I woke up when we returned to the house then made the laborious journey to my bedroom.
“You want me to call for help?” she asked as she walked beside me.
I did my best to walk perfectly straight, to pretend I wasn’t drunk out of my mind. My movements were slow, and my steps weren’t full of purpose. My chin was tilted toward the ground because looking up caused the room to spin. “No.”
I reached the staircase and held on to the banister—because I had no choice.
Arwen stayed beside me with her hand resting on my back. She walked with me slowly, keeping my pace without rushing me.
It took an eternity to get to the top floor.
Why did I decide to have my bedroom all the way at the top?
We reached the hallway, and my muscles relaxed now that we were so close. I didn’t throw up on the ornate rug or trip down the stairs. I made it into my bedroom and started to peel off my clothes. Somehow, I got stuck in my jacket, unable to pull my arm out of the material. It seemed like I was tangled in a pile of ropes.
“Here.” Arwen grabbed my jacket and got me loose. She folded it then placed it over the back of the chair.
My t-shirt was easy, so that was a simple process. I got my jeans undone and pushed them off. My shoes were kicked off, and I didn’t think before I pushed my boxers down too. I was so drunk that I didn’t want any piece of clothing on me at all.
“Um…”
I made it to the bed then collapsed on top, the world spinning now that my physical orientation was different. My body stretched out across the mattress, and I didn’t get under the sheets because I’d felt so warm in my clothes. A headache was pulsing at my temples, and my entire body felt like it got hit by a semi.
Arwen sat at the edge of the bed then slid her fingers into my hair. Soft and delicate fingertips grazed across my forehead and deep into my scalp. Once her touch glided to the back of my head, she massaged my skull and released the pressure from my headache. “Can I get you anything?”
I opened my eyes and looked at her above me, her hair messy because she got out of bed to pick me up. She didn’t wear makeup and her jeans and t-shirt were plain, but she was a million times prettier than Sabrina would ever be. “No.”
“How about some painkillers?”
“I’m fine…”
She opened my nightstand and found a bottle of pills. She must have noticed all the condoms were cleaned out of my drawer because she paused to look inside for an instant. There was already a glass of water that Abigail brought when she did the turn-down service in my room. “I know you just want to sleep, but you should be proactive about this. I have a feeling you’ve never been hungover before.”
I was hungover all the time. It just didn’t affect me that much.
“Come on.” She guided me to sit up.
I grabbed the pills and shoved them into my mouth before I downed the water to wash them down. I returned to the bed once again, my body softening in defeat.
Arwen pulled down the sheets and got me tucked into bed. She placed the covers up to my stomach before she opened my dresser and pulled out a t-shirt.
“I’m too hot to wear anything…”
“It’s not for you.” She changed out of her clothes and prepared to pull the shirt over her head.
I didn’t care how drunk I was; I was going to look. I turned my gaze on her, but my vision was blurry. I couldn’t make out anything except the hazy outline of her curves.
She came back to me then got underneath the covers.
Was she really going to sleep with me? Was this all I had to do to get her into bed?
She got comfortable beside me then ran her fingers through my hair again.
I felt like shit, but I also felt so damn good. This woman was rubbing me, lying with me, and looking after me. Her affection surrounded me, made me feel like I’d fallen backward in time. I closed my eyes and ignored the migraine, choosing the cherish this moment.
“I thought I had to get you to stop smoking. Now I have to get you to stop drinking too.”
“I’ll never drink this much again.”
“Good…now I don’t have to kick your ass when you feel better.”
Her words brought a smile to my lips. I reached for her impulsively and tugged her against my frame, wrapping our bodies tightly around each other. I hiked her leg over my hip and buried my face in her neck. It was better than sex because it was more intimate. It meant so much more than a good lay. If I got to choose between the two, I would have picked this every time…even though I couldn’t have sex anyway.