“Fine,” she mumbled, taking the very last sip of her sixth vodka cranberry. “We can go home.”
It wasn’t even a good time to tease her about the fact that she’d referred to my apartment as home, even if it did make me happy to hear it.
Coach was drunk and still singing some sixties tune that nobody recognized but let him do it anyway, so we waved goodbye to the table and I helped Macey out to her car. She was so drunk she almost fell multiple times, to the point that I almost picked her up and carried her to the car just to move this along.
“I’m driving,” I said, leaning Macey against the side of the car so I could dig into her pocket for the keys. She muttered a cuss word under her breath and then took a swing at me. Not a big one, mind you, but an annoyed one that almost sent her careening again.
“Just ask,” she snapped, grabbing the keys from her pocket herself. She tossed them to me—or more specifically, threw them at me—and then opened the door and crawled into the passenger’s seat of the car. I leaned in after her and clicked her seatbelt into place, sneaking in a quick kiss on her lips as I pulled back. She glared at me as I shut the passenger’s door behind her and crossed around to the driver’s side to slide in.
We drove in silence for a few minutes. Every time I looked over at Macey, she was focused on the window instead, her eyes taking in the scenery as I drove, expression impassive, head in her hand. I knew how she was feeling, what she would be thinking right now, and I longed to help her, wished I could say something, anything, that could make this moment less of a nightmare.
“Hey,” I said, reaching over for Macey’s hand. She resisted at first, but after a moment her muscles relaxed and her hand molded to mine. “I’m here for you,” I said softly. “I’m here for you, Mace, and whatever happens tomorrow, you will still have me. I promise.”
Chapter 36
Macey
The splitting painin my head woke me the next morning, and I groaned and rolled over, realizing I’d been drooling into Jayce’s pillow. I was tucked under the covers, hiding my head from the sunlight that was streaming into the room. My mouth tasted disgusting, like old liquor and bile.
I shoved the blanket from my head and sat up, realizing that I was In Jayce’s bed, dressed in one of his old t-shirts and sweatpants, and Jayce was nowhere to be seen.
Fumbling for the cell phone I spotted on the dresser next to the bed, I checked for any missed messages along with the time. My appointment to see the doctor was in less than an hour.
“Shit,” I mumbled, nearly knocking over the tall glass of water Jayce had left for me, along with a hand-scribbled note and a couple of Excedrin for my head. I picked up the note to read it.
I didn’t want to wake you, because I know how tired you’ve been. Drink some water and get to your appointment, I will see you tonight. Love, Jayce
I reached for the glass of water and took a big drink, trying to ignore the nausea rolling in my stomach. I popped the tiny pills and then rolled out of bed and hurried to dress into clean clothes, folding up Jayce’s note to stick it in my pocket for safekeeping. I grabbed my jacket and shoes by the door and left the apartment, hurrying downstairs to grab some coffee and a muffin before I headed to the hospital. I hoped, if anything, it would ease the dizziness I felt swimming around in my head.
It didn’t take me long to get to ESM, and I parked the car and walked into the building, heading for the ER first to check in with Rowan, who lit up when she saw me.
“Hey, sis,” she said. “What brings you in dressed in civilian clothes?”
“I’m meeting with a doc,” I said, pulling out my phone to pull up the note I had typed his name down in after the phone call last night. “Fisher Hudson?”
“Doc Hudson?” Rowan repeated, nodding her head. “Sure. He’s on the third floor.”
