“That’s exactly right,” I said. “Without alcohol, people would have to be decent to each other sober, and that’s becoming rarer and rarer now.”
“I’m decent to you sober,” said Jayce, and this made me laugh until my ribs hurt. I guess as long as I was laughing, I wasn’t heaving.
“You’re wonderful to me always,” I said, lifting the back of his hand to rest it against my lips. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a man like you.”
“And here I was this whole time thinking I was the lucky one,” said Jayce, resting his chin on top of my head. I closed my eyes and smiled, allowing the sensation of his warm, strong body against my own overcome me, relishing completely in the comfort of his arms. I didn’t care that we were sitting on a probably dirty bathroom floor in a random restaurant. I didn’t care that I felt like shit and looked it, too...I didn’t care, because he was there.
We were here.
After a few more minutes, as my stomach began to settle, Jayce helped me to my feet and walked me over to the sink to get cleaned up. I rinsed the vomit from my mouth and washed my hands and face with some paper towels, feeling shameful.
“I guess we can go home now,” I said as Jayce reached for the door handle of the bathroom, holding it open for me. I stepped out, and he did, too, just in time for me to realize that each and every one of my friends not only had not left, but were sitting in a crowd right outside the bathroom doors, waiting for us. Waiting for me.
My jaw dropped to the floor as I looked around at every person who had stayed when they’d been told to go.
“You guys didn’t have to wait,” I said shamefully, swallowing the painful lump in my throat. “I hope I didn’t ruin anybody’s dinner.”
“Hey, chick,” Dalton said, stepping forward to squeeze my shoulder. “You’re our family now. Family sticks together.”
Chapter 45
Jayce
Iwoke sometime aroundthree in the morning that night, feeling around for Macey in the bed next to me. Her warm body wasn’t there, and the sheet was cold where I touched it. I opened my eyes, panicking slightly as I looked around, forcing my eyes to adjust to the dark. Macey wasn’t in bed next to me, but I could see the outline of her figure in the bathroom, standing in the dark room in front of the mirror, eyes focused on the pale face in front of her. For a moment I wondered if she’d been sleepwalking.
“Baby?” I said softly, sitting up in bed. I could barely make out her silhouette in the darkness, but I knew it was her.
I leaned over and clicked on the lamp next to my bed, lighting the bedroom in a small glow, but even with the light, Macey didn’t move. She almost looked like she wasn’t even breathing. Just standing there, staring.
“Macey,” I said again, pulling myself out from beneath the blankets. “What are you doing?”
Still, she said nothing, and it wasn’t until I’d crossed the floor and put my arms around her from behind that she finally broke down and cried.
“It’s falling out,” she said with a desperate sniffle, wiping hastily at the moisture on her cheeks.
“What is?” I asked, hoping my presence would soothe her instead of making it worse.
