I pretend the sad, resigned expression marring her beautiful, drunken face doesn’t affect me in the slightest.
It’s her fault she’s been left high and dry. Not my problem.
“It’s okay. I knew there was no point asking.” She puts her wine glass to her lips, forgetting it’s already empty, and rises on unsteady legs. “Besides, you’re cute. I hope you’ll ask me out next week.”
Didn’t she say shewasinterested in me less than two hours ago? Past tense no longer past.
She changes tune faster than a DJ.
As if she’s not drunk off her ass, she mumblesgoodnight, flings a bag over her shoulder, and saunters toward the exit.
She shouldn’t be alone.
It’s not safe.
My leg bounces against the floor harder with every step she takes away from me.
“I agreed to the dates, but there’s no way you can blackmail me into playing pretend,” I tell my brothers, feeling their eyes burning holes in my face. “Don’t ask. That’s crossing lines.”
Not that they care. Crossing lines is always on our agenda. We’ve been pushing one another out of our comfort zones since I can remember.
Might be why we turned out better than our older brothers.
“We wouldnever,” Cody gasps, faking offense that’s clearly laced with amusement. “I mean, comeon. A week sailing the Caribbean with a girl you find attractive... sleeping in the same bed... kissing, cuddling, laughing... Do you really think we’d subject you to such torture? That’s outrageous, bro.”
I liked him better before he married Blair and got all happy.
“Forget it,” I say, emphasizing both words, my body in high-alert mode when I hear the door open behind me. She’sdrunk. It’s not fucking safe for her to be alone. “I have work. No time for vacation.”
“I get it,” Conor says, toying with his Corona. “Work’s important. It’s not like Cody and I could keep an eye on things for a week.” He jerks his head side to side, making fun of me in the process. “And we’re certainly notimplying we’ll keep your secret forever safe if you help Addie.”
“Good.” I glare at my white knuckles, clenched around the Corona in my hand. “Glad we cleared that up.” The door shuts behind Addie, and the sound jolts me to my feet. “I’m just... it doesn’t fucking mean anything, alright? I’m just gonna get her home safe.”
They both nod, pulling serious faces while barely keeping their laughter in check. Assholes.
“Call us!”
“Fuck you,” I mutter, already halfway out the building.
I’m only making sure no one takes advantage of her while she’s wasted. I’m doing a good deed. That’s allit is. Just half an hour of my time to get a drunk girl home.
It’snothing.
It would certainly be nothingif the half-hour didn’t stretch into two hours. When I finally fall face-first onto my bed, it’s close to three in the morning.
My head hurts. There’s long, pink scratches covering my arms, and I bet I’ll wake up with a bunch of bruises.
Jesus, that woman’s wild.
FIVE
Addie
A POUNDING HEADACHErouses me from a dreamless sleep. My temples throb like a construction crew’s set up shop inside my skull. With a groan, I bury my face further into the pillow, inhaling deeply.
And that’s red flag number one.
The pillow doesn’t smell or feel familiar. It’s crisp under my head, the scent like lilies of the valley in full sun. Eyes closed, I feel for the edge of the mattress.
