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A Sterling New Year by J.L. Langley

    “Three, two, one….Happy New Year!”
    Yawning, Rhys ignored the tv, collected his beer off the coffee
    table and took a swig. Maybe he should have taken Jake and
    Remi up on their invitation to go hang out at Hell’s Kitchen.
    He’d thought about it, but decided that it wasn’t worth the
    effort. Working over seventy hours this past week had taken
    it’s toll and he wasn’t up to dealing with a crowd of people
    tonight. Maybe he should have invited Sterling over to watch
    movies and eat pizza. Ah well, what was done was done.
    Sterling was likely out with his friends anyway. Rhys held up
    his bottle and tipped his head at the TV. “Happy New Year.”
    Finishing his beer, he turned off the tv and went to the kitchen.
    That big California King sized bed was calling his name.
    Maybe he’d even start a fire in the big adobe fireplace in his
    bedroom. He tossed the bottle, turned off the kitchen light,
    checked the front door and headed to his room.
    A car door slammed. It sounded close.
    He paused in the hallway, turning back toward the front door.
    Who the fuck was that? He sniffed. Booze, a female, a wolf—
    no not just any wolf it was Gadget’s boy, Logan—
    and…Sterling. What the heck? Rhys hurried back down the
    hall and opened the front door.

    A pretty redheaded girl blushed and gave him an awkward
    smile. “Hi. Um, we brought Sterling…”
    She kept talking but Rhys’ attention was caught by Sterling.
    He stood with Logan, slightly behind the girl, their arms
    looped over each others shoulders. It was hard to tell who was
    holding who up. They both wobbled and reeked of liquor.
    Behind them, a white SUV idled at the curb with three other
    teens, two boys and a girl inside.
    Suddenly Logan seemed to notice Rhys was there. He grinned
    and did a little finger wave. “Hey, Rhys. Um, Sterling sort of,
    well it’s probably best if he doesn’t go home like this. Can he
    stay here?”
    Sterling’s head popped up, his eyes wide and slightly slow on
    focusing. He caught Rhys’ gaze and grinned. Staggering away
    from Logan, he stepped right up to Rhys. Wrapping his hands
    around Rhys’ waist, Sterling buried his face in Rhys’ shoulder
    without a word.
    Out of instinct, Rhys wrapped an arm around him.
    Logan wobbled and the girl reached out and steadied him. She
    shrugged and looked up at Rhys. “Sorry about this. Logan said
    you were a friend and…I couldn’t let Sterling drive, so I
    brought him here.” She held out a set of keys, with a football
    key ring, that Rhys recognized as Sterling’s.
    Rhys took them, his chest tightening just a bit. He glanced at
    the driveway. Sterling’s Jeep was parked next to Rhys’ car.
    “I figured Remi and Jake would strangle him if I took him
    home like this, so I brought him to you.” Logan put his arm
    around the redhead’s waist and kissed the top of her head.
    “Come on Krista, lets go back to the party.”
    Krista waved to Rhys. “Sorry. Bye Sterling.”
    Sterling grunted, let go of Rhys and staggered into the house.
    As Logan turned, Rhys caught the back of his shirt. “You
    aren’t going anywhere.”
    “Wha—” Logan turned, freeing himself from Rhys’ grip, his
    mouth hanging open. “But—”
    “Not another word. Get your ass in the house.” Rhys stepped
    aside.
    Logan’s shoulders slumped but he didn’t argue. He kissed
    Krista goodbye and stomped into the house.
    Rhys raised a brow at the teenage girl and took another sniff.
    Now that the two drunks were away from her, he didn’t smell
    any alcohol on her. “Are they—” he tipped his head toward
    the SUV, “drunk too?”
    She shook her head and swallowed hard. “Brett isn’t, he’s
    driving. Shelly and Danny have had one or two.”
    Rhys nodded, satisfied. “Okay, don’t let the other two
    behind—” Something crashed and Sterling yelped. “the
    wheel.”
    Logan’s laughter rang out behind Rhys and Krista leaned to
    the side to peer around him.
    “Fuck you.” Sterling shouted.
    Logan laughed harder.
    Rhys’ attention never wavered from Krista.
    She nodded. “Okay.” She waved, turned and ran off toward
    the SUV.
    “Bye babe!” Logan shouted.
    This irresponsibility wasn’t like Sterling. It wasn’t like Logan
    either for that matter. The two were friends and together more
    often than not and generally kept each other out of trouble.
    Rhys shut the door, his jaw clenching.
    Sterling lay on the floor in front of the