“He’s high on Ambien,” I tell her, my voice just a tad bit snarky. “He won’t even remember you tomorrow. You can leave.”
Penny glares at me, and I raise my eyebrows at her in awhat are you going to do, fight me?sort of way. When she takes off in a huff, her heels clacking against the cement, I can’t help the inexplicable relief I feel.
Eli whistles. “Damn, Peps. Didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Me neither,” I mutter, taking the vacant seat beside Landon. “I can’t believe Junior just left him here with some stranger.”
At least, Ihopeshe’s a stranger.
“Believe it. That’s Junior for you.”
I shake Landon’s shoulder a little, hesitantly at first, then more aggressively when he doesn’t respond. “Hey. Landon. Wake up.”
His eyes finally flutter open, but there’s a glazed sheen about them that I’ve never seen before. He sits up straight and grins goofily at me, another expression I never dreamed would grace his handsome face.
“Heyyyyyyy. What are you guys doing here?” he slurs, looking between his brother and me like our presence is the greatest gift anyone’s ever given him.
“Saving your ass before you make a fool of yourself,” says Eli.
“Where’d Pelly…Peppy…Penny…go?”
“Penny had places to be, people to see. She couldn’t hang around babysitting you all night.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Come on, big guy. Let’s get out of here,” says Eli, pulling Landon to his feet. He wraps his arm under Landon’s, supporting his back, and I do the same on the opposite side, though much less effectively because of our height difference. After we manage to guide him to the car and into the backseat, I slide in beside him as Eli goes around to the driver’s side. Landon flops against the car door and clumsily pulls out his phone.
“Landon, you don’t want to call anyone right now,” I warn, but he ignores me. I hesitate, unsure if I should grab it out of his hands or not. “Landon…”
Eli starts up the truck before reaching into the back seat and snatching the phone out of his brother’s weak grip.
“Hey,” Landon protests, giving Eli an exaggerated frown.
“Bro, you don’t want to call whoever you think you want to call right now.” Eli looks at the screen and snorts before dropping the phone into the cup holder. “He was trying to call Domino’s. Figures.”
“Landon, you can’t eat Domino’s,” I remind, rubbing his shoulder in a way I hope he finds soothing. “It’ll fuck up your insides.”
“I miss…pizza,” he mumbles.
“I’m sure you do,” I say, patting his thigh. “Any sane person would.”
He leans back, resting his head against the seat, and starts tugging at his bowtie. “I hate…this.”
“Stop that. You’re making it worse.” Pushing away his fumbling hands, I help him loosen the bowtie and undo the first couple of buttons of his shirt. I try not to focus on the fact that I’m undressing him, but it’s hard, especially with the heavy-lidded look he’s giving me. “Better?”
He nods, head rolling to the side, and the full weight of his warm body leans against mine. I do my best to hold him upright, but he’sheavy,and it takes nearly all my strength. And when his cheek presses against the top of my head, my traitorous heart starts pounding in a way it probably shouldn’t. “You smell nice,” he mumbles.
I’m not sure what to do with that.
Before I can respond, he nuzzles closer, wrapping his arm around my waist and snuggling me into his side the way you would a teddy bear. His cheek rubs against my hair, and his left hand strokes down my arm almost tenderly as he releases a slow, contented sigh. “You always smell nice,” he murmurs, loud enough for only me to hear.
Ireallydon’t know what to do with that.
Like. At all.
When we finally make it home, it takes Eli and my combined efforts to get Landon inside and up the stairs. Eli starts to guide him to the master bedroom, but I shake my head. “No, he sleeps in the office,” I tell him, nodding toward the door on the right.
“Interesting,” he replies, drawing out the word.
