

      "This would strictly be one night and only sex right? No feelings nothing right?" Rosie questions to make sure she wasn't going to carry baggage with Thomas.

      Thomas nodded taking whatever she was offering. "Yeah. Strictly sex. No feelings."

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    Thomas couldn't think straight. His mouth was moving sloppily with Rosie's as they entered an empty tent. He always thought Rosie was a beautiful girl but he never thought he would have a chance with her or thought of even doing this with her. Especially when his best friend was her ex-boyfriend.

      Newt!

     Thomas pulled away as Rosie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion wondering why he moved away. "What? What's wrong?"

      "This is wrong."

      "I know." Rosie uttered back pulling away realizing what they were doing. "If you want to stop, I totally get it—"

      Thomas saw the plumpness of Rosie's lips and the blush that was painted on her cheeks. The boy shook his head, "no, keep going."

The urge to feel intimate with someone and alcohol kept clouding his judgment. He leaned back in finding her lips again with urgency that wasn't there before. Rosie let herself melt into him, her hands gripping his shirt as she pressed herself closer, the world around them blurring into nothing. For a moment, it was just the two of them—no past, no consequences, just this desperate need to feel something other than the weight of their reality.

Rosie's fingers tangled in his hair, bringing him back to the present as her lips moved against his. She tasted like whiskey and something sweet—something dangerous, something intoxicating. He wanted to lose himself in her, to forget everything that had happened, to drown in this moment where nothing else mattered.

But it did matter. It mattered more than he was willing to admit.

Rosie pulled back slightly, her forehead resting against his as they both caught their breath. "Thomas..." Her voice was soft, but there was a question in it, a hesitation. She was asking him if this was okay. If they were okay.

He swallowed hard, his chest tightening as he looked at her, her wide eyes filled with a mix of desire and uncertainty. "I... I don't know," he admitted, his voice low and rough. "This feels—"

"—wrong?" she finished for him, her hands slipping from his shoulders as she stepped back. Rosie wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly looking so vulnerable, so exposed. "Yeah, I know. I knew it the second we started. I mean, Newt... he's your best friend and he's my ex for crying out loud. What the fuck are we thinking?"

Thomas ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "It's not just that. It's Gally too. You... you're seeing him aren't you?" He questioned.

Rosie stiffened at the mention of Gally's name, her eyes flickering with something Thomas couldn't quite place—guilt, maybe, or fear. "What? How did you know that?" she whispered, her voice shaking but continued. "He's in my head, Thomas. All the time. And I don't even know if he's dead or if I'm just losing my goddamn mind."

Thomas's heart ached at her confession. He reached out, his hand gently brushing her arm. "Rosie, you're not losing your mind. He's gone. You've been through hell. We both have. But... maybe this isn't the way to deal with it."

Rosie's shoulders slumped as she nodded, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I know. I just... I thought if I could feel something, anything, it would make it easier to forget. But I can't feel anything. No matter how hard I try."

Thomas sighed, stepping closer to her, his hand resting on her arm, offering her comfort in a way that didn't involve tangled limbs or desperate kisses. "You don't have to forget him, Rosie. But we can't—this can't be the way we try to cope."

She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I didn't mean to drag you into this. I just... I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Thomas reached out, gently cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear that had slipped down her face. "Maybe today we just rest." Thomas suggested laying back down stretching his arm out. "Come here."

Rosie shook her head, "no, I struggle to sleep. I don't want you to lose sleep because of me."

"I don't mind, Rosie." Thomas explained patting the spot next to him. "Come here."

Rosie crawled to him laying down next to him. She let herself be held by another man that hadn't been Newt or Gally. Thomas played with strands of her hair trying to sooth her to sleep. The girl was wide awake listening to the boy's heartbeat.

     This is fucking weird. Rosie thought. What the hell am I doing lying down next to Thomas? Thomas of all people. What the fuck? I just wanted some dick.

      The girl shook her head deciding she gave no fucks. There was a reason she had been talking to Thomas this whole time. Rosie reached up and captured his lips on hers.

     "Rosie—"

     "Shush." The girl cut him off placing kisses over his lips and down his jaw. "Do you want me or do you not?"

     "Y-yes but what about Newt?"

     "We don't tell him." Rosie explains rather quickly as she straddles him. "We don't tell anybody about this, okay?"

      Thomas contemplated for a few seconds as his moral compass flew out the window when she moved her hips against his body. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you want." He mumbled bringing his lips back to hers feeling ignited by the way she moved her hips against his growing erection. "We don't tell anyone."

Both of them were intoxicated not registering fully the consequences of their actions. Thomas was willing to do whatever Rosie wanted watching her take off her shirt and pants off leaving her in her undergarments. He let Rosie pull his shirt up and off him. The girl continued to kiss him and Thomas only melted into her touch as she touched his skin. He continued to kiss back like if his life depended on it. A smile formed on Rosie's lips as she realized Thomas was a needy kisser. He chased her mouth with his own anytime she tried to pull back.

     Rosie could feel him properly harden under her giving her the signal to start moving down. Her lips trailing his jaw, his neck, collarbone. Thomas was tensed beneath her mouth as she continued to press open-mouthed kisses to his stomach. The boy lifted himself to pull down his pants down feeling nervous about what Rosie was expecting.

      Rosie used her hand to rub him through his boxers causing Thomas to thrust against her hand wanting more. "You like it?" Rosie murmured watching a needy Thomas nod profusely as she pulled down his boxers. "Good."

      The tip of his cock was already sticky when she grabbed him in her fist, wasting no time in leaning down to tongue his slit. Usually Rosie teased her partners but right now it looked like Thomas enjoyed her hand too much. She wanted to make him feel good and started to pump the base of him with one hand.

     Thomas could hardly believe his luck.

     "Fuck," Thomas cursed out as Rosie cupped his balls with her free hand and suckled on his head. A groan escaping from his throat only encouraging Rosie more to bring him in deeper into her throat. "Oh, shit!" Thomas bucked his hips into her mouth with his eyes completely shut holding onto the bed.

      Thomas was panting desperately above her, the noises so sweet Rosie couldn't stop herself from grinding down against his leg. He moaned at the feeling of her wetness, which only spurred her on more. His face was beautifully unforgettable when she glanced up, eyes dazed and cheeks glowing as he tried to form a thought.

"Fuck, Rosie, I think I'm gonna- you're gonna make me come," he panted. His thighs were quivering; he was so close, the tension ready to drain from his body. She gave an encouraging hum, swallowing around his cock, and Thomas' gasp broke into a sob as he came. Rosie kept him in her mouth watching his eyes sparkle in delight as he watched her swallow his cum.

A grin formed on Rosie's lips as she pulled away from him. Thomas watched her in amazement. He had never felt anything as good as what he had just felt. "You liked it?" Rosie asked the flushed out boy who nodded fast. Her hand reaching his dick again starting to rub him once more feeling him harden under her touch again. "Good because we're not done yet."

"Oh, shit." Thomas mutters watching Rosie take her undergarments off leaving her naked and crawling over to him. "Rosie—" he says her name stopping to watch what she was doing. "Shit." The boy gripped onto the sides of the cot shutting his eyes closed as Rosie slowly sinks herself down on his throbbing cock.

He can't see the way Rosie's lips part at the stretch of him, or how she stifled her own moan as she took him in, or the twinkle in her eyes at the sight of him already flushed and lost in the feeling of her straddling his lap, her hands on his chest as she sat on his cock. Rosie's hands glide up his chest to around his neck as she lifts herself off his lap, until just his tip is inside her, her fingers in his hair as he gulps a breath. She stays for a moment and waits until she sees him relax, his eyes opening to see her smiling sweetly before sitting back down, his thickness impaling her in the best way.

      Thomas whimpers the most beautiful moans she thinks she's ever heard as his eyes scrunch tighter, his lips in a pout as she slowly starts to really ride his cock. "Rosie," he begged softly, cheeks pink as he turns his face away from her. His eyes are still closed tight, he's both too shy and too worked up to look at her right now.

"What's the matter?" Rosie asks breathily, her torturous movements not faltering as she leans closer to him, her breasts pressing against his chest and her fingers curling in his hair as her soft lips ghost his ear before she lightly kisses his cheek, another pathetic moan slipping from the boy beneath her at the gentle kiss.

His brown eyes flutter open then as he turns his face toward her, pout still in place, his eyes much darker than they were a few minutes ago, but that gleam in them ever present. Rosie titters as their noses brush as she's sinking lower on his dick as he finally speaks. "Kiss me," he pleads, not even trying to hide how desperately he wants to feel her lips on his.

Rosie doesn't keep him waiting too long before she gives in to his request. Her kiss is soft at first as she keeps rolling her hips, the feeling of his tongue slipping into her mouth and his moans against her lips fueling her movements.

Slowly, Thomas lets his arms fall from their place along the cot before he drags his hands up to her thighs. Rosie doesn't stop him so he keeps going.
His palms finding her ass, squeezing the ample flesh there as he follows her movements up and down his cock.

His touch dances up to her back and then his hands find their place settling on the curve of her waist meeting her hips. All the while, Thomas kisses Rosie greedily while she lets him, her own moans muffled by his mouth. He squeezes her waist lightly and she doesn't know what snaps or takes over her but suddenly she's spurred on in her movements. It's not slow rolls of her hips anymore, no. Now she's bouncing up and down his cock as he chokes out a moan in surprise. His hands are gripping her tight but he doesn't dare deter her or want her to slow down. He just needs to feel her, needs to touch her and her soft fucking body that he thinks he won't ever get enough of. The way she is taking him, the way she makes him feel, it's unlike anything he's ever experienced before.

Rosie's indescribable. She's incomparable. She's  fucking everything.

He doesn't know how or why he's suddenly so overcome with emotion but he feels his eyes sting as he watches her, mesmerized by her on top of him, her breasts bouncing with every raise of her hips, her mouth open as she breathes heavily, soft moans of pleasure spilling out of her. It feels so good. Everything feels so good, he can't stop himself.

He groans meekly, the most pathetic noise leaving him as his balls squeeze tighter and tighter with her every bounce. His hands tight on her hips and he whimpers again, "Rosie, fuck, ohhh fuck, fuck, fuck," he grits, puffing as he tries to hold himself back. Rosie speeds up her movements, feeling her walls squeeze even tighter around his thick length as she get closer too.

Thomas slips his hands from her waist to her breasts, grabbing them and squeezing them in his big hands before he lets his lips and tongue slide all over them, kissing them, licking them, before he wraps his lips around one of her pert nipples, sucking and licking the sensitive bud. Rosie whines and moans in the intense pleasure it sends through her. "Mm, yes, Thomas." She lets out.

He's so close. So fucking close. He buries his face in her chest as he holds her close, whimpers and pleas spilling from him as she fucks him perfectly. "Please let me cum, baby, please," he grips her hips again. Eyes squeezed shut, he's almost pained from how badly he wants to just let go.

"I can't." Rosie murmurs pressing kisses on his head as she moves her hips slower. "I need to get off first."

Thomas moans in respond detaching his arms from her hips. Rosie gets off the boy feeling empty as Thomas turns the other way to let out his load. Groans and debauched whimpers leaving him. Rosie watches him turn back around, a smile forming. The tension that had built up between them tonight felt like it had finally released, but in its place was something softer, more intimate.

      She leaned down, brushing a few damp strands of his hair away from his forehead, her lips ghosting across his skin as she kissed him gently. Thomas let out a quiet hum of contentment, his hand reaching up to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

     "You okay?" Thomas whispered, his voice husky but filled with genuine concern.

      Rosie nodded, feeling a warmth settle in her chest that she hadn't expected. "Yeah," she murmured softly, her thumb tracing lazy circles on his bare chest. "Are you?"

     Thomas chuckled lightly, the sound vibrating through her. "Yeah, I think I am," he admitted, reaching out to pull her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist as they lay side by side. "I didn't expect... this."

      "Me neither," Rosie confessed, laying her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was comforting, soothing even, in the aftermath of everything. The two of them had always been a whirlwind of emotions, but now, here in the quiet of the night, there was a peace neither had anticipated.

   The rush of their encounter settles, and reality starts to creep back in. "So... what now?" He whispers, still caught in the afterglow.

      "Now? We don't think about anything," she says, a lazy smile on her lips as she moves closer. "We just enjoy it. No strings attached, right?"

      "Right," he confirms, even as the weight of the moment settles in their guts. The guilt threatened to bubble up, but she pushes it down, reminding herself they're both too drunk for this to matter. "Just a one-time thing," He mutters, trying to convince himself.

      "Just tonight," she echoes, sounding a little more sober now as reality begins to set in. "No one needs to know."

      "Perfect," he lies.

      Rosie leans in to kiss him, more aggressively this time, as if to erase any lingering doubts. The taste of whiskey and heat fills his senses, pulling him back into the moment.

      They share heated kisses, bodies entwined, losing themselves again in the intoxicating high of the night. The world outside fades away, leaving just the two of them in a whirlwind of drunken passion, completely caught up in the moment.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

sooooooo did you guys like the chapter ?? 😅

I told yall something was coming

how are we liking it? yes or no?

I need thoughts guys should they become something more and make the story more complicated??

the dramaaaaaa that is going to be next chapter. imagine newt finding out or mara??? girl's literally gonna be like seriously?? out of everyone, thomas???

let me know what more you guys want to see!

till then, I love you all!

— carmela 💌