Promise Me This

by Sarah Ashley Jones

  “Just because you’re still pissed about how we ended doesn’t mean you have to take it out on her. She’s the innocent party here. She’s not even twenty-one yet,” I shouted at them. I couldn’t believe I even needed to have that conversation with them.

  “You were the one who ended things, Jhett. And I don’t think you not calling me counted as ending things on good terms. So soooorry that I got your little flavor of the month drunk, but it was far too easy to get under your skin. Besides, she’s an adult. She made her own decisions tonight.” Blair said her peace, and with a flip of her hair was gone, back towards her friends.

  I had no desire to fuel the Blair fire. Instead, I turned my attention to Gracie. “What the hell, Grace? You’re supposed to be watching out for her - not influencing your friends to get her drunk.” I was way passed pissed off.

  “No, that’s your job, remember? I’ve got to go enjoy myself. Maybe you should grab a drink. You’re way more fun when you’re drunk. Oh, and you should probably go get your girlfriend before someone else snatches her up from under your nose.” She nodded back towards the chairs where I left Charlie.

  I stood there trying to catch my breath, before the buzzing in my ears stopped and I could get a grip on my anger.

  “You’re so funny Wes, you know that? I don’t know why Jhett would say those things to you. He’s normally such a sweetheart.” Everything was suddenly so funny and everyone was so nice. Jhett had such nice friends. First, Danny went to go get me some water, and then Wes showed up and wanted to dance with me. I loved to dance now.

  “I bet I’m sweeter if you’ll let me show you. Here, drink some more of this.” Wes reminded me of Jhett. He was tall and nice. Taking giant gulps from the red cup in my hands, I finished Wes’s drink in record time.

  “That is not yummy. You lied to me.” The endless giggles threatened to come back up through my throat. They were on and off all night.

  “I didn’t say that was yummy. Beer is never yummy. And I would never lie to you. You’re way too much of a lady to be lied to. You deserve to be shown the world.” He stroked my shoulder and down my arm with the back of his hand. I didn’t like it when he did it. It felt wrong. He wasn’t Jhett.

  “You’re not Jhett.” I tried to focus on his face, but everything became one big blur. My mind was so consumed with Jhett that even the fire in the background started to look like him. Squinting past Wes’s shoulder, I swore that I could see Jhett walking towards us and I wanted to be back with him, instead of in someone else’s arms. I lost my balance when I tried to walk past Wes and to Jhett, falling over and into the chair I was supposed to be sitting in. Why was I not sitting in it before?

  “Hey, Wes?” A familiar deep voice called from behind us. I knew I saw him. I knew Jhett wouldn’t leave me like Wes said he would.

  I tried to get up out of the chair as Wes turned around to face Jhett, but before I could even realize what happened, Jhett reeled his arm back and punched Wes straight in the jaw and sent him flying to the ground.

  There was a blood curdling scream coming from somewhere in the distance, stopping only once my hands covered my mouth. The scream came from me. My vision threatened to go black on me from sheer panic.

  Jhett instantly kneeled in front of me as mild chaos ensued behind him. His hands grabbed my face and forced me to focus on his just inches away from mine.

  “Charlie, did Wes hurt you? Are you okay? He’s such an ass. Where’s Danny?” Jhett’s forehead was covered in tiny creases as he fired questions at me faster than I could process them.

  A groggy smile crept over my lips. I could feel Jhett’s staggered breath as I reached out and put my finger to his lips. “You said a bad word, babe.” I looked down at Wes, who was knocked out on the sand a few feet away, before searching out Jhett’s face again. “I think you put him to sleep. You didn’t even have to sing to him like you do me. I was tired of him telling me that you weren’t going to come back. You’re amazing. Thanks for coming back.” I flung my arms around his neck and squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to stop the world from spinning. I didn’t want to drink anymore.

  I sucked in a deep breath and wrapped myself around Charlie. Despite the amount of alcohol she drank, I could still smell her sweet scent clinging to her skin. I stole a glance next to us as one of Wes’s friends helped him sit up. I was thankful that I only needed to throw one punch to knock him out cold. Honestly, I didn’t regret anything. He had it coming for a long time before tonight, and I knew that others agreed. I would still be fighting if they didn’t.

  “I think I want to go lay down. I feel like I’ve just been on a rollercoaster and wasn’t allowed to get off,” Charlie whined. I felt bad for her. I spent way too many nights feeling that way, and she didn’t deserve it the first time she ever took a sip.

  “Let me get your shoes and your bag and I’ll carry you home.” I leaned her back against the chair and took off towards the fire. Her things were in a pile next to the beer, and I threw everything inside her oversized bag before throwing it over my shoulder. I was going to need both of my hands to make it home with her.

  Once again I was by her side. Slipping one hand under her knees and the other around her back, I lifted her into my arms. Her arm draped around my neck as she rolled into my chest. I leaned down to press my lips to her slick forehead. I knew that once she started with the cold sweats I would have to hurry, or else I would be wearing second-hand alcohol.

  I walked in silence with her in my arms until we reached the quiet street of our neighborhood. The bikes would be fine until morning. I paused just long enough to look down and check on her, only to be greeted with the most adoring eyes looking up at me. “Don’t fall asleep on me, babe. You’ve got to stay awake until we can get home and you can drink some water. You’re not going to feel all that great in the morning.”

  “Have I told you that I really like it when you call me babe? No one has ever called me babe before. Not even my boyfriends. Are you my boyfriend?” My heart stopped. I hoped that Charlie would be lucky and bypass the drunken stage where you say things you didn’t remember the next day, especially things that may or may not be what was really in her heart.

  “I like being the first one to call you babe,” I told her in an attempt to avoid the subject of boyfriends. Relief flooded into me when I saw the house come into view ahead of us.

  “You didn’t answer my question.” She pressed her cheek against my chest, but kept her chin tilted up towards my face.

  I sighed. “Do you want me to be your boyfriend, Charlie?” I decided avoidance was key if I wanted to stop her from jumping straight off into the dreaded endless-tears-stage at the snap of my fingers.

  “I’ve been telling Hannah that you’re my boyfriend. She doesn’t believe me, though. She said there’s no way I’m telling the truth.” Her eyes fought her pending sleep, stuck somewhere between wanting to stay awake and passing out. “Why did the girls tonight say that if I got you to drink after what happened with Cameron, they would bet that you loved me?”

  My heart sunk. I thought that maybe, just maybe, those awful girls wouldn’t try to start trouble. Well, so much for trying to find the best in people. “I just decided it wasn’t worth it for me to drink anymore after what happened.” I hoped that she was sobered up enough that she could figure out what I meant, and not ask any more questions.

  “You mean because of the drunk driver? I should have thought of that. I think I’m a bad sister,” she trailed off as she talked about other things that made no sense or that I couldn’t understand. I didn’t have it in me to explain things any further.

  Finally I made my way up the steps, and after skillfully unlocking the door with one hand, was greeted with a rush of cool air as we entered the house. “We’re home. Do you want to go to the couch or the bed?” I asked her, even though I knew she was probably asleep.

  “I like our home. I like being here with you. I don’t think I want to go back to Tennessee.” Once again, sh
e took me by surprise. I decided to go with the couch so I could get her some water and a few aspirin, and still have her within my sight in case she ended up getting sick - which seemed inevitable at this point the way things were going.

  “I don’t want you to go back, either. You can stay with me as long as you like.” I tried not to feed into her ramblings. I honestly wasn’t trying to pry her feelings out of her. Drunken confessions didn’t count if you couldn’t remember them when you woke up. “I’ll be right back. Try to relax, and yell if you’re going to be sick, okay?” I laid a blanket over her still almost-nude body. Any other day, her lying on the couch in only her bathing suit would have distracted me, but I was kind of enjoying the fact that she needed me to take care of her.

  Once I felt she was all right for a few minutes, I went into the kitchen and pulled down two glasses from the cabinet, along with a bottle of aspirin. I took out two pills for Charlie and then filled both glasses up. I turned around to meet Charlie back on the couch, but was stopped dead in my tracks. Before me stood Charlie, completely naked, dancing to the music in her head.

  I set the glasses and aspirin down on the counter, making sure that my hands were free in case there was any sudden loss of control. “What…are you doing…?” I asked her cautiously.

  My question didn’t faze her. She just sauntered over to me as best as she drunkenly could, without dropping my gaze. Her hands took on a mind of their own, and she wasted no time finding all my sensitive flesh. “I know you’ve been staring at me all night, so now I’m staring at you.” Within seconds she found my belt buckle, and with one good tug, she whipped it through the loops of my jeans and tossed it to the side with a bang on the wood floor.

  I wouldn’t be a man if I said that she wasn’t a dream come true, but I also knew how much she drank, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to play her games. “Let’s just go into the bedroom and see what happens.” I tried to grab her hand, but she took off on unsteady feet down the hall without me.

  Charlie stopped right before the doorway, turning on her heels in a slow pivot, and let her hands grope her body from her chest down to her ankles. Her eyes darkened with a mischievous sparkle kissing the sides. I knew I should be scared.

  She took off in a blur, sprinting towards me down the hall. I only had seconds to throw my hands up before she launched herself onto me; clinging to my front as she wrapped her legs around my waist. “Whoa! Easy, killer.” I grabbed at her arms in an attempt to pull her from me, but she refused to let go. That tussle must have fueled her fire, because she was caught up in covering every inch of my exposed skin in sloppy, wet, kisses.

  I needed to pick my battles, and at that point, it was easier to let her keep going than to try and stop her. I picked up the pace down the hall, shuffling as she twisted in my arms. I finally made it to the bed in record time, and began trying to untangle her limbs from around my body. After a few seconds of back and forth with her, she landed on the sheets with a bounce. Her hands fought mine for the covers. She was going to kill me by the time I went to sleep. She refused to let me cover her body.

  “Fine. Stay like that then. I’ll be right back. Just stay there,” I repeated. I tried not to let her catch me looking at her, but I couldn’t resist a quick peek. She was sprawled out on the bed, on top of the covers like a starfish in all her naked glory, complete with her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. I ducked out and into the kitchen before I could get sucked into feeling sorry for her.

  “I’ll be ready and waiting to rock your world, BABE,” she called into the silence of the bedroom after me. I rolled my eyes at her comment. I changed my mind. Thank God, Drunken Charlie wasn’t a regular occurrence. Grabbing the water and aspirin off the counter, I made my way back down the hall and into the bedroom.

  Charlie’s delicate body was wrapped in a web of sheets, and she was curled up on her side in the bed. Her snores confirmed my fears – she fell asleep before I could get anything into her system. I could only imagine what she would feel like in the morning, and I knew she wasn’t ready for it. I set the contents of my hand onto the dresser and searched through the top drawer, finally pulling out Charlie’s favorite piece of my wardrobe – a white t-shirt.

  I shook it out in front of me, then sat down on her side on the bed and slipped it over her head. I wasn’t taking any chances after seeing her before she fell asleep. It was one thing to lie next to her naked, but it was completely different thing to lie next to her naked and have her be off-limits. She could wear a trash bag, and even then, I wouldn’t deny her what she wanted.

  Trying to get her arms into the sleeves was a lot like trying to dress a baby. She was limp and wiggly, even when she was passed out. Flicking off all the lights, I made my way around the bed and under the blanket beside Charlie. A faint glow from the moon shone through the glass doors across from us and landed perfectly on Charlie’s soft features.

  I propped myself up on my elbow and faced her as she lay silent, with only the sound of her shallow breath filling the room. I ran my fingers through the soft strands of hair that fell around her face. It was something that I found myself doing often and without thinking. She stirred under my touch, rolling towards me and pushing me flat onto my back. In one astonishingly smooth motion, considering her prior state, she melted into my side; her hand finding a death grip on the t-shirt that I wore.

  I inhaled deeply, taking in all that she was. I knew I didn’t deserve her. I didn’t deserve this kind of blissful happiness. Danny’s words from tonight echoed through my thoughts, and the guilt that hung in the back of my mind pushed out in full force. I told myself that everything happened for a reason, but I wondered if that reason was worth it. Would she still stay if she knew the truth?

  “Don’t leave, Jhett,” Charlie mumbled as she wrestled restlessly with herself in my arms. Her eyes remained closed as she continued to mumble into my shirt. I pressed my cheek to her forehead, letting my own eyes close, careful not to lose this moment to my own sleep.

  “I’ll be here until you tell me to leave,” I spoke into the night. I knew that she was asleep, but it didn’t make a difference. I just prayed that she never changed her mind.

  The light was back in the room again. I tried to flip myself over and away from the brightness, but every muscle in my body refused to cooperate. My head felt disconnected from my body, and I felt the room begin to spin. With all other options exhausted, I pried my eyes open to try and convince myself that I wasn’t on a boat and about to get seasick.

  I finally managed to sit up and drag myself to the edge of the bed, when I noticed the oversized t-shirt draped on my body. The whole night was a blur. It took everything inside of me to choke down the burning sensation that crept up my throat. I shook my fingers through my hair and tried to regain some type of composure, or at least a tiny shred of memory about why I felt like a bus hit me in my sleep.

  Tiny droplets of sweat sprouted all over my body as I tried to tame the sounds coming from my empty stomach. It only took me seconds to realize that the gurgles were coming up whether I wanted them to or not. I jumped off the bed and raced into the bathroom as fast as my broken-down body could carry me. I reached the toilet mere seconds before my stomach decided to empty the burning liquid that remained.

  Once every bad decision I made the night before was flushed down the toilet, I scooted along the bathroom floor and leaned my back against the cool wall behind me. I thought I was never going to feel normal again. Even though there was nothing left inside me, I swore that my body was ready to gear up for round two. “Oh dear Lord,” I moaned into my hands. Why did I ever think that taking shots was a good idea? This was absolute hell.

  The only thing worse than puking your guts out was the aftertaste in your mouth once you finished. I became desperate for my toothbrush, and crawled across the bathroom floor on my hands and knees. I threw all my pride out the window, not caring if Jhett happened to walk by and see me. I was going to brush my teeth one way or another; the only prob
lem was I could barely manage to stand on my own two feet.

  I kneeled in front of the sink and scrubbed the inside of my mouth with unsteady movements as I silently tried to convince myself that I wasn’t going to be sick again. Reverse psychology worked, right?

  Jhett’s raised voice caught my attention. “I don’t know how you think you can come in here, and just assume that everything is going to blow over and be fine. Some things can’t be erased from your memory. And seeing Charlie passed out naked and snoring on the bed right after she threatened to rock my world happens to be one of them.”

  “You can’t be mad. You should be thanking me. That sounds like a good night to me.” Irritation flared through my body. I recognized her voice immediately.

  Ginger. Hazy flashes of the night on the beach began to flood my memory, and Jhett and Ginger’s argument became background noise. I groaned again, and then fell back onto my butt on the floor. I was that girl last night. I probably said a whole lot of things I would regret when someone reminded me of them today.

  “Charlie?” Jhett called to me from the bedroom. Was he crazy? I had no intention of yelling back to him, for fear that if I opened my mouth I would be sick again. I could tell he found me anyway, judging from the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor. “I take it by the looks of things you don’t feel very good?” he asked as he squatted down next to me on his heels.

  My eyes met his with a questioning look. Did he really ask me that? “I feel like someone tied me up and dragged me behind their truck from my hair. This can’t be normal.” I rested my forehead against his leg in front of me. “Make it stop. Seriously, how do people do this every night? I don’t think I’m going to regain my normal thought process for at least a few days. I think I’m still drunk.”