It was almost one and my turn to get everyone's drinks. Grabbing the money from my bag, and hoping to god I had enough, I pushed back the thought of my draining bank account and rushed towards the bar.

"Here you go, miss." The bartender placed each of the drinks in front of me. They were larger than shots — a selection of beers — so I would struggle to carry all seven of them. I looked over my shoulder and caught Derek's eye through the forming crowd behind me.

"Can you help?" I asked, hoping for him to read my lips. The bar was much more packed at this hour as a large group of men had recently walked in together, their low voices laughing loudly and drowning out all other voices. He nodded and hopped up to make his way through the crowd.

I turned back to the drinks and picked up as many as I could by the bottlenecks before someone tapped me on the arm.

"You know Derek Barnes?"

I frowned, instantly looking the source up and down. Male. Six foot. Pale skin. Dark hair and heavy stubble that brushed the borderlines of being a beard. His clothes were casual and dark, sprayed by the rain. I was almost sure I had seen him walk in with the crowd.

"What of it?" I said.

His lips curled and he raised his hands. "No need to get suspicious! I'm a friend from school."

I cocked my head. His growing smile pulsed in blurs and I took in his words. Derek had ... friends? Initially, one would think of Derek as a popular man: tall, good-looking, funny (if not a bit arrogant) and possessing a fair amount of athletic skill. Somehow it always surprised me how little friends he had outside of the agency... which were none. It surprised me even more that one of them just so happened to turn up unexpectedly in a fairly average bar suspiciously close to Derek's place of work a few hours after he had arrived.

Derek pushed through the crowds and huffed in exhaustion as he escaped the masses of people. "Bloody hell. Didn't think a pub would be this popular at one o' clock in the... Kieran?"

I looked between Derek and Kieran, letting my frown grow.

"So you do remember me!"

Derek blinked, looking from Kieran, to me, to the drinks. He gathered the remaining bottles. "I've never seen you before in my life."

"Really? But you know my name?"

Derek shrugged and turned to walk away. "You look like a Kieran."

"But I don't look like an idiot," Kieran retorted.

"Debatable," I muttered. Kieran frowned.

"You always let your girl talk to people like that?"

My frown deepened even further as Derek's face twisted. He rotated back around and took a step closer to me.

"I don't 'let' her do anything. 'My girl' does what she wants."

One side of my mouth curled into a smile. Kieran snorted and swirled his drink around his glass. He stared at the bronze liquid solemnly for a moment before snickering quietly to himself.

"Never thought you'd keep anyone, Derek. Not after your string of disasters as a teenager."

Derek clenched his jaw and turned away from Kieran. "Come on," he said. "Let's go."

"Don't you want a catch up?" He called as we began to walk away. Derek and I ignored him as we sat down the drinks. Gabby giggled at nothing in particular as she took another bottle. I made a mental note to give her water after that last one.

"Oi!" Kieran clutched Derek's shoulder and spun him around. "What you ignoring me for?"

"I think you know perfectly well why I'm ignoring you."

Everyone on the table stirred at cold, sharp tone that ran through Derek's voice.

Kieran snickered. "That's the past, Derek. Now we're just old friends that ran into each other in a bar."

He tried to squeeze Derek's shoulder in a seemingly friendly manner but Derek brushed his arm away as though he were nothing but a fly.

There was a slight shuffle from behind Derek and my eyes followed the sound. A few of the men I had spotted at the bar had left and were slowly approaching Derek with their hands behind their backs. My gaze then switched to Scotty, who had noticed them, too. Slipping my hand onto the table, I gently clutched the neck of a bottle and dragged it underneath.

"We're not friends. Now leave."

His back straightened and I could see the anger seething from him. I had no idea who this man and his accomplices were, but from Derek's reaction to them, he was not the friend he claimed to be. Two of the men took a step closer and slowly I stood up from my seat, not taking my eyes off them.

"Come on, bud--"

"He's not your bud. Piss off," snapped Scotty. Kieran lowered his eyebrows and looked down on Scotty.

"Was I talking to you?"

"You were talking to all of us," Scotty said. "Be prepared for all of us to answer."

He laughed at Scotty while Derek held his glare. I was standing behind Kieran now and he hadn't noticed. Scotty sent me a smile.

"I suggest you leave," I said. Kieran twirled round in shock that almost made me smile. "You don't want to cause an incident, do you?"

"Was that a threat?" He hissed.

"I was making a friendly suggestion," I insisted.

"Do you know what I can do to you? To any of you?" He gestured to the rest of the table.

My smile faded. "Try," I hissed. "Just try."

He cocked his head slightly as though trying to see through me. I met his blue eyes and saw nothing but a man trapped in his own ego, trying to prove strength and will that he did not have. Was he worth it? Logic told me to drag everyone I came with to the next pub and tell Derek to move on, but the anger told me that he was a prick and needed to be put in his place for being so.

He took and swift step towards me and Derek rolled up his sleeves from behind him. "What did you just say to me?"

He fell forward as a loud thud rang throughout the pub. Scotty stood behind him, clutching a bottle.

"Damn, it didn't break," he thought out loud. "Bugger."

Kieran scoffed, holding onto the back of his head in bewilderment. "You just...you hit me with a bottle!"

"It was supposed to break," Scotty explained, frowning at the bottle. There was a step behind me and someone clenched my shoulder.

"Let go. Now," I growled. The hand immediately retreated and Kieran exploded in anger.

"Do I have to do everything my—?!" He launched, pouring his drink over my head.

There was a moment of dead silence that spread throughout the pub. Scotty and Derek had frozen still and Gabby, Collins and Rose's faces all paled.

The drinks started to steam on my skin, the stickiness of the lukewarm whiskey making my neck shiver in rage as I looked to Derek for some form of clarification. His head nodded slightly.

I drew my arm back and hit Kieran over the head with the bottle in my hand. Unlike Scotty's, it shattered to pieces until I was only holding the neck. He fell in a heap on the floor and I looked to the table with a blank expression.

"That's how you smash it," said Derek. The people stood behind me lunged forward and Scotty and I ducked to the floor. Derek let one collide into him and he threw him over the table.

Chaos erupted. People ranging from the men stood by the bar to strangers I hadn't even noticed hopped in to join the fight, some laughing and some taking it as serious as a job in the agency. I grabbed Scotty's hand and dragged him up with me.

"Do we...do we fight them?" He asked. I shrugged.

"They started it."

"And we finish it?" Scotty grinned. I sighed heavily.

"If we must."

Scotty's eyes widened at something past my shoulder. I snapped round and caught a fist just in time. I kneed him in the crotch and threw him away from me.

"One day. We can't go one bloody day!" I heard Derek shout. I shoved my way back to the table to find Gabby still sat down.

"Gabby—!"

"I will not take part in this violence," she slurred, waving her drink dismissively. "I refuse."

Someone tripped and fell onto her lap so that her beer spilled over his face and her trousers. Her jaw dropped open and she gasped.

"How dare you!" She exclaimed as she slapped his bald head and threw him to the floor. She turned to me, her expression reading extreme disbelief. "Can you believe what he just did?"

"Shameful," I tutted. "Where's Collins and Rose?"

"Rose is by the pool table and Collins is at the bar."

"And Tyler?"

"Under it."

"Brilliant," I sighed. Standing — or staggering — up, I decided to go back into the crowd. Scotty and Derek stumbled beside me.

"What a fun, quiet night," Derek said.

"Is anything ever quiet with us?" Scotty slurred. I shrugged.

"At least it's never boring."

Derek smiled slightly. "That it is, Amber. That it is."

And then we jumped back in.

***

All seven of us were by the bar. Derek had propped himself against it, Scotty and I were sitting on it, Rose and Collins were sitting nearly on stools, Gabby was on the floor and Tyler was sleeping on it, his mouth hanging open as he snored.

"Does this happen here often?" Derek asked the bartender, who was busy cleaning glasses behind us.

"Actually, yes," he admitted. "Though, the results usually aren't as drastic as this."

"What do you mean drastic?" I asked. "What's so drastic about this."

Derek sighed and held my chin to tilt my head to look at the scene in front of us. "Have a look, if you can still see."

I scoffed. "Of course I can see... just not as well as I would like to." He chuckled at me while I tried to focus on the room. Tables had been overturned, chairs thrown. People were lying on the floor, groaning and struggling to find the energy to move. I even spotted a chair somehow sticking out of the wall.

"Oh."

Derek laughed again. "Oh my god, you're drunk."

"I am not."

"Yes you are. Have you looked at yourself?"

"People can't look at themselves, idiot."

"There you go." He shook his head but couldn't hide his smile. "Everyone, Amber's drunk. Just look at her!"

Scotty borked. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Scotty," Gabby scolded.

"No... I think I'm actually gonna throw up."

"GET OUTSIDE!" Exclaimed the bartender, pointing towards the door. Scotty dragged himself up.

"Don't have to tell me twice," he groaned as he staggered towards the door. He left the pub and started to gag. I scrunched up my nose and looked into my drink, its appeal suddenly diminishing.

"Someone should help him," said Rose.

"Someone should," Gabby agreed. Then, all of their faces turned towards me. I frowned.

"Why me?"

"You're his best friend," said Collins.

"And?"

"You should help him!" Gabby exclaimed, very loudly. Rose looked at her for a moment before taking her bottle from her hand and putting it back on the bar.

"What do you want me to do? Hold his hair back? He doesn't have enough for me to hold!"

"Just...comfort him," slurred Gabby.

"That should be a sight," Derek grinned, taking another drink. I glared at him and took his drink away. "Why—"

"You've had too much."

"Says you!"

I lowered my brows at him to show that I was being serious and he nodded.

"Okay. I'm done for tonight."

I smiled slightly. "Thank you."

There was another bork and I sighed. "Fine." I hopped off the counter and would have fell if Collins and Derek did not grab my arms to steady me. "Thank you... I'm going to see Scotty."

There was a laugh behind me as I staggered forward before straightening myself up and leaving the pub. Scotty was by the wall, vomiting. I turned my head and felt for his back before tapping it lightly.

"There, there."

"That doesn't help, Ambi," he groaned.

"I know. But I'm trying."

"I know you are." He heaved. "Thanks."

He threw up again and I started to feel sick.

"I'm regretting this tomorrow."

"I'm regretting this now," replied Scotty. "This is disgusting."

I scrunched up my nose again. "I agree."

The doors to the pub opened and Rose walked out. She was faring better than the rest of us and almost walked in a straight line. Almost.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," I replied.

Her brows lowered and she played with her hands. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Don't mind me," Scotty groaned.

"We won't," I said with a smile that soon faded as I turned to Rose. "Sure."

"Right." She nodded and frowned at the floor for a moment. "I know that we haven't exactly been friends since I got promoted and, well, I don't think you've had much trust in me."

There was no point in lying. "No. I didn't."

"Didn't?"

"I've been told that I'm a little bit... mistrusting at times."

"At times," echoed Scotty.

"Shut up."

"So does this mean that you do trust me?"

"Trust is a strong word but I don't mistrust you. You helped us at the party... thank you."

She smiled. "I appreciate that. Maybe we can grab some drinks one time."

"If we get over this, that is," I said, glancing to Scotty. "But sure. Why not?"

"Good." Her smile widened. "But I'm going to head back. It's really late and I have a report that I need to file."

"Have fun with that," I said. "We'll see you later."

"See you soon."

With a parting smile, she walked away, crossing the road and leaving us as a group of six.

Scotty and I soon went inside to regroup with the others. As it was late, Scotty left rather quickly, with Gabby leaving soon after. I offered her my uber drivers number but she refused to meet Steve again; I didn't blame her in the state she was in. That left Derek, Collins, Tyler and I to begin a trek back home. Collins staggered at the front, I walked in the middle and Derek was at the back with Tyler thrown over his shoulders.

"Is he awake yet?" I asked.

"Nope. Still unconscious."

"Oh. Okay...should we take him to a hospital or something?"

Derek paused for a moment to look at Tyler's face. He used his free hand to poke his cheek. "Ty, you okay?"

Tyler grumbled.

Derek continued walking. "He'll be fine."

"What about you, Collins?" I asked, reaching forward to tap him on the shoulder but missing and nearly hitting the floor. He didn't notice. "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine, thank you."

"You've just seemed a little distant tonight. That's all." More so than usual, I should have said.

He looked over his shoulder and shared a glance with Derek that I could not read into at the time.

"Is everything alright?" I asked. Collins nodded slowly before turning around and walking down the street. I looked to Derek and he squeezed my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it."

Those words made me worry about it. But I did not want to say anything while the four of us were in the condition we were in.

"Have you got a way home, Collins? You live quite far out from where we are," said Derek.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've got someone. Don't worry."

"Tyler, where do you live? I've just realised that we're technically kidnapping you," said Derek, almost knocking Tyler off his shoulder in surprise. He mumbled something that no-one heard.

"I'll sort him out. You two get home," said Collins. Derek didn't object. He almost threw Tyler at Collins.

"We'll see you tomorrow," said Derek. "Have fun with him."

Collins sighed as he held onto Tyler and Derek ushered me forward.

"Leave. Quickly," he said. He linked my arm and began to speed-walk down the path home.

After five wrong turns, too much laughter and Derek falling into a bush, we made it home. When we reached the front door, Derek put his hands into his pockets, his eyes widening.

"You locked the door, right?"

"No, you did." I frowned, panic rising. "Didn't you?"

"I don't have the keys."

My breath caught in my throat. Had he dropped them during the bar fight? Left them in the office? Forgot them in the pub?

"You're joking?"

"No. I really don't know where they are."

I sighed heavily and rubbed my temples. "So we now have to go BACK to the pub, retrace EVERY STEP and search for the keys? I can't believe this how could you—? You're joking."

Derek's facade had broken and he burst into an explosion of laughter as he whipped out the key from his back pocket.

"Did you really think that I would lose the key?"

"That is something you would do," I said as I snatched it from him. He laughed.

"You're probably right."

I fiddled with the key until I unlocked the door, turning on the lights as I walked in. Derek followed, locking the door behind him. I took off my jacket and tossed it over the back of the sofa, shrugging dismissively as it rolled off and collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"What time is it?" Asked Derek. I stretched my arms over my shoulders and strained to read the clock on the wall.

"Half-two," I answered. Looking at the clock brought a smile to my face. "Remember when you were drinking on that ship and told the clock you weren't drunk?"

His cheeks flushed pink and he looked to the floor as I glanced at him over my shoulder. "All too clearly. I wish I forgot it to be completely honest."

"It wouldn't make a difference. You'd still be an idiot to me."

"The idiot that saved your life... how many times?"

"More times than you can probably count."

"Not sure if that's a compliment or not."

I shrugged innocently. "I'll let you figure that out."

His smile grew and he wrapped an arm over me. He pulled me towards him and tilted my jaw upwards as his warm lips melted into mine for a moment. We pulled apart for a second. My eyes flickered from his lips to his dark eyes that I adored and I closed them as I let my arms fall around his neck, letting him kiss me again. The both of us smiled into the kiss as Derek pushed down on the handle to the bedroom and I switched off the light as we entered.

Thank you all for being patient in waiting for this chapter! There's still more editing to do at some point when the book is finished but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.