The truth is, I’d been here before. Many times. With someone else I’d cared about deeply.
Godamnit, Jake, I said get me another fucking beer, you goddamn little shit.
“Here,” I handed Carly one of the damp paper towels, and she wiped her mouth with it, beads of sweat forming on her clammy skin. I was about to help her get to her feet when the bathroom door opened again, and Renee stepped in, taking in the scene around us. Even now, I couldn’t read her expression, but she didn’t look angry or annoyed. There was pity mixed with something else—-surprise, maybe?
“You okay, lady?” Renee asked Carly, kneeling down on the other side of her. She wouldn’t look at me, but that was fine. I was just as focused on her drunk roommate as she was right now.
“Too much to drink, I guess,” Carly said weakly. She tried to smile, but it was unsuccessful. She looked like she’d rather fall asleep instead.
“Does she need to go to the hospital or something?” I asked like a dumbass.
Renee smiled a gentle smile and shook her head. “No, she’ll be okay. She just needs water and sleep.”
“Renee is a doctor, you know,” Carly slurred, wiping her mouth again with the back of her hand. I cringed inwardly. “She takes good care of me.”
I looked over at Renee, who was flushing red.
“I was an EMT,” she explained. “My major is nursing. I want to be an RN.”
Whatever I’ve been feeling for Renee suddenly intensifies tenfold. Of course, she wanted to be a nurse; she was that kind of compassionate fucking person.
I couldn’t focus on that, not now, not with the way Carly was. My asshole daddy didn’t raise a quitter.
I supported Carly against me, holding one arm. “Could you have Jason start the car?” I asked Renee, who grabbed Carly’s other arm so we could pull her to her feet. Her head lolled. She was about to pass out.
“Yeah,” Renee said, taking a step back. “We’ll meet you out there.” With one last puzzled look in my direction, she backed out of the bathroom, letting the door swing shut behind her. Carly moaned and mumbled something incoherent, and I leaned down and picked her up until I was carrying her, allowing her to wrap her arm around my neck for support.
“Hey, man,” Jason said as I carried Carly out of the bathroom. “I don’t know if I want a drunk chick in my car. What if she hurls again...?”
“Do it,” I growled, shoving past him. “Now.”
He didn’t argue twice. Renee was already outside, holding the car's back door open so I could gently slide Carly in. She mumbled something nobody could understand again, leaned out the window for a split second as though she might vomit again, then passed out across the seat and began to snore.
“I’m sorry about this,” I told them as Jason drove. His eyes keep flickering to the rear-view mirror, probably checking to make sure Carly wasn’t about to lose the rest of her dinner all over the lovely interior of his stupidly shiny sports car. As soon as he pulled into the girl’s driveway, I jumped out and jogged to help Carly, picking her up again to carry her inside. Renee was hot on my heels and passed me to open the front door.
“Um, how could I help?” Jason called after us. I ignored him and carried Carly across the threshold and towards the stairs.
“Actually,” I heard Renee say to him at the door. “I think I’m going to hit the hay, too. I’m sorry this date didn’t go as planned. Could we try again soon?”
“Oh, um, yeah, of course,” Jason said, not sounding pleased. As I climbed the stairs with Carly in my arms, I couldn’t keep the satisfied smirk off my face.
