Page 83 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

“Pike and I aren’t fighting anymore.”

“I can see that. And I’m glad.”

“You said when I fixed it with Pike to tell you. That you were mine but you weren’t going to wait forever. I may be inebriated, but I remember everything. I know what I’m saying.” Anthony stepped up next to her and cradled her face in his hands. “But if you want to hear it when I sober up tomorrow, I’ll tell you then. And the next day. And the day after that.”

“I get the picture,” she laughed softly.

Suddenly Anthony turned sheet white and before she could fully get out of the way, he bent over and puked on her front porch. Vomit splashed onto her shoes and pants.

“Seriously, again?!” she said.

“I think I’m feeling better now,” Anthony said.

Chapter Twenty-two

Anthony blinked a couple times against the harsh sunlight pouring in through the window and realized that he wasn’t in his own bed. His mouth tasted rancid and he grimaced at the nausea twisting his gut into knots.

He lifted his head and a flash of pain ripped through his skull, reminding him of the three mixed drinks Pike ordered for him that had been sweet and tasty on the way down. He normally stuck to beer or whiskey, but he’d let his guilt guide him, swallowing everything Pike put in front of him.

They were more than even for everything. He might not survive this.

He rolled over and opened his eyes again, staring at a watercolor painting of a corgi dog running through a field.

Delilah.

He was in Delilah’s house. They’d walked there from Brews and Chews, freezing their asses off. He’d sung to her and then …

“Oh, no,” he groaned.

Anthony rolled off the bed, shirtless and barefoot, and slunk away. He heard her voice down the hall and followed it, watching her from the doorway. She sat on the couch with her phone in front of her, hair tucked behind her ear to reveal a white ear bud. Leia hopped off the couch to greet him, hopping around his legs. He bent over to pet the dog, but the motion made his head ache.

“Yes, I understand. So, you don’t like the character or the way they speak?”

Anthony backed out of the room to find a bathroom, Leia trotting along next to him, until he crossed into the small room and shut the door. He relieved himself and after he washed his hands, he opened the top drawer searching for toothpaste. Even if he put some on his finger and scrubbed it over his teeth, it would be better than the funk he had going on in there now.

When he exited the bathroom, Leia was sitting outside waiting for him.

“You’re a stalker, you know that?”

She wiggled and bounced and took off down the hallway.

Anthony went back into the room he’d woken up in, searching for his phone. It was sitting on the side table plugged in and he disconnected it. When he opened it up, the first thing he noticed was the time. He still had a couple hours before he had to open the store, so at least he could go home and get cleaned up.

Then he saw was the dozens of texts on his phone.

There was a group text with the guys and as he scrolled through them, he realized his fuzzy memory wasn’t just a nightmare.

Congratulations go out to Anthony! I think that was the first time any man in history puked on his girl while executing a romantic gesture.

There was a slow clap GIF below it from Sam, and Declan had texted Leonardo DiCaprio raising a glass of champagne.

I hate you all. Anthony texted.

His phone chimed several times and he read the replies with only mild irritation.

Hey, he’s alive!

At least she let you stay after that. Noel would have kicked my ass off that porch.