I’ve never touched her. Not once since I’ve known her, but now that I have her safely tucked against me, something shifts inside my chest.
She’s... delicate. Fragile. Weighs nothing at all. A feather in my arms. Her skin is soft, warm, and smells like coconuts.
I always considered her tougher. That godawful attitude, sharp, rude tongue, and sophisticated exterior making her seem more resilient, but now that I hold her, she feels breakable. So vulnerable I automatically curve her into me further. Shield her from everyone’s gaze.
“Come on, I’ll drive.” Colt nudges my shoulder. “I only had one beer.”
I step out of the closet, cradling Blair, her pale cheek nuzzled into my pec. Filling my lungs to the brim, I glance at Rose. “Grab my hoodie, sis.”
She runs to the living room, returning with my hoodie and Brandon in tow.
“What are you doing?” He’s swaying as he glares at me. “She’s staying here.”
“No way in hell,” Rose clips, shoving a finger in his chest. “You’re disgraceful. You should be fucking ashamed.”
“Rose.” Colt takes her arm. “Save your tongue. He won’t remember it tomorrow.”
“I’m not that drunk,” Brandon opposes, taking hasty steps toward me. “Blair’s staying here.”
“Take one more step, and you’ll end up like that,” Colt warns, nodding to Alan in the closet, covered in blood, dick tucked back in his jeans. “Seriously, man. Don’t fucking test me.”
I don’t wait for another challenge. Turning around, I take Blair outside, then deposit her into the back seat of Colt’s Mustang. It’s a two-door car, so it takes effort to arrange us in the back. I mold her small, unconscious frame into my side, draping my hoodie around her.
“This is not happening,” I mutter when Rose gets in and buckles up. “It’s all your fault,” I snap as Colt grabs the wheel.
“How is it my fault?” he says.
“Who told me to put my watch in? You did.”
Colt shakes his head, reversing around the people lingering in the driveway. “How was I supposed to know Blair would pick your watch?”
“Oh fuck off and stay there. It’syourfault.”
Rose laughs first, then Colt, and in the end, I join in.
What a fucking mess.
TEN
Blair
ALOUD BANG PULLS ME OUT OF SLEEP, cutting through my groggy mind and falling like a hammer against my skull. Instantly, my head pounds as if it were a real hammer blow.
The acrid, vile taste of tequila is enough to draw the bile up my throat. I wince, my mind foggy, my body so heavy it feels like I’m trailing an anchor.
And I’m not even up yet.
Images flash through my mind, a montage of disjointed memories. Brandon’s smirking face, Kelly-Ann, or maybe Mikaela, shaking me from left to right, Cody pouring Patrón. I remember downing it with ease at first, and then... nothing. A black hole.
Another knock pierces my thoughts, and I panic.
How did I get home?
Did I come back alone?
Did I do something stupid?
I can’t remember, and the dull ache along my temples isn’t helping me focus. Neither are the shivers shaking my body under the covers, my skin clammy like I’m dying of the flu. I take a deep breath and slowly open my eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming through the window.
