by Dia Cole
I rubbed my temples. “I know how it sounds.”
She came over and sat down beside me. “It sounds like you’ve been working too hard. Are you sure you saw what you think you did?”
“Pretty sure.” I grabbed the bottle from her hands and gulped. The vodka tasted like rubbing alcohol and left me sputtering.
Cami slapped me on the back so hard I nearly fell off the bed.
“Ouch.” She was strong for her slight frame. Pole dancing made for killer biceps.
She flashed me a chastising look. “Remember, I’m the girl with the weird conspiracy theories.”
No argument there. She was always trying to convince me of inane things like scientists at the army base were engineering animal-human hybrids.
Cami gave me a knowing look. “Don’t you think it’s more likely that Jess was punking you? Just yesterday, I overheard her telling one of her friends she was planning her best prank ever.”
“Yeah.” I took another sip. My hand shook so badly vodka spilled over the side of the bottle.
“She probably got the idea about zombies from the news. And you know how good she is with stage makeup.”
I nodded. “That’s what I thought, but why wouldn’t she show for her set?”
Cami scoffed. “Who knows why that crazy bitch does what she does? Maybe she gets her kicks from having us all suffer through her horrible country routine. Maybe she went crazy with the special effects and couldn’t clean up quickly enough.”
I let out a weak laugh. “She did go all out with the blood and guts. She even wore creepy white contacts.”
Cami pulled the bottle out of my lap and took a swig. “We gotta get her back for this. Any ideas?”
I shook my head. “I’ll think of something epic.”
Jess is going down.
“That’s my girl.” Cami rubbed her hand. “Damn, even my hand’s gone numb.”
“Maybe you’re coming down with something.” I felt her forehead. It was strangely cool to the touch.
“Maybe I’m dying from that stupid vaccine. I knew better than to trust the government. They probably put arsenic in it. China’s been doing that for decades.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, who’s crazy now? And why did you get the shot, anyway?” A government-mandated vaccination seemed exactly like the type of thing she’d boycott.
Cami scowled. “My sister’s due any minute, and she told me I couldn’t meet the baby until I got the vaccine.”
“Quite the hostage negotiator, eh?”
“Yeah, that’s my sister for you, but at least I don’t have to bail her out of jail tonight.”
I winced. “Touché. Well, technically I can’t get Eden until tomorrow.” I knew from experience the police wouldn’t release her before her hearing.
“Sweet. That means you and I can enjoy the party.” Cami pushed herself to her feet, wobbling on six-inch stilettos.
I eyed her too-pale face. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“No.” She glanced down at her arm and frowned. “But if tonight is my last night on earth, I’m going to get drunk and laid.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, smiling.
“You’re coming too.” She grabbed my arm.
I knew better than to argue with her in this mood. “Fine, but just for a little while. I’m tired.”
“You can sleep when you’re dead.” Cami pulled me to my feet. “Now let’s get this party started!”
“Not too much drinking. I have to work tomorrow,” I pleaded as she dragged me out the door.
“Of course,” she promised.
I should have known better.
Within a half an hour she’d bullied me into a drinking game with Reed, Ronnie, Morgan, and Scooter.
An hour later, my vision was hazy. Ronnie’s lame jokes were getting funnier, and Scooter was getting better-looking.
Once the keg ran dry, the other partygoers cleared out. It left just the six of us sitting around the kitchen table along with Cami’s almost empty vodka bottle and Gran’s gin collection. An indie cover version of “When the Levee Breaks” was playing on Reed’s vintage record player, the perfect soundtrack for the Never Have I Ever drinking game we were playing.
Ronnie cleared his throat. Over the course of the night, his freckled face had taken on the hue of his cup. “Never have I ever had sex with two people at the same time.”
The rest of the guys and I shook our heads.
Cami scoffed and took a healthy drink from her cup. “Come on. You’re all losers. At this rate, I’ll be too trashed to have sex with one of you guys.” Her gaze rested briefly on Reed.
He pointedly ignored her as he’d been doing all night.
Feeling unexpectedly relieved that he wasn’t interested in her subtle and not-so-subtle attempts at seduction, I grinned. “We can’t all be skanky hos.” I turned and winked at her. I must’ve moved too fast because I nearly fell off my chair.
Scooter caught my elbow to steady me.
Ronnie, who’d never taken his eyes off Cami, beamed in her direction. “You’re my kind of woman.”
Cami gave him a once-over and flashed him a thousand-watt smile. “But are you man enough for me?”
Oh, God, not Cami and Ronnie. That was a recipe for disaster. I met Reed’s gaze across the table and rolled my eyes.
Instead of sharing my disgust, he wore a strained expression. “Hey guys, I think it’s time to pack it in for the night.”
I waved my hand at him dismissively. “Come on, we’re having a good time.”
Reed looked down at Scooter’s hand holding my arm. “Jesus, woman. I’ve never seen you drink like this. You can barely sit upright in your chair.”
Feeling self-conscious, I straightened in my seat. True, I wasn’t much of a drinker. But I thought I was holding my own.
Scooter slid an arm over my shoulder. “What are you, her dad? She’s just having fun. Lay off.”
Reed tightened his grip around his plastic cup, nearly crushing it in half. Clearly, he wasn’t having a good time, and it was his birthday.
Maybe we should cut the night short…
The rebel inside me flipped off that idea. It wasn’t fair. I hadn’t felt this light and free in forever. I was tired of always being the responsible one.
Didn’t I deserve to live it up a little?
Scooter gave everyone at the table an assessing look. “Never have I ever had a Big Mac.”
Cami gasped. “No way.”
Scooter’s face reddened. “Yeah, I have wheat and dairy allergies.”
Ronnie slapped him on his back. “That’s sad, man.”
Everyone at the table knocked back their cups.
My eyes didn’t even water. The vodka went down like apple juice at this point. Feeling bad for Scooter, I said. “I can’t eat Big Macs either.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. My sister is forcing us to eat vegan.” I wrinkled my nose, thinking about the tofu sandwiches she’d made for lunch yesterday.
He chuckled. “How about I take you to the Red Dog Saloon for our first date? We’ll have steak and your sister will be none the wiser.”
Reed slammed his cup down on the table, gin sloshing across the top. If he glared any harder at Scooter, the college boy’s head would’ve exploded.
What’s up with him?
Trying to diffuse the tension, I shook off Scooter’s arm. “My turn.” I thought for a second, and then said, “Never have I ever been in love.”
Reed held my gaze, tipped his cup to me, and slowly drank.
Feeling like a butterfly pinned to a wall, I swallowed hard. A quick glance around the table revealed everyone was drinking.
My mood bottomed out. Is something wrong with me?
An entire lifetime of choices rushed through my mind. Me rejecting Josh, the cute boy with dimples who’d asked me to the eighth-grade dance. Me spurning Darren, who’d stubbornly spent most of sophomore year trying to get me to go out with him. The
countless faces of boys and men who’d asked me out in the years since then. I’d never regretted my decision to avoid all things male until that moment.
Scooter leaned over. “You just haven’t met the right guy.” He reached down and rubbed my jean-clad thigh.
Instead of pulling away like I normally would, I smiled. Maybe he was right. He was kind of sexy in that clean-cut, boy-next-door way. “Do you think you’re Mr. Right?”
Scooter responded by dragging me into his lap.
I giggled, enjoying the feeling of a pair of arms around me.
Why have I been avoiding this my whole life?
The sound of Reed gritting his teeth had me jerking my head up.
What’s his deal tonight?
Next to me, Morgan swiped his dark hair out of his face and leveled the table with a serious look. “Never have I ever killed someone.”
As his words registered, I felt the blood leaving my face.
“Trust Morgan to go to the dark side,” joked Ronnie. “No one’s going to drink to that.”
Reed flashed me a quick, unfathomable look.
The kitchen spun around me. My stomach churned, and bile clawed its way up the back of my throat. I jumped off Scooter’s lap and promptly crashed into the table.
One of the bottles fell over. The piney smell of gin filled the kitchen.
Morgan cursed and stared down at the growing wet spot in his lap.
Ronnie grabbed a wad of paper towels and started mopping up the spill. “Ms. Walker apparently can’t handle her liquor.”
“Are you okay?” Cami and Scooter asked at the same time.
I held my hand up to my mouth, afraid if I opened it, I’d start projectile vomiting.
“Dude, she’s going to hurl.” Morgan slid back from the table.
Scooter stood. “Come on, I’ll take you to the bathroom.”
Reed was suddenly standing between us. “You’re not taking her anywhere, man.”
The two men scowled at each other.
I stared at Reed in confusion. He never acted like this. He hated conflict. My stomach lurched again. There was no time to analyze his behavior. I took off down the hallway and made it to the bathroom just in time to spill my guts into the toilet.
After my stomach finally stopped spasming, I laid my head down on the floor.
The cool tile felt wonderful.
Someone rapped at the door a few minutes later. “Are you okay, sugar?”
“Yeah,” I called back to Cami. “I just need a minute.”
“Take your time. I’ve got someone to keep me company.” She giggled.
“Not Ronnie. Please Cami, anyone except Ronnie,” I pleaded, but she’d already walked away.
I don’t know how long I lay there, but eventually I felt well enough to use the bathroom sink to pull myself up.
The face that stared back at me in the mirror made me cringe. My long hair was tangled around my pale, clammy face, and my eye makeup was smeared. Deciding to clean myself up, I brushed my teeth and took a long hot shower. The water felt amazing beating against my sore muscles and the sweet scent of my vanilla body wash burned away the smell of alcohol and vomit.
Oh, God. I should’ve stopped drinking an hour ago and I never should have played that stupid game. What if the others noticed my reaction to Morgan’s statement?
My stomach rolled again.
Only Reed, Eden, and Uncle Duncan knew the dark truth about my past. And I needed it to stay that way. I turned the water off with a hard yank. Pissed that I let myself get into such a situation, I toweled off with a fervor that left my skin pink.
Then I grabbed a comb and ran it through my hair with punishing strokes.
Scooter had probably left by now. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. His muscular arms had felt really nice around me.
What would his kiss feel like?
I brought my hand to my mouth and traced my fingers over my lips. I shivered, my nipples hardening.
I moved my hand down to my breasts. Passion sparked through me as I caressed them.
They’d been so swollen and achy tonight as if begging for someone’s touch. For some reason, I thought of Javier. What would it feel like to be with him?
My breath caught as I slipped a finger between my legs.
Would he touch me like this?
Pleasure arced through me as I circled my clit.
Love I didn’t need. Love led to pain. But maybe there could be lust.
What if I took Javier up on his offer? He’s sexy as hell and he’d pay me forty grand for the weekend.
I put one foot on the edge of the counter and imagined his amber eyes looking up at me as he licked and sucked me senseless. I felt myself drawing tighter and tighter like a bow about to snap. I moved my fingers frantically over my nub, chasing an orgasm that was so… very… close…
Someone knocked on the door.
I froze, hoping whoever it was would go away.
“Lee, are you okay?”
It’s Reed. Crap. My cleft throbbed with a deep pressure that left me feeling frustrated.
“Lee?”
“I’m fine. Leave me alone.” Maybe he’ll go away so I can finish.
“Can you open the door?”
I glared at him through the wood. “No. Go away.”
“Lee, please.”
Annoyed, I brought my leg down, toga-wrapped myself in a towel, and jerked the door open. “What is so goddamn important I can't get a moment to myself?”
11
Reed
The sight of Lee fresh from the shower stole my breath.
She was ravishing with or without makeup, but dressed in only a damp towel she was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I quickly took mental snapshots of the water dripping down her flushed skin.
Lee flipped her wet hair back, and her towel unknotted. She grabbed the sides of the terry cloth before it could completely fall open, but what I’d glimpsed made my head spin.
Jesus. My mouth opened and closed as my mind short-circuited.
“What do you want?”
Her irritated tone ripped me from my mental paralysis.
Why is she annoyed with me? She’s the one acting like an idiot.
The memory of her cuddling with Scooter made me want to punch my fist through a wall. Lee had never shown an interest in any guy before and to see her wrapped in that tool’s arms gutted me. As far as I could tell, Scooter was as deep as a puddle and as smart as a bag of weed.
But what if he is her type?
I rejected that idea. Earlier this year, I’d overheard her talking with Cami about her ideal man. I’d made sure I ticked off all her boxes.
Tall. Check.
Long hair. Check.
Tattoos. Check.
And there had been one other qualification. Checking off that box had been painful as hell, but she was worth it.
Scooter didn’t meet her criteria, and the muscle-bound gorilla had the nerve to argue with me when I asked him to go. Normally, I tried not to let anything bother me, but I’d told him in no uncertain terms that if he didn’t leave, I’d throw him the fuck out.
He’d stepped up into my face and tried to use his bigger size to intimidate me, only to find that I don’t intimidate easy. Although I was usually a proponent of peaceful resolutions, all bets were off when it came to Lee.
I’d fight for her. Hell, I’d kill for her.
Scooter must’ve seen that in my eyes, because he’d backed away and headed out the door.
Good fucking riddance.
Lee’s sound of annoyance dragged my attention back to our conversation. “Did you have something to say, or are you just going to stand there?” She kicked her discarded clothes at my head.
I ducked. “Jesus, woman. I thought this would make you feel better.” I held up a blue sports drink as if it were a peace offering.
“Oh.” Her angry expression faded. “Thanks.” She grabbed the drink, pushed past m
e, and padded into her room across the hall.
Not allowing her to dismiss me so easily, I followed her into her room and closed the door behind us. Not that we needed the privacy.
I’d sent everyone home except Cami and Ronnie, who were currently getting their freak on in the living room. I really hoped they stayed off the furniture. Just thinking about sitting in their wet spot made me want to hurl.
Lee sat down on her bed and took a deep gulp of the sports drink.
Good. She needed the electrolyte replacement after all the liquor she’d had.
What is she thinking getting that drunk?
Lee set the bottle down on the floor, tension rolling off of her. “Do you think any of our friends realized…” Her voice went tight.
It took me a moment to catch her meaning. Is that what she’s worried about? “Hell no. They don’t have a clue. They just thought your night of slamming shots caught up to you.”
She let out a relieved sigh.
Once again, I tried to puzzle out why she’d acted so out of character tonight.
Lee’s gaze narrowed. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I’m worried about you. Normally, you’re the one keeping it together while we all go crazy. What’s going on?”
Lee glanced away as she finger-combed her hair. “I just wanted to cut loose a little. Instead of giving me a hard time, why don’t you enjoy the rest of your birthday party?”
“I sent everyone home. Well, everyone but Cami and Ronnie. They’re too trashed to drive and they seem to want to get to know one another better.” I hid my inward shudder.
She snorted. “I can’t think of two people who’d be worse for each other.”
“I can. You and that Scooter guy. What the hell was up with that?”
She glanced away, a guilty look on her face.
It was that expression that cut me deepest. She doesn’t even know why she was all over that guy. I shut my mouth before I blurted out the question I really wanted to ask. Why him and not me?
She took a deep breath. “It’s none of your business. Why were you being such a dick to him, anyway?”
We were stepping through dangerous territory. While I fumbled for an answer, I stared at the top of her dresser. Gran’s collection of porcelain frogs cavorted across the mahogany finish. I’d always liked those frogs. I should write a song about them someday.
