“Lucky’s up. I think you need to see this.”
“Crap.” I follow Owen as we thread through the crowd. Girls brush up against me with a wink and a smile. A few of the coeds I’ve brought home before whisper open invites as I pass them by, but I’m too worried about Lucky to process anything right now.
Owen leads us to the women’s restroom, and my jaw drops when he walks right in like he owns the place. Inside, near the back, Piper and Daisy kneel next to a girl sitting in a chair in the corner. It’s Owen’s little sister, Ava. A curtain of black hair drapes over her knees, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s Lucky lying across her lap.
“Lucky?” I pull her hair back, and she lets out a deep, sickly moan. Her eyes are reduced to puffy slits as she shoots me a lazy smile.
“Brother!”
“What’s happening? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“She’s sick all right.” Piper pulls Lucky’s hair back. “She’s puking. Someone gave her a beer or two, and she’s freaking smashed.”
“What?” I bark so loud my voice echoes through the room like a boomerang.
“What’s happening?” a shrill female voice calls from behind, and I turn to find Baya and Laney, two of the waitresses, brimming with concern. “God, how old is she?” Baya rests her palm over Lucky’s forehead as if checking for a fever. “Should we call an ambulance?”
Daisy looks up at me with watery eyes. “How old is she, Jet?”
“Too fucking young for this.” I lean over, and Lucky sputters as she sits up. “What’s going on?” I brush the loose strands from her eyes.
“I was”—Lucky does a quick survey of all the concerned faces—“just being stupid.”
Baya sighs with relief and picks her hand up. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You really scared me for a second. How did you get the alcohol? There’s no underage drinking in this bar.”
“Tell me about it.” She smacks her lips like she’s about to get sick. “I couldn’t get a drink here, so I brought my own.”
A swell of rage runs through me. “Where the hell did you get your hands on alcohol?”
“Your refrigerator.” She shrinks a little when she says it.
“Shit.” I squeeze my eyes shut tight. I don’t drink. Not really enough to qualify anyway. I keep a few beers in the fridge for my buddies, but that ends tonight. There will be a fucking purge once I get home, but until then, I have a very loaded sister to deal with.
Laney pats me over the back. “I think we need to get her back to her place. Is everything okay, or do you guys need some assistance?”
“We’ve got it.” Daisy wraps an arm around Lucky, and something about hearing her sayweso sweetly makes me feel better about the situation because I sure as hell don’t feel like I’ve got it.
Baya and Laney take off and so do half of the gawkers that have amassed behind us. I scoop Lucky into my arms, and she giggles up a storm as I lead her out of the bar and into the cool night air.
Daisy wraps an arm around Ava’s shoulders, helping her with her every wobbly step.
“You, too?” Owen growls out his disappointment for all to hear.
“I’m sorry!” Ava buries her face in Daisy’s neck before murmuring something incoherently. The four of us help the girls across the street and up to Cutler Tower. I land Lucky in her bed while Ava has a brief shouting match with Owen before kicking him out of her room.
Lucky curls into a fetal position and hums goodnight before I even say goodbye. “Do you need me to stay?”
She waves me off.
“You’re texting me when you get up. Don’t go anywhere tomorrow. You won’t be feeling well.”
Lucky turns to me, her face still patchy from crying and vomiting. “I’m sorry, Jet. I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything. I won’t do it again. I promise.”
“No worries. We’ll talk more later.” I press a kiss to her forehead before heading out. Piper and Owen are nowhere to be seen. The only person to lay eyes on is Daisy, with her knee hiked up against the wall. Her hair falls over the side of her face, and something about her loosens me.
“You okay?” she asks nice enough, but I can’t seem to get on her level.
“Do you really care?” Normally, I would have taken the bait, but just knowing that Lucky is in that position because she used my fridge as a minimart makes me want to punch a wall. I head for the stairs without waiting for a response.
