Love Unexpected

by Raven K. Asher

  I let out a long string of curses as we step inside.

  “This isn’t freaking happening.” I breathe out as I take in Troy who was now lying under the covers on my bed.

  That wasn’t the worse part though; it was the fact that his clothing was tossed haphazardly all over my floor.

  “This is priceless.” Ash snorts.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to drag a naked man from your bed, Scarlett. I don’t know what you’re going to do, but that’s where I draw the line.” Drake announces.

  Turning around I smack my hand against his chest. “Wake him up and get him out of my damned bed. If you don’t then I will take lots of pictures of this party and send them to my mother.”

  “You wouldn’t…” Ash whispers.

  “Oh, I would.” I threaten.

  In all honesty, I wouldn’t, but they didn’t need to know that.

  “Go ahead. You’ll only get yourself into trouble.” Drake replies, calling my bluff.

  He turns and then walks out of the room before stopping just outside the doorway. “You’re more than welcome to share my bed tonight, Scarlett.”

  I groan. “I need a strong drink before that ever happens.”

  “Then come on, let’s get a stiff one into you.” Ash hoots.

  Shaking my head, I watch as grins proudly at his innuendo.

  After a moment, I give in. “Fine, but only one drink and then I’m going to find another room to lock myself inside of.”

  “That’s fair,” Drake replies before walking away.

  “You know, my bed is always free too. I wouldn’t mind at all if you were to get drunk and climb under my covers naked.” Ash states before he walks out of my room.

  Sighing roughly I glance back at Troy before I walk towards the door.

  I follow Drake and Ash back through the house until we reach the kitchen. Ash moves to the refrigerator while Drake moves towards a cabinet to grab some glasses.

  I spot a few of my favorite choices of liquor in the cabinet before he closes it.

  Moving back towards me Ash hands me an unopened bottle of beer. I take it and then stare down at it before sighing. The last thing that I wanted was beer.

  “Ash, Mandy is asking for you. She’s locked herself in the bathroom down the hall.” Ellie states suddenly as she walks into the room.

  “Of course she is.” Ash breathes out.

  He sighs and then walks out of the room.

  Once Ash is gone, Ellie looks at me with a hint of disgust before she turns her attention towards Drake. “Should I leave you two alone…or…?”

  Drake sighs before he moves closer to her. “Let’s dance, Babe.”

  Without another word they leave the room together, leaving me all alone.

  I continue to stare down at the bottle in my hand before placing it on the counter next to the toaster. I then look towards the cabinet where the hard liquor was kept.

  Glancing back at the doorway I make my mind up.

  If I was going to drink, I wasn’t going to waste my time on beer.

  Moving quickly I make my way over to the cabinet before opening it. Reaching up I grab a full bottle of whiskey before pulling it off of the shelf.

  My mouth waters with anticipation as I gaze down at the golden brown liquid inside the bottle. All it would take is a few shots of this, and my troubles would disappear for the night.

  If only it were that easy to stop.

  Twisting the top off I take a deep breath before placing the bottle to my lips.

  As I tip it back, the liquid burns a trail down my throat before warming my stomach.

  Pulling it away I smile for a moment before placing the bottle to my lips again.

  I had missed this.

  Chapter Six

  “Would you just stop, Mandy?” Ash snaps as he walks back into the kitchen with Mandy following close behind.

  “I saw the way that you were looking at her, Ash.” She whines.

  “Like I said before, we aren’t dating, and since when did it suddenly matter who else we’re with? Weren’t you just kissing Max before you decided to come and find me?” Ash replies.

  I hide in my dark corner of the kitchen with a second bottle of whiskey in my hands.

  As Mandy stomps her foot childishly, I’m barely able to hold my laughter back.

  “That’s different, and you know it.” She tries.

  “Whatever, Mandy, I’m done. I’m sick of this double standard that you hold me up to.” Ash growls out. “If I decide to sleep with another girl it’s none of your business.”

  She stomps her foot again, and I burst into laughter.

  Both of them look at me with surprise while I wave my hand at Mandy.

  My words slur as I continue to laugh. “Do again…please…”

  Mandy huffs and then runs out of the room while Ash shakes his head.

  He moves in my direction while looking at me in question. “Exactly how many beers have you had to get you this drunk?”

  I hold up two fingers. “I had two.”

  He snorts. “That makes you a lightweight.”

  His eyes widen when I shake my head and then hold up the nearly empty bottle of whiskey.

  “No, silly, this is my second bottle.” I laugh.

  “What the hell? How are you even still awake?” He questions before glancing back at the doorway. “I should probably find Drake. We need to get you to a room before you get hurt.”

  I laugh and nod my head before tipping the bottle back to empty the rest of its contents.

  “Are you going to be alright for a few seconds?” He asks softly.

  “I’ll be just fine.” I slur while giving him a thumbs up.

  He nods once and then runs out of the room.

  Gathering my wits for the moment, I climb down off of the counter top before moving back over to the liquor cabinet. I reach up and pull down another bottle of whiskey before I open the top.

  Just as I place it to my lips, Drake walks in with Ash.

  I freeze in place.

  “No, just no,” Ash stresses before he marches forward. “You sure as hell don’t need another bottle of whiskey.”

  As he gets closer, I take a quick drink before expertly dodging his grasp.

  I laugh and dance just out of his reach.

  “Damn it, Scarlett.” He curses.

  As he approaches again, I hold my finger up while tipping the bottle back again. As soon as I pull it away, Drake snatches the bottle from my grasp.

  “You’re no fun.” I pout as he takes a long drink before handing the bottle to Ash.

  “I think you’ve had enough fun for the three of us,” Ash replies.

  Ash takes a long drink before glancing at Drake. “What do we do with her now?”

  “We get her to eat something and then drink water. If we’re lucky, she’ll throw up at least half of the whiskey.” Drake replies.

  “I could easily drink more.” I insist.

  Ash snorts. “That’s not going to happen.”

  Moving forward Ash tries to grab hold of me but before he can I jump out of reach before I run out of the room.

  Drake and Ash curse loudly before giving chase.

  I laugh and run from room to room before Drake finally catches up to me. He quickly wraps his arms around me to keep me from escaping.

  Looking up at him my laughter dies.

  Seconds later my eyes fill with tears. “Why does it have to be like this?”

  “Like what?” He asks softly.

  “Why can’t I be happy? Why does my mother hate me so much?” I question before I continue with a whimper. “I just want someone to love me. Is that too much to ask for?”

  “I don’t know.” He replies. “And no, that’s not too much to ask for. Everyone deserves to be loved.”

  My eyes flutter for a moment as a few tears escape and roll down my cheeks.

  “I want to go home.” I plead.

  Sighing softly, Drake lifts m
e into his arms. “I wish that I could take you home, but for now you’re going to have to settle for sleeping in my bed for the night.”

  I nod and then close my eyes while wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “Is she going to be alright, Drake?” Ash questions softly.

  “She’ll be fine, but I think we should end this party for the night. We’re going to need to focus on her until she either sobers up or pukes.” Drake replies.

  Ash grunts in response before Drake begins carrying me.

  A few minutes later, he lowers me onto a soft blanket. I groan and roll onto my stomach while grasping the blanket tightly.

  “How are you feeling?” He questions.

  “Not good enough,” I reply.

  Drake snorts. “That’s a first, but seriously did you really drink two bottles of whiskey?”

  I look up at him and nod my head. “It’s not a first for me, and I could easily drink another before I have to be taken to the hospital.”

  He nods once. “I’d rather not have to do that.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine in a few hours.” I reassure.

  “Are you sure?” He breathes out.

  I nod. “I am.”

  “Alright; but in the meantime would you at least eat something and drink some water?” He presses. “It would make me feel better.”

  “Okay…” I give in with a groan.

  Silence fills the room for a few moments while I roll onto my back with a huff.

  Laughing abruptly I turn my head to look at Drake as he watches me curiously from his spot standing next to the bed.

  “You know, in this light, you don’t look like such an asshole.” I snort.

  Drake barks out in laughter while shaking his head. “You are the bravest soul that I’ve had to deal with in a very long time.”

  “You know you like me, Drake. Just admit it.” I reply.

  He opens his mouth to speak, but Ash rushes into the room with a box of crackers in one hand and two bottles of water in the other.

  “I didn’t know what else to bring so I just grabbed some crackers and water.” He announces while sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  “Thanks, Ash,” I reply as I take a bottle of water from his hand.

  He nods and then watches me closely as I open the bottle and then drink.

  I raise my brow while pulling the bottle away from my lips. “Are you going to watch me like a hawk for the rest of the night?”

  “Absolutely…” Ash replies sternly.

  I groan out dramatically in response while secretly enjoying the attention.

  “I wouldn’t fight him on this. When Ash puts his mind to something, there’s nothing that can stop him. To be honest, you’re not going to be able to get away from either one of us.” Drake replies. “Our father would kill us both if something bad happened to you.”

  Sighing softly I close my eyes. “My mother would probably be happy.”

  “She’s a real bitch.” Ash blurts.

  Drake grunts in response.

  Once again silence fills the room.

  I keep my eyes closed as my head spins from the alcohol. After a few moments, the bottle of water falls from my hand before I’m sucked into a deep darkness.

  Hopefully when I woke up, Drake and Ash wouldn’t completely hate me for scaring them half to death, and hopefully, I wouldn’t wake up in a hospital bed either.

  All I had wanted was for the pain to stop, and for now, it had.

  Chapter Seven

  “Is she still breathing?” Ash whispers softly, waking me from my sleep slightly.

  Drake sighs roughly. “Yes, Ash, for the hundredth time, she’s breathing. She’s just asleep, that’s all. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “No one can drink that much whiskey without causing some kind of damage, Drake,” Ash argues.

  “How about the last time you pulled a stunt like this?” Drake replies.

  “I had a death wish, Drake,” Ash replies.

  “This doesn’t seem like she has a death wish, Ash,” Drake replies before continuing. “It seems more like she’s trying to erase some kind of pain.”

  “Or she’s trying to erase her mother from her memory by killing any good brain cells that she has left.” Ash snorts.

  “I can’t stand that woman.” Ash then growls.

  “Neither can I, but it doesn’t seem like Dad is going to toss her out anytime soon. She seems to make him happy.” Drake breathes out.

  After a brief moment of silence, Drake speaks again. “For Scarlett’s sake, we should at least tolerate her mother. God only knows what she would do to her if they left here on bad terms.”

  “You like her, don’t you?” Ash questions softly.

  “Don’t act as if you don’t either,” Drake replies with a light laugh.

  “She’s growing on me,” Ash replies.

  “Exactly…She’s growing on me too.” Drake insists.

  “So, are we going to be nice to her from now on or are we sticking to the usual routine?” Ash questions quietly.

  “For now let’s keep our distance.” Drake answers.

  Ash snorts. “I’m still going to convince her to sleep with me.”

  Drake laughs. “She’s not going to fall for your games, Ash. She’s smarter than that, and anyway I bet she likes me more than she likes you.”

  “We’ll see about that, brother,” Ash replies playfully.

  “I didn’t mean that as a challenge, Ash.” Drake sighs.

  “Too late…” Ash hoots.

  After a moment the bed shakes slightly before footsteps shuffle across the floor. The door squeaks open and then closes seconds later.

  I remain still with my eyes closed as I listen to someone breathing heavily.

  Without warning, a warm hand cups my cheek.

  “Damn it,” Drake whispers.

  He pulls his hand away and then lies down on the bed next to me.

  A few minutes pass by before I open my eyes to look at him.

  Thankfully he appeared to be asleep. His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling with a steady rhythm.

  Sighing softly I sit up and then close my eyes again.

  Alcohol was obviously still coursing through my body but not as bad as I had expected. I was sober enough to take care of myself now.

  Taking a deep breath, I reopen my eyes and then move to the edge of the bed without disturbing Drake. It takes a few moments, but I manage to stand on my feet.

  Moving at a slow and careful pace, I walk to the door.

  Right before I get the chance to open it, the door swings open.

  Ash’s eyes widen with surprise, but before he can say a word, I press my finger to his lips before pushing him back out of the room.

  Once the door is shut I lower my hand and turn my attention towards Ash.

  “How are you even standing?” He laughs in disbelief.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I reply before motioning towards my room. “Can you do me one favor though? Could you help me wake Troy up so I can have my bed back?”

  “Sure, I guess I could do that, but you’re going to owe me a favor,” Ash replies with a cocky smirk.

  “What kind of favor?” I question curiously.

  If he was going to say something crazy, then I would find another way to get Troy out of my bed. There was no way that I’d give Ash a freebie after what he and Drake had been talking about earlier.

  “It won’t be anything bad.” Ash insists. “I might need you to cover my ass one day, that’s all.”

  “Fine, I can do that.” I agree.

  His smile grows as he claps his hands together. “Alright, now let’s get Troy out of your bed.”

  Without another word, we move to my room and then open the door.

  Both of us stand in a state of shock as two girls moan softly from under my blankets.

  Ash snaps out of it first and tugs me back before closing the door.

  “Who knew Troy
was such a player?” Ash snorts.

  “What the hell?” I breathe out before looking at Ash. “What the freaking hell? I’m going to have to burn down the entire room now.”

  He bursts into laughter. “Aww come on, I bet you’ve gotten down and nasty in someone else’s bed before.”

  “Never…” I answer simply.

  Ash’s laughter stops abruptly as he raises his brow. “Are you a…?” He trails off.

  “No, but I never slept around either. I’ve only ever been with one guy.” I explain.

  “Seriously…?” Ash blurts.

  “Is that so hard to believe?” I snap a bit too harshly.

  “No, but, I mean the way you drink…” He trails off again. “And the way your mother talks to you…I kind of assumed that you’ve been around the block a few times.”

  “Well, I haven’t.” I breathe out before sighing roughly. “It’s not like I haven’t wanted to though. I just never had the courage to go for it.”

  Ash chuckles while shaking his head. “I take it that you’re feeling pretty brave right now.”

  “Not really,” I reply before placing my hand against the wall while closing my eyes. “Right now I feel sick.”

  Ash curses and then wraps his arm around my waist. “Come on; I’ll take you to my room. You can be as sick as you want in my bathroom.”

  Without another word, Ash guides me to his room before leading me into his attached bathroom.

  I barely make it to his toilet before everything in my stomach comes up.

  Surprisingly Ash remains with me, holding my hair back to keep it from getting in the way. That simple gesture meant the world to me, and it definitely won him some points in my book.

  ****

  “Ash, where is Scarlett? I can’t find her anywhere.” Drake stresses as he bursts into Ash’s room in a panic.

  I watch from my position lying on the cozy rug in Ash’s bathroom as he points in my direction. A moment later Drake peeks around the corner.

  “See, Scarlett’s fine, but I think she kind of fell in love with my rug.” Ash jokes.

  Becoming serious, Ash sighs. “She’s been regretting her decisions for a few hours now. I think every last bit of alcohol is out of her system.”