I shook my head. That was the understatement of the year. The secret was a massive one, and it hurt my stomach to keep it inside. I didn’t want to see either of my friends heartbroken. Donovan was on his own. He was clearly aware that Cory had eyes for Petra and had kissed her anyway.
“Did you sleep with Donovan?” I asked, even though it was none of my business.
Petra blushed and turned away. I knew I was overstepping my boundaries, but I was curious. It would change the dynamics if that was the case, and it would mean that Cory was falling behind.
“No,” she answered quietly. “Like I said, I’m trying to figure some things out.”
“Just promise me that you’ll be honest with everyone.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “You’re a good friend.”
“I try.”
Without anything else to say, she put a hand on my shoulder. It was a friendly gesture, and I could tell she knew how much this was eating at me. The one piece of information she didn’t have was that I was enchanted with her too. It wasn’t just Donovan and Cory who had their feelings wrapped up in the matter. I was jealous of both of them.
Petra left me alone on the balcony, returning to the party. I took a few more pictures and then walked back inside. The conversation left me with a sour taste in my mouth. I didn’t want to keep secrets from my friends, much less these monumental revelations that had the potential to break up our alliance.
I considered leaving the party. There wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to at the moment, and the prospect of making small talk with a bunch of athletes wasn’t appealing. But I didn’t want to do that to Patrick. He had been kind enough to invite me, so I should at least stick around for a few hours.
Putting aside my beer, I decided it would be better to remain sober. Driving home was a top priority, and I wanted to make sure that option was available. I put on a happy face and began to circulate the room. As a world traveler, I could make myself at home no matter where I was. It was time to put that skill to the test.