“Fine,” I bit out, and shoved my duvet covers from my body.
Lavender made a show of covering her eyes. “I’m your best friend and room-mate, but I don’t need to see that bloody much of you.”
I looked down and saw that my bedtime crop top revealed one of my boobs, and my underwear had given me a wedgie. I adjusted my top and underwear, then laughed as I got to my feet. I got clean underwear from my chest of drawers, a pair of comfortable trousers and a plain bra and black tank top. I went into the bathroom and had a quick cloth wash before putting the fresh clothes on.
I washed my face clear of last night’s make-up, tied my hair up in a loose bun on top of my head and put my glasses on. I walked downstairs, letting Lavender lead the way.
“Did you wake her, Lavender?” Layton’s voice called out as she walked into the kitchen.
“Barely,” Lavender snorted. “I think she’s still drunk.”
“Great,” Lochlan grumbled, making me grin.
I walked into the kitchen and cleared my throat.
“There she is,” Kale announced, beaming as he stood up from his chair.
I groaned and placed a hand on my head.
“Not so loud,” I moaned.
He grinned as he approached me.
“Sorry,” he whispered before folding his arms around me, pulling me tightly against his warm body.
I missed hugging him, and I hated that.
“’S’okay,” I murmured.
Kale released me and returned to his seat while my mother gave me her usual morning hug and kiss on the cheek. She did this often when I was younger, but now that I was away at college, she made sure to do it every time I was home and came down for breakfast.
“I heard you getting sick this morning,” she said, frowning. “How much did you drink last night?”
Uh.
“Yeah, little sister,” Lochlan asked, “how much did you drink last night?”
I looked over at his grinning face and glared before I turned back to our mother.
“Not much. I just did too much dancing, I guess, and it made me sick.”
Lavender snorted, and my palm itched to smack her.
“What time did you get in?” my mother asked as I moved to the kitchen table and sat on the only seat available, between Lavender and Kale. “I didn’t look at the clock when I heard you in the bathroom.”
I blinked when I drew a blank at her question, then looked to Lavender, who laughed.
“I dropped her out of the taxi at half seven,” she said, shaking her head.
That late? I cringed.
No wonder I had such a headache. I was nursing a hangover as well as running on next-to-zero sleep.
“Your brothers never came in that late,” my mother commented.
I rolled my eyes. “My brothers were never as cool as me.”
Said brothers snorted.
I grimaced as my mother set a plate of food in front of me. I touched my stomach and decided to wait a few minutes before I tried to eat anything; I didn’t trust that I wouldn’t get sick again.
“What did you do last night?” Kale asked, happily eating the breakfast that my mother made.
“Who did she do last night is more like it,” Lavender mumbled as she reached for her orange juice.
It was loud enough for Kale and my bloody brothers to hear. Naturally, all three of their heads snapped in my direction, a scowl perfectly in place on all of their faces, which caused me to laugh.
“She’s joking,” I said, and kicked Lavender under the table.
Three pairs of eyes landed on Lavender, who winced in pain from my kick but forced an innocent, and convincing, smile. “Of course I’m joking.”
My brothers stared at her for a few more seconds before they were appeased enough to go back to eating their breakfast. I blew out a relieved breath, then looked to Lavender and glared at her.
“Sorry,” she mouthed, but she had a grin on her face.
The evil twit.
I looked away from her and flinched when I looked at Kale and found his eyes on me. He’d watched my interaction with Lavender, and I could see that he thought her smile and defence were pure bullshit. He looked a little mad, but he had no right to be. He wasn’t my boyfriend, and over the past two years, he’d barely been my friend, so he shouldn’t care who I had sex with.
I hardly ever saw him anymore, and we only texted and spoke over the phone every so often. I knew that was to be expected with him living in London, but deep down I knew that we had drifted apart because we’d had sex, and he was still either ashamed or embarrassed about that, or probably both.
“Whatever,” I mumbled and looked down to my untouched plate of food.
I pushed it away, sighing.
“Not hungry?” Lavender asked as she dug into the food before her.
I shook my head. “My stomach is still unsettled.”
“I told you not to shoot sambuca,” she said, clucking her tongue.
I growled. “I’m aware you told me not to, thanks.”
Lavender smirked, clearly enjoying her sick form of torturing me.
“I’m just glad you didn’t shoot Jack Daniel’s when it was offered to you,” she mused. “I’d probably have to carry you home every time we go out, otherwise.”
I swallowed. “I’ll never drink Jack Daniel’s.”
“Why not?” Layton asked. “It’s not that bad. It’s Kale’s favourite drink.”
“Exactly,” I mumbled.
The smell and taste of Jack Daniel’s reminded me all too much of my night with Kale, and Kale in general, so I steered well clear of it.
I was glad when Lavender’s phone rang, putting the focus on her. She fumbled with the phone as she pulled it from her pocket.
“I’m sorry – I thought it was on silent. Uh, Lane, you’re calling me?”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “I’m not. My phone is in my bag upstairs.”
Lavender turned her phone to face me, and I saw my name flashing across the screen. Without thinking, I took Lavender’s phone, answered it and put it to my ear.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Lavender?” a male voice asked.
“No,” I said. “This is Lane. Who are you, and how did you get my phone?”
The voice chuckled. “You left it in my apartment last night.”
I drew a blank.
“Your apartment?” I questioned. “I wasn’t in any apartment last night—”
“Yes,” Lavender whispered. “You were.”
I frowned at her. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” she murmured. “Me, you, Daven and the hot lad you pulled went back to his place after the club closed for more drinks.”
I thought back to last night and began to remember what Lavender was talking about.
“Shit,” I mumbled, and moved the phone away from my mouth. “What was his name again?”
Lavender glanced in Kale’s direction and said, “Jensen.”
I could practically feel the glares of the males around the table, and I sensed the disappointment radiate from my mother in waves. I ignored them all and focused on my conversation with the lad on the phone.
“Can I have my phone back, Jensen?” I asked, politely.
He chuckled, again. “Of course, I was calling Lavender from your phone, because I didn’t have her number, so I could return it to you.”
That was . . . nice of him.
“What’s your address and I’ll—”
“Just text your info to Lavender’s phone, and I’ll get it later.”
When I feel human again.
“Okay, babe,” Jensen chirped.
I cringed. “Okay, bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up and handed Lavender back her phone. She was looking at everyone in the room, and then looked at me like she thought they would kill me, which made me laugh.
“You think this is funny?” Lochlan growled. “You were with a lad last night, drunk off
your head, you don’t remember it and now you’re laughing?”
I closed my mouth and just shrugged because I didn’t know what else to do.
“Those are the actions of a dirty tramp,” he scowled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Mate,” Kale glared. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that!”
I shared a surprised look with Lavender because Kale looked like he was ready to jump my brother for saying what he did to me, but my attention was forced away when Layton bellowed, “Lochlan!”
Lochlan looked at our brother. “You condone this shit?”