By the time the movie hits the halfway mark, I’m warm, cheeks flushed, and everything is just a little softer around the edges. I stretch out, blanket slipping off my lap. “I’m getting pretty tired,” I admit, setting my glass down. “I should go.”
“I’ll drive you,” Ella says immediately, getting up quicker than me. “Better safe than sorry.”
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the driveway, the house dark except for the hazy glow spilling from the living room window.
Ella walks me up the steps. They feel…far. Weird. I didn’t think I’d had that much wine. Oh well.
I push the front door open and there’s Cody on the couch in sweats, one arm draped along the back, TV flickering over his face.
“Hey, babe.” He smiles when he sees me, then his expression changes when Ella leans around me to wave from the doorway.
“So…she had a lot to drink,” she says with a nervous smile.
Cody’s hand goes for the remote without even looking, the TV clicking off as he stands. His steps are slow, the closer he gets, the more I can tell he’s concerned.
“You’ve never seen me drunk. You’re in for a treat,” I announce, grinning up at him before glancing at Ella. “That’show Emma was made. Did you know that? I should’ve shared that as my secret earlier.”
Ella snorts, half covering her mouth, and Cody’s eyes flick to her, then back to me. But I’m not sure what the big deal is.
Chapter 40
Cody
“Alright,” I say finally, sliding a hand over Karissa’s back. “Say good night to Ella.”
Karissa throws her arm up dramatically and waves. “Good night! Drive safe…it’ssofar. And thank you for everything. You’re the sweetest, and I love having you in the family, and—”
“Okay, okay, we’re not doing speeches right now.” I steer her away from the door before she embarrasses herself.
“Thanks for driving her,” I add to Ella over my shoulder.
She just laughs and waves me off, heading down the steps. Her laughter carries until the door clicks shut, and I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
When I turn back, Karissa’s already grinning up at me like she’s got a secret. “Sooo…still a fan of the dress?”
“Karissa,” I warn, low and sharp.
“What? You said it earlier.” Her fingers hook under the hem of my sweatshirt, tugging like she’s about to peel it off. “You have too much on.”
I catch her wrists before she can get anywhere. “You’re drunk.”
She tilts her head. “Notdrunkdrunk. Just…tipsy drunk.”
I cross my arms. “You smell like a winery. Was everyone drinking like this?”
She shrugs, gesturing sloppily. “Well, Ella is pregnant, your sister doesn’t drink, and Megan…I don’t know, she always seems like she’s drinking anyway.”
She goes to kick her shoes off, lifting one leg and reaching back for the strap. The second she wobbles, my hand shoots out, gripping her arm tight to keep her from toppling over. And just like that, my patience snaps.
“This is unacceptable.”
She blinks at me, confused. “What is? I can’t have a few glasses of wine?”
I crouch down, tugging her shoes off myself, then toss them aside before standing. “You can. But not this much. You need to be able to drive home, Karissa. If you can’t drive home, that’s a problem.”
“Cody, we live a quarter mile away. I think I’d—”
“That doesn’t matter.” My voice is sharp and cuts through hers. “I don’t care if we lived twenty feet, you cannot operate a vehicle like this.”
