Arms caught me around the waist, pulling me back. I flailed in surprise.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nathan asked over my shoulder.
"Cannonball," I said. I could hear my own voice was slurred.
"I'm not letting you throw yourself off a roof."
"You let me throw myself down a hill," I replied stubbornly.
"You were encased in a giant bubble," he pointed out. "I don't want you breaking your neck."
I grumbled and tried breaking myself out of his grip, but my limbs were heavy and slow to respond.
"Let's get you home and sober you up," he said.
"I'm sober," I protested, but gave in, letting him take me back inside through the balcony entrance.
"Exactly how much have you had to drink?" Nathan's arm was around my waist, half-holding me up on my shaky legs.
"Um…" I began to count on my fingers, but got distracted by a hangnail on my thumb, which all of a sudden seemed extraordinarily interesting.
"Never mind," he said. "You take a seat here. I'll go find your clothes and purse."
He settled me onto a love seat. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, trying to make the earth stop spinning so quickly.
I felt a hand stroke through my hair gently. I turned my face toward it, settling down into the soft cushions.
A familiar scent filled my nostrils. I inhaled deeply. Something smelled of sandalwood, like a rich forest but sweet at the same time. Nathan's scent. It reminded me of all those times he'd put his arms around me and held me close.
Those memories, along with Jessie's words, swirled around in my head, blending into each other, turning into a confusing whirlwind and making my head ache.
I frowned and burrowed deeper into the softness of the sofa cushions, letting my mind go dark and quiet.
The last thing I remembered was a pair of strong arms gathering me to a warm chest and a pair of lips pressing a soft kiss on the top of my head.
