Maybe he wasn't as irresponsible as I thought. Maybe he was someone I could rely on.
But even if that were true, it still wouldn't be fair to put that on him.
"Now I'm living the dream," he continued. "I've got all the fame and money I could ever want. I can pay to give her the best care in the world. Why not enjoy myself and do whatever the hell I want now that I can?"
"I get it," I said. "You're doing the same thing I am. Living life to the fullest and all that."
Except my experiences didn't involve leading on women and making them think they were special when really they were just one more in a long line of—
Stop, I snapped at myself, refusing to think those thoughts, brutally shoving them to the back of my mind.
I hadn't realized Jessie's words had affected me so much.
"So did your first house party live up to expectations?" Nathan asked.
"I never got around to skinny dipping, but all in all I'd call it a success," I said.
"Let's put that on the list of things to do."
"You're keeping a list?" I asked. "What else is on it?"
His eyes sparkled. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."
I couldn't stop a smile from spreading across my face.
"Why don't we get some rest?" he said. "It's late and you're still sort of wavering on your feet."
"I'm not drunk anymore," I said.
"You're not shit-faced anymore," he corrected. "But there's still alcohol in your system. You should sleep it off."
I gave in, nodding in agreement. I was tired, and Nathan was right that I wasn't exactly steady on my feet.
I headed to his bedroom, not even stopping to consider whether we would share the bed. I stopped just before sliding into the covers.
"My teeth feel fuzzy," I said, running my tongue over them and making a face.
"I've got an unopened toothbrush in the bathroom," Nathan said. "Feel free to use whatever's in there."
Nathan's bathroom was simple, with a ceramic tub and blue shower curtain with cartoon sailboats on it, along with a matching towel hanging up on the rod. That was about as coordinated in decor as I'd seen in his home so far. I wondered if Nathan liked boats, or if he simply thought a nautical theme fit a place where a person immersed themselves in water. It was oddly cute.
I opened a few drawers and cabinets, looking for a new toothbrush.
I paused when I opened the one under the sink.
There wasn'tatoothbrush. There were more than a dozen toothbrushes in brand new packaging. There were also packets of makeup removal cloths, a few sticks of floral-scented travel sized deodorant and even a discretely arranged selection of items for a women's sanitary needs.
I gaped at the assortment.
On the one hand, it was thoughtful of Nathan to provide such things for his lady guests.
But the sheer number of items was… surprising, to say the least.
Surprising and disheartening.
Adozentoothbrushes?
How many women did Nathan have coming and going that he needed a dozen toothbrushes all at once?
