“What?”
My throat tightens, and fresh tears threaten to spill over. “I could smell the alcohol on his breath when he reached for my hair, and I…I…”
“It’s okay. Let’s blow out the candles together, okay?” He moves to crouch in front of me, holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers.
I wipe a tear from my eye. “Okay.”
“You go first, Gracie.”
I blow hard on his hand and he puts down all of his fingers and smiles. “Good job, baby.”
“Your turn.” I give him a weak smile, feeling a little calmer. Wiggling my fingers in front of my chin, I nod my head.
Danny leans forward, right in front of my face. He blows softly, and I recoil.
Get out of here before I do something that’ll get me in real trouble.
Danny’s face is one of horror as he immediately covers his mouth. “Gracie, I only took one sip before I came back to find you, I swear.Fuck. I wasn’t thinking…”
My hands fly up on either side of my face and cover my ears.Why can’t I be normal?
Danny stands up and takes a step back. “I’m so sorry, baby. God. I wouldneverhurt you.”
“I know,” I sniff. My limbs feel too heavy to stand, gluing me to the street.
Danny briefly looks at the house and his gaze hardens.Oh no, what if people are watching? I tell myself to get up and move, but I’m frozen.
“Let’s go home, Gracie, away from all this.”
“Yes,” I whisper, though there’s no way I’m getting out of here by myself. My legs betray me as I try to move them.
“Can I pick you up and carry you to the car?”
I nod, and Danny pulls me into his arms, lifting me. As he cradles me against his chest, he makes sure to face his mouth away from me, breathing off to the side. He gently sets me down outside the passenger side before opening the door, and I gingerly climb in, my adrenaline fizzling out.
We sit in the car in silence as Danny reaches around me to buckle my seatbelt. For a few minutes, we both stare out the front window.
I face him, embarrassment twisting through my expression. “I’m sorry. You must b-be so humiliated. God.”
Danny turns to me slowly, his eyes locking onto mine.
“I willneverdrink again,” he vows.
His promise might as well be a marriage oath, the wordneverdigging itself into the center of my heart.
Danny reaches out and carefully takes my hand, brushing his thumb back and forth across all of my knuckles in a soothing rhythm. “And I’m the one who should be sorry. I am so fucking sorry, Gracie,” he says hoarsely.
“It’s okay,” I breathe out. “You d-don’t have t-to?—”
He gives my hand a firm squeeze. “I do have to. You’re the most important thing in the world to me, you know that right? You’re safe with me.”
I meet his eyes and find nothing but devotion. “I know.”
“Fact for a feeling, Gracie?”
Without thinking, I open my mouth to say something but surprise myself when nothing comes out. My mind revolts against me focusing on anything other than the events of tonight. I cement my lips back together, balking at our game for the first time in my life.
“Um, no thank you,” I whisper. “I d-don’t want t-to play t-tonight.”
