“All right,” I say, snatching the blunt from Sully’s fingers and prematurely stubbing it out on the bottom of my shoe, despite his protests. “Time to get the fuck out.”
“What the fuck, Shep? You choose now?” He cuts his eyes toward the show the girls are putting on.
“Stop trying to prove a point and go home, man.” He may think he wants this, but he doesn’t want to be here. Not really. He’s all fucked up over the fact that Halston wants to keep things casual, so naturally, he set out to even the score. I’m just waiting for him to realize it.
“I’m drunk as fuck,” he admits, avoiding my unspoken accusation. “I can’t take them home.” I pull my phone out of my pocket, and with a few clicks, I’ve solved that problem.
“There. Ordered an Uber. You can crash on the couch, but I want them gone.” He’s the one who invited them without my permission; he can deal with getting them out of here. I’m already going to catch shit from Lo. When she catches wind of this, she’s going to think it’s me spiraling, when in reality, tonight is a product of Sullivan getting all up in his feelings.
“You heard the man.” Sully claps his hands together. “Your ride will be here in—” He looks to me and I check my app before holding up five fingers. “Five minutes.”
Sierra’s fuming. I can sense it even from here. She doesn’t handle rejection well. I don’t think she’s ever experienced it before me. In a rather pathetic attempt to tip the scales back in her favor, she exits the hot tub, dripping wet as she struts over to Sullivan. Once she’s within arm’s reach, she presses onto her toes and grips his dick while she shoves her tongue down his throat.
When she finally pulls back, she smiles victoriously at Sullivan’s dazed expression. “Call me,” she says before turning around to gather her clothes and purse, her friends following suit.
“Remind me again why they have to leave,” Sully says, still watching their asses as they walk through my house toward the front door.
“Because you’ll regret it tomorrow,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder on my way inside.
“Where the hell are you going in such a hurry?” Sully asks, suspicion in his voice, even in his drunken state.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Sullivan lumbers in after me, shutting the door behind him before collapsing facedown onto the couch like a sack of potatoes, promptly passing the fuck out.
“Goodnight.” I laugh, saluting him. I jog up the stairs, but when I turn A
llie’s doorknob, I find it locked. The regret’s setting in so soon?Interesting. I could easily pop the lock, but I decide to go through my still-empty, still bed-less room, grabbing a pair of sweats on the way. This time, the bathroom knob turns, and I feel my lips stretch into a smile. She doesn’t want to keep me away. She just wants to keep up the pretense of wanting to keep me away. I leave the bathroom door cracked, leaving just enough light to illuminate her sleeping form.
I drop my shorts and quickly pull on my sweats before climbing into bed. She’s on her side, facing away from me with her headphones, complete with those ridiculous, puffy, foam pads over the earpieces. I move in behind her, snaking an arm around her waist before I gently peel them from her and toss them to the edge of the bed. “Still playing games, Allie Girl?” I whisper into the dark. She moans in her sleep before rolling to face me and I lift my arm, letting her get comfortable. Her dark eyelashes rest on her full cheeks, her lips pursed in an adorable fucking pout. She looks so innocent when she’s not glaring daggers at me. I slide my palm underneath the back of her shirt, feeling her warm skin, and pull her closer. She burrows into me, her face nuzzling into my chest, wedging a thigh between mine.
I’m starting to find that being with Allison quiets every fucking thing I’m forced to face. When I’m with her, I don’t think about my endless failures. I don’t worry about my mom or Henry, the fact that I’m lying to everyone I know, or the fact that I have zero direction in life. And it’s here, with Allie in my bed, that I have the best sleep of my life.
I wake up to the sound of knocking, followed by an earthquake. No, not an earthquake. It’s Allison frantically shaking me, her face a mixture of panic and…anger? “What the hell are you doing in my bed?” she whisper-shouts.
I yawn, stretching. “It’s actually my bed.”
“Allie?” Lo’s voice comes from the other side of the door.
“Go!” Allie shoves me out of bed and I hit the floor with a thud.
“Calm the fuck down,” I mutter. It’s just Lo. “You keep freaking out every time we’re almost seen together and I’m going to develop a complex.”
“Just a sec!” Allison shouts back, shooting me a look. She stands, pulling on a pair of black sweatpants from her drawer before moving toward the door. She looks at me over her shoulder, motioning for me to go into the bathroom.
“You owe me,” I say, standing my ground. She glares, but impatience wins out and she mouths fine. I send her a wink before closing the bathroom door.
“Hey,” I hear her say. “Sorry, I was trying to find some pants.”
“Everything okay?” Lo asks.
“Yeah?” Allison responds, but it sounds more like a question.
“Have you seen Jess? There’s a drunk guy on my couch and he’s not in his room.”
Shit, I forgot about Sullivan.
“Nope,” Allie says, and Jesus Christ, she has to be the worst liar I’ve ever encountered. I roll my eyes, reaching behind me to flush the toilet before I open the door. I make a show out of adjusting myself, like I just went to the bathroom. Take notes, Allie. This is how to lie convincingly.