“Did something happen between you and Felicity?” I came right out with it.
“Happen?” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Like what?”
“Did you sleep with her?”
“No, I didn’t sleep with her. Why, did she say something?” He continued bagging up all the empty cups and bottles. Sometimes I wondered which he loved more; the party or the morning after, because I’d never seen a guy clean the way Ash did.
“No, but I saw her, and she looked upset.” She hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and I knew Asher had developed a weird interest in her. But from the deep frown etched across his face, maybe I’d jumped the gun.
“And you naturally think I had something to do with that?” His eyes widened with disbelief. “Cheers for the vote of confidence.”
I helped myself to a glass of water and leaned back against the counter. “I just thought... forget it.”
“Those girls have you all twisted up in knots. I saw you carrying Hailee up to your room, and I wasn’t the only one.” He gave me a pointed look. “I hope you know what you’re doing?”
“She was drunk, and they had no way of getting home. What was I supposed to do? Leave her to sleep outside?”
“Before all this shit with Thatcher, that’s exactly what you would have done. Hell, you probably would’ve have done a lot worse too.” Rubbing a hand over my head and down the back of my neck, I released a heavy sigh. But Asher wasn’t done. “You like her, don’t you?”
“I—”
“Advil.” Jase stalked into the room and I swallowed my words. “I need Advil.”
“Yeah sure, man. You know where they are.” Asher shot me a look that told me this conversation wasn’t over.
“Who’d you end up with last night?” he asked Jase, who knocked back two pills and chugged a glass of water before sinking into one of the stools.
“Kayla, or Kylie, or fuck if I can remember.”
“No way, I thought she had her eye on Cam?” Asher smirked at me and I flipped him off behind our friend’s back.
Jase shrugged, none the wiser. “She wasn’t complaining when I had my dick in her mouth.”
“So, hmm,” I cleared my throat. “You should probably know, Hailee and Felicity are asleep upstairs.”
“What the fuck?” He stiffened, his mood turning blacker than a thundercloud. “I said invite them to the party, not invite them for a fucking sleepover.”
“Hailee was drunk, right, Cam?”
“Yeah. I put her in my room.”
Jase’s eyes narrowed to deadly slits. “Your room?”
“Chill, it’s not like that.” I schooled my expression. “But I didn’t know what else to do with her.”
“And Felicity’s up there too?”
I nodded, sure I’d caught a hitch in his voice when he said her name. “Did you say something to her?”
“Who?” He frowned.
“Felicity.”
Jase reared back, his eyes wide. “What the fuck would I say to her?”
“I don’t know, she seemed upset about something. I thought maybe Asher had—”
“Again, thanks for that,” Asher added as he moved around the kitchen wiping the counters, whistling some tune far too upbeat for this time in the morning.
“No, I didn’t say anything to her. I was too busy bending Kayla over your mom and dad’s bed.” He grinned at Asher, and the blood drained from his face.
“Tell me you didn’t? Not again, man. You promised—”
“Relax.” He chuckled darkly. “I used one of the guest rooms.”
“She still up there?”
“What do you think?”
“Hit ‘em and quit ‘em, baby.” Asher thrust his hips up slapping the air. When I rolled my eyes, he added, “You should try it sometime, Cam, or else Miley might get the wrong impression, thinking you’re looking for something more than the little arrangement you’ve got going on. Speaking of the lovely Miley, I didn’t see her last night?”
“Fuck off,” I mouthed.
Just then, the sound of female voices floated into the room.
“Someone get rid of her, please,” Jase grumbled but it was too late. Hailee and Felicity appeared in the doorway.
“Hmm, hey.” She wouldn't meet my eyes and I knew she remembered. Fuck. I’d been hoping she was too drunk to remember.
“Ladies, come in, take a seat, breakfast will be served in…” Asher rubbed his jaw. “I don’t suppose either of you want to make breakfast?”
Hailee climbed onto one of the stools, burying her face in her arm.
“Felicity?” Asher grinned at her.
“Ugh,” she grumbled, her weary gaze flicking over to Jase. He sat rigid, doing nothing to hide his displeasure at the girls interrupting our morning routine.
“Fine.” Felicity rubbed her hands together. “What have you got?”
“I think there are eggs, bacon, stuff to make pancakes.” He beckoned her over to the refrigerator and the two of them set to work. It was weird. We’d never done this before. We always went out to eat, and I couldn’t remember a time we’d ever included girls in our morning-after ritual.
“I’ll be outside. I need some air,” Jase disappeared out of the back door leaving the four of us. I reached over the counter, prodding Hailee’s arm.
“Are you alive?” I whispered, and she peeked up at me. “Barely.”
“Coffee?”
Giving a little shake of her head, she mouthed, “Water.”
“Water it is.” I grabbed her a bottle of water, careful not to get in the way of Felicity and Asher as they laid out all the ingredients; her barking orders at him, enjoying it far too much if the sparkle in her eye was anything to go by.
“Here.” Sliding the bottle toward Hailee, I also threw her a box of Advil.
“Thanks.” Hailee uncapped the bottle and popped two pills, washing them down in one. “I think I need to remember my limits.”
“It’s okay to let loose every now and again.”
“If I recall, you were sober.” Her eyes held an unspoken meaning and I felt sucker-punched.
Brushing her off, I said, “I had a couple of beers. Coach doesn’t like us—”
“Stop, please stop.” She held up her hand, burying her face again. “It hurts.” Her words were mumbled.
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked Asher. He had a flour handprint on his face and another on his t-shirt.
“You’re supposed to whisk the batter, not wear it,” Felicity said looking over from the pan. The smoky scent of bacon wafted over to me and my stomach grumbled.
“I’ll be back. Try not to kill each other.” I shot Asher an amused grin and he flipped me off over Felicity’s shoulder as she tried to show him how to whisk correctly.
Outside, Jase was sitting in one of the patio chairs. “She’s annoying as fuck.”
“Who, Hailee?”
“No, Felicity,” he grunted.
“I don’t know, she’s not that bad.”