“Who? Me?” The guy looked confused. “You must be thinking of someone else. Aren’t you that rugby player?”
“Yes, and I want a shot. Are you going to give it to me, or what?” I gave him a smile, and he smiled back.
“Yeah, sure. Here. Take two.”
“Don’t mind if I do. Just don’t tell Abi.” I took them one after the other, and I began to get warm and tingly. I just wanted to drown the pain. I didn’t even usually like to drink shots.
“Your secret is safe with me, sweetheart. Do you want a Jell-O shot too? They’re in the fridge.”
“Oh? I’ll help you with those.” I waited until he walked out with the tray and went over to the fridge. They were so colorful and pretty. I hadn’t ever really had them before, but I liked Jell-O enough to give it a try. Besides, how much of a punch could they really have?
I had four, trying one of each flavor they had to offer. Then I shut the fridge, leaving them where they were.
I walked back out to the front, and Abi was nowhere to be found, but while I looked around for her, the room was starting to look a little off-balance. Or maybe that was just me.
I turned and came face to face with the girl Seth had chosen over me. I had heard her friends call her Britany, and she was with Lizzy, one of her cheerleading cronies.
“Wow, you really tried, didn’t you?” said Britany as I passed by. She was standing with a few other friends, who all giggled with her, laughing and whispering.
“I beg your pardon?” I stepped closer. “If you have something to say, say it.”
Britany rolled her eyes. “You know, the whole makeup and hair thing? It was a good effort for a plain Jane, but we all knew Seth would come to his senses.”
“That’s right,” said Lizzy. “He knows who takes care of him.” The two girls slapped hands, and I reached for a drink off of the cutie’s tray as he passed. I snagged it just in time, and he was none the wiser. As I downed it, I knew I was going to regret it.
“Wow, lush much?” Britany laughed. “Sorry, I can’t stand around and talk. I’m going to go fuck your dream boy.”
Lizzy and Britany giggled, and as they turned to put their heads together and laugh, I had a strange urge come over me. I lunged for Britany, but Seth caught me around the waist before I could do any damage.
“Whoa,” he said, pulling me close. I fought against him as the other girls laughed.
“Control your dog,” said Lizzy. “See what happens when you bring in strays?”
“Come on, Seth. Let’s go back upstairs. You don’t want to waste your time with her. She’s probably got a dick bigger than yours.”
Seth sighed. “I don’t need this shit, girls. Not tonight.”
Hearing that was enough to push him away and go after her again, but before I could take two steps, everything turned black, and the music faded. The last thing I remembered was Seth catching me.
Chapter 10
Seth
I couldn’t believe Avery had made such a scene the night before, and if she had stopped to listen to me, I could have told her that she was making a big mistake about Britany and me.
I cracked another egg into the skillet and wondered when sleeping beauty would awaken. I wasn’t sure what she had on her schedule or if she had to be somewhere with her sister. Clara would have my nuts if she knew her sister had spent the night in my bed, mostly naked.
From where I stood at the stove, I glanced back and saw her foot peeking out of the sheets, and as if she could feel my eyes upon her, she rolled over, and sunlight shone on her perfect tits.
She suddenly darted up in my bed, clutching the sheet around her as if she felt me looking. “No, no, no,” she said as I stirred the eggs.
I made a face, thinking she was freaking out. I turned off the stove and walked to the bedroom door. “Is everything okay?”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Seth.” She raked her hand through her hair.
“Was there someone else’s bed you’d rather wake up in?” The thought had my nostrils flaring.
“No. It’s a relief actually. I didn’t know where I was. I thought I was still at the Omega House.”
“Nope. I wouldn’t leave you there passed out.” The history with her sister there was enough not to leave any girl there passed out.
She closed her eyes and clutched the sheet tighter as she got to her feet. “Where are my clothes? What did we do? Did we?” I could tell by the horror on her face that she would have regretted it terribly.
Her rejection didn’t make me feel good.
“No, you’re all good. Despite what some might think, I’m not a bad guy. I never take advantage when a girl has had too much to drink.” Despite how my father treated my mother, I knew how to treat a lady.
“So, where are my clothes? Why am I naked?”
“You’re not naked. I left your undies, but the rest was kind of soaked in whatever alcoholic concoction you barfed up. It was an interesting color by the way. Kind of a purplish brown.”
She looked up at me as her face turned green. Without another word, she rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door. I could hear her expelling whatever she had left in her, and I realized I could have left certain details out.
I walked to the door. “I’m making you something to settle your stomach, and if you want a shower, feel free. You got pretty sick last night.” She had thrown up in my Jeep, and I had spent half the night at the car wash spraying it out. Thankfully, I had ripped out the carpet a long time ago, and the drain plugs were handy for just such things.
I wasn’t sure she had heard me, but the water came on. I went back to the eggs, and when they were done, I pushed the lever on the toaster and set the level to two.
She showered, taking more time than I thought she would, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she even wanted to be around me. I had brought her home to take care of her, but had that been a mistake? I didn’t know what I should be doing.
She came out after a few minutes with a towel wrapped around her. Her long hair was wet and hanging down past her shoulders.
“Where are my clothes?” she asked again.
“I washed them. They are on the dresser. I thought you’d see them there. Although I must say, I like the towel look on you.” I offered a smile, and she turned around unamused and shut my bedroom door behind her.
She was playing so cold to me that I must have done the wrong thing. “Breakfast is ready. I think you should eat something.”
She came out dressed, staring down at her feet. “I don’t want it. Could you please take me home now?”
“Not until you’ve had something to eat,” I said as her eyes filled with anger. “After, I will gladly take you home. And on the way, you can tell me why you downed a bunch of shots and nearly punched out a cheerleader.”
“You mean your girlfriend? I can’t believe you protected her.”
I stopped the fight so she wouldn’t kill that girl, but also so she wouldn’t get in trouble. “I wasn’t protecting her, and she’s not my girlfriend.”
“You could have fooled me. You were taking body shots with her and chugging from the tap when I showed up. God knows what else would have happened.”