“I turned her down," I explained. "We talked about it, and she went back home."

“But you were GOING to do it," Sam accused roughly.

“You actually kept the plug in the whole night just waiting until the rest of us went home? Really?!?"

“It was a mistake!" Belle pleaded. "YOU should know all about making mistakes!"

“In her defense," I stated, “It was Belle's decision to walk away rather than tempt ourselves."

Sam shook her head and looked away in disgust.

“Belle was gonna betray the BTC..." Mari muttered, mostly to herself, while she frowned and stared at her own lap.

“Mari, please," Belle whimpered as she returned to the couch and tried to hug her best friend. But to her abject horror, Mari pushed her away, stood up, and walked across the room. Belle remained on the couch, staring in shock.

“Maybe BTC membership isn't all it's cracked up to be," Holly muttered.

"You guys are just as fucked up as everyone else.”

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Holly," Alice snarled.

“I think we ALL need to take a timeout," I said, walking to the center of the room and then turning slowly to stare down each and every one of the girls. "We've all had a LOT to drink, and I think we've each said things tonight we'd rather not have said. We're done here."

Nobody argued with me. Mari was crying as she turned and practically ran up the stairs. Belle got up and quickly went after her best friend.

Alice still sat on the couch, looking annoyed with the whole thing.

Naimh was still seething as she turned and walked into the kitchen just to put some distance between herself and the others. She hugged herself and kept her lower jaw jutted while she tried to clamp down on her

Irish temper. Holly was slumped in a chair, shaking her head slowly.

Sam remained in the armchair, frowning and lost in thought. And Zofi crossed the room to Sam, turned to sit sideways in her best friend's lap, and the two of them hugged each other close.

I shook my head and walked out of the room. We'd all taken showers and changed into our pajamas before settling in to drink and chat, but taking another shower right now felt like a really good idea. A cold one.

I only hoped they wouldn't start yelling at each other once I was gone.

Sorry --

Before we'd started drinking, I'd entertained idle fantasies about various combinations for an eight-way orgy. It was our last night in an ocean-view cliff house with no parental supervision, after all. Surely everyone would want to end our trip with a bang (or seven). But clearly, that wasn't going to happen tonight.

Belle and Mari were already in the second bedroom by the time I emerged from my shower, and I could hear muffled voices as they talked, not to mention Mari's occasional sobs. I chose not to interrupt them.

Alice and Naimh were in the office Looking more stunned than anything,

Alice pumping up the air bed a little while Naimh sat on the Murphy bed. I popped in to make sure they were alright, and both girls gave me quick kisses before I left and closed the door behind myself on my way out.

Sam, Zofi, and Holly were still in the living room downstairs. The three of them were supposed to spend the night with me, and I assumed from the fact that the other rooms were occupied that plans hadn't been changed while I was gone. The three of them looked up from their conversation at my arrival, all of them staring at me silently. I asked quietly if everything was alright, and Sam replied on their behalf by stating in a subdued voice, "We're fine."