“Just because I’m inexperienced doesn’t mean I can’t decide I want this!” I spit out.
I feel humiliated and stung by his rejection. Even if he’s right, I am drunker than I’ve ever been. I still know that I want this. The alcohol just gave me the confidence to do it. I jump up off his lap, mortified to feel the sting of tears in my eyes. He stands up, and the pity in his expression only adds to my embarrassment.
“Naomi…”
“Save it. If you don’t want me, just say. But don’t try to act all noble or like you’re better than me,” I snap, lashing out in my hurt. I cringe inwardly at the way my words slur.
Oh god. I feel sick. I’m so humiliated.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, I realize with dawning horror that I’m actually going to be sick. My hand flings to my mouth, eyes wide as I race toward the downstairs bathroom. I make it just in time, slamming the lid up and crouching down to noisily empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl.
I can hear the guys talking in the other room, but I can’t make out the words. No doubt deciding which one gets the short straw and has to babysit me. My cheeks burn with shame.
I hear footsteps approaching, but I don’t look up. “Maybe you should go to bed, sleep it off,” Gage gently offers, his hand comfortingly placed on my shoulder. His kindness and pity are more than I can bear. I wish the ground would swallow me up.
Chapter 13
Ace
“Go away,” Naomi groans.
Undeterred, I knock on her door again. I lean against it, rapping my knuckles and pressing my ear close to listen. I can hear her tossing and turning in bed.
“You can’t stay in bed all day,” I call through the door. It’s already the afternoon, and Naomi hasn’t surfaced from her room since she stormed off. I’m sure she’s feeling embarrassed about last night. She probably doesn’t want to face us because she regrets what she said now she’s sober, but unfortunately, we have to live together for the time being, and avoiding each other isn’t going to work, so it’s best to get the awkwardness out of the way and rip off the bandage.
“Leave me alone,” Naomi replies.
I sigh. It seems like we’re going to have to do this the hard way, as usual. “I’m coming in,” I say, ignoring her protests as I open the door.
Naomi is buried under blankets, a pillow over her head, but when she hears that I’ve actually come into the room, she bolts upright, indignant at my intrusion. “Haven’t you heard of a thing called privacy?” she says witheringly.
Even hungover with her hair sticking up at odd angles, Naomi is breathtaking. She’s wearing a skimpy negligee that leaves nothing to the imagination, and without realizing it, mygaze drops to her pert breasts before I snap my gaze back to meet hers.
“Get up,” I command her. “Be ready to leave in twenty minutes.”
She launches a pillow at me, and I catch it just before it hits me. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I throw the pillow straight back at her, though not hard enough to hurt her, despite the yelp of protest she utters when it hits her. “Fine. Then I’ll go visit Eli alone.”
That’s enough to get her moving. I turn on my heel and leave, chuckling to myself quietly when I hear her muttered curses toward me as she gets out of bed. As I’m walking down the stairs, I hear the shower turn on.
A little over twenty minutes later, the sound of Naomi’s heavy footsteps trudging down the stairs heralds her arrival. I hand her a fresh cup of coffee, which she takes gratefully when she enters the kitchen. She looks fresher now she’s showered, her hair still damp, but from the way she winces under the fluorescent lights and greedily drinks her coffee, tell me she’s nursing a pretty bad hangover. I push the bacon sandwich I made her in front of her, and she grimaces.
“I’m not hungry.”
I push the plate closer to her. “Eat. It’ll help.”
She rolls her eyes, but to my surprise, she doesn’t argue and picks up the sandwich, taking a bite. “Wow, you must be feeling rough to give in that easily,” I say, attempting humor but coming out gruff. How does Gage do this? The easy, flirtatious banter has never come easily to me. She stares at me, deadpan, unimpressed by my poor attempt to lighten the mood.
“Listen, Naomi, about last night.”
She holds up a hand. “Let’s just pretend it never happened,” she says, unable to meet my eye.
I clear my throat awkwardly. “Right, yes, okay.”
Eager to move the conversation on, Naomi asks, “Where are Gage and Cash?”
I frown, wondering why it feels like she wishes it were one of them she was spending the day alone with and not me. “They had work to do.”
