“No, Bug...” My head pounds so hard I can barely think straight. This is the worst hangover ever... I should’ve retched into the bushes like I did at the graduation party. “Lower.”
“I think he means your voice,” Ana chuckles, quickly slapping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”
I snap myself upright as if I’m ripping a band-aid. “Oh, fuck. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea,” I mutter, steadying myself as the room spins. God, it feels like I’ve been hit by a fucking truck. “The wedding... did I miss it?”
“It’s barely seven in the morning, plenty of time,” Mia whispers. “Here, drink this.” She hands me a glass and two pills. “Electrolytes and painkillers.”
I swallow them down without a question, cool water soothing my parched throat.
“How did you know he’s not well?” Ana asks, watching me empty the glass in one.
“Colt texted me last night.” She air-quotes for impact. “3C drunk. SOS am.” She swaps my empty glass for a full one.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I rasp, then almost double over and hurl when the smell of her sister’s signature hangover remedy hits. My stomach twists like a washing machine on full spin. This is fucking brutal. “I hate this,” I tell them, but pinch my nose, chugging until there’s nothing left.
This isn’t my first rodeo. Mia’s nursed me back to health more times than I care to admit, and this magical, disgusting, ginger, lemon, and something-or-other drink is a godsend. Combined with electrolytes, a hot shower, and a big healthy breakfast, I’ll be back on my feet, fresh as a daisy in no time.
“You always love me when you’re hungover.” Mia beams, setting both empty glasses aside. There are four more waiting on a small tray. One pair for Conor, one pair for Colt. “I better go save the other two. Meet me downstairs in twenty minutes.” She grabs the tray, backing away, but pauses by the door. “You might want to prepare for questions from your older brothers. They’re annoyed the three of you got drunk last night without them.”
With a deep groan, I fall back expecting the loveseat to cushion me. It doesn’t because I’m not on the loveseat, and now my head really feels like it split open.
Sitting back up, I look around, realizing I’m on the floor, crammed between the foot of the bed and the loveseat. It turns out I used Blair’s yellow dress as a pillow, crumpled up and reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. My heart sinks, unpleasant memories filtering through my foggy brain.
Pushing them away, I focus on what Icanfix.
“I’m sorry,” I tell Ana, feeling genuinely bad.
Not only have I invited her here as my last resort, but I also neglected her the entire evening, then woke her up in the middle of the night, barging in almost black-out drunk.
It doesn’t look like I’ll be in any better shape throughout the wedding, sosorry isthe very least she deserves.
Dressed in her cozy flannel pj’s, her pretty face eyes me with a concerned look. “I know you probably don’t believe me after everything, but I really am over you, Cody. I didn’t come here expecting anything could happen. I came because you sounded really broken. You’re a great guy, you know? I hope one day we can be real friends. I guess...” She inhales deeply, her eyes full of sincerity. “What I’m saying is that if you need to talk, I’m here. I’ll listen.”
“We won’tbereal friends, Ana. We already are. You know why I called you of all people?” The pounding in my head slowly lessens, the pain not as invasive now.
She chews her lip before replying, “Because I’m the only person who’d drop everything and come over?”
I laugh at that. She’s a great girl, fun and caring. Just a little lost. The fact we saw each other naked, that we had a sexual relationship for a few weeks doesn’t matter. It was fun, but from my side, there were no feelings involved. Us shifting into the friend category isn’t all that hard. I don’t think Ana had real feelings for me, either. She just needed a friend.
Maybe I would’ve had a harder time admitting I want to stay in touch with Ana if Blair showed any signs of jealousy.
She didn’t. She sat beside me when Ana explained why she acted like a lunatic. The only emotion I picked up from Blair that day was sympathy. She probably could relate given her past, the mistakes, blame, and regret.
“I called you because you may have done some crazy things, but you had the guts to apologize. We all lose our way sometimes, Ana. It takes a great deal of courage and character to admit it.” The headache ebbs away further as I carefully gather myself up to sit beside her. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Blair.” Draping my arm across her shoulders, I pull her into me. “Forget what you did but remember what you learned.”
She nuzzles her cheek into my shoulder, her words thick with emotion. “Can I give you a piece of advice, too?”
“Sure. Go for it.”
“If Blair comes to talk, don’t send her away. Listen, okay? She must’ve had a reason to leave you at that airport, Cody. If she comes to explain, don’t dismiss her, because you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
I can sense the pain as she speaks, and I intuitively pull her in closer. She’s speaking from experience, the regret of not listening to her brother when he needed her most still evident.
“She won’t come,” I say on a heavy sigh. “I’ll find her first.”
“Good for you.” Scrunching her nose, she moves away from me. “You need to take a shower. Seriously, you stink.”
“Yeah. You know it’s bad when you can smell yourself,” I chuckle, dragging my jelly feet into the en suite bathroom.
