“You’re lucky,” he said. “You live far enough away that they can’t just show up on your doorstep.”
I set my hand on his shoulder, intending to pat it sympathetically, but it became me slapping him. “You could always come live with me.”
“Hmmm,” he said. “That could be fun.”
We sat there for a while longer, still drinking, but much slower and sometimes water until I was so tired, I could’ve curled up on the bar and fallen asleep.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Can you drive?” I asked as I took my first step. But somehow, I’d forgotten how to do that.
“Hang on,” Tegan told me, dropped some money on the bar, and then slid his arm around me. “I can drive,” he told me. “I stopped drinking a while ago.”
A while ago? I thought we’d just gotten here. Fuck. More time had passed than I thought.
The next thing I knew, Tegan was sitting me on his bed in his apartment. It was a beautiful apartment. Grown-up. But damn if I could remember what it looked like right then.
“Please tell me you can change yourself.”
“I’m fine.” I just kicked my shoes off and climbed up onto the bed. Who needed pajamas anyway? “Wait. I need to call.” By my phone wasn’t in my purse. “Where’s my phone?”
“You lost it,” he told me.
My eyes widened. “Oh, no… ”
“No worries. We’ll look for it in the morning.”
My brother turned off my light and left his room, shutting the door behind him.
Then next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes and my mouth felt like I’d been sucking on cotton balls all night. So dry that I had no saliva to swallow. Oh… and my head had a freight train running circles inside it.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Probably hadn’t been such a good idea to drink so much last night. A shower would be a little slice of heaven, so I forced myself out of bed and shuffled off to the shower. First, I brushed my teeth then drank five cups of delicious cold-water right there in my brother’s bathroom. Then the shower.
Letting the water fall over me, as I stood there with my eyes closed, hand against the wall, was the best I could do. Though I did work some shampoo into my hair before the water ran cold.
Getting dressed was a whole other thing. That meant bending over and stretching muscles that didn’t really want to be stretched. I did it. But I did it slowly. Shorts and T-shirt. My favorite pair of blue Converses. Sunglasses—yes, even inside—and my hair pulled into a loose bun. Now I was put together enough to hunt for coffee.
“Good morning.” Tegan greeted me at the level of a bass drum at a concert, making me wince as soon as I got to his kitchen. Tegan’s floor plan was pretty open. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were basically open, like a studio apartment.
“You’re in far too good of a mood,” I told him.
He chuckled quietly. “It helps to have the higher body weight and to only have two drinks.”
“I just… ” While letting out a sigh, I dropped onto the stool at the end of the kitchen island. “She just gets to me and I know I shouldn’t let her, but she’s trying to marry me off like she’s looking for the most cows I’m worth. I’m tired of it.”
“Yeah, I feel that.” He handed me a glass of orange juice. When I tried to take a drink I choked and sputtered. Small sips were going to be necessary. “Why don’t we eat breakfast and get on the road?”
That perked me up. “You’re still going to take me?”
Tegan scowled at me. “Have I ever gone back on my word? Besides, I don’t think I could convince you to wait until tomorrow.”
I shook my head. If there was one person I could always count on, it was Tegan.
“And,” he continued, “I could use a road trip.”
“You can do that? Just take days off?”
He nodded. “I don’t work Fridays and I got another PA to take today for me.”
“Can we get some hangover breakfast on the road?” I asked with as big a smile as I could.
“Yeah. We can do that. Let’s go.”
Even as I tried not to get too excited, to not aggravate the headache that was starting to dull, I turned on the stool to see a bag of his near mine on the floor. We wouldn’t even have to wait for him to pack and I had no idea when he’d gone and gotten my rolling case.
After he dropped our bags into the trunk of his car, we climbed in and he punched East Branch into his GPS and began the trip. First stop was for breakfast burritos. Even to his protests, I ordered the greasiest thing I could find on the menu. Normally, I ate something healthy with my garbage but this was hangover food. No place for anything health. Tegan, being a medical professional, really believed in eating healthy but still indulged every once in a while.
The trip would take us about six hours if we didn’t stop too much and I just knew that I wouldn’t stay awake for the whole thing.
“Oh, here,” Tegan said as he pulled my phone from his front pocket and handed it to me. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Hey. I thought you said I lost it.”
He shrugged as he pulled onto the highway. “You said not to let you call or text Porter.”
I scowled at him but I couldn’t really complain. I did remember telling him that. First, I grabbed my extra charging plug out of my purse and slid it into the port in Tegan’s console then woke it up to check my messages.
A few from Porter waited for me… as well as two missed calls from my mother that I would ignore.
Hey, baby. Porter sent me a text followed by another, Everything OK? Haven’t heard from you since you left.
On my way back. See you when I get there. Then I dropped my phone back into the center console.
“Everything all right?” Tegan asked.
“Peachy.”
“Come on. We have six hours.”
I’d tell him either way. I was just still in a bad mood from last night at the fundraiser.
“Porter sent a text. It wasn’t anything big, but I haven’t talked to him in any form since I left East Branch yesterday, so he wanted to check in with me.”
“That’s a bad thing?” he asked.
“Of course not. That’s the point.” But I hadn’t actually made the point. The white noise of the car on the road was making it hard to keep my eyes open. I’d woken at eight in the morning. That was far too early for the condition I was in. “The point is he cares. He checks on me. He offered to come with me yesterday. He likes me and Mom acts as if because he doesn’t have money and can’t offer me the future, she wants me to have that he’s beneath me. It pissed me off.”
“I agree.”
“Then she tries to whore me out Aldrich Webber without a single thought about me.”
“I don’t think she was trying to whore you out exactly.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “She wouldn’t have cared what Aldrich wanted to do to me as long as his family donated and you know it.”
“OK. Fair,” he admitted. “But I don’t think she thought of it that way.” He glanced at me then back to the road. “So you like this guy? Porter?”
Now I could smile. Like a real smile. “Yes. I like him. I’m falling for him, but he’s… ”
“What?” His tone became much more serious.
“He has a reputation. Laney warned me to stay away from him because he doesn’t do the girlfriend thing.”
“Who gives a fuck what Laney says?”
“Hey!”
“Look. I love Laney. I’m glad she’s your best friend, but if you like the guy, who cares what your friend thinks?”
“Logically, I know that. But she’s known him for forever and she knows me. If she doesn’t think we’ll work, why do I think I know better? She’s warned me about guys in the past and was always right. I’d give my opinion about guys she was dating and was never right. My instincts are shit when it comes to trips to pound town, I think.”
“Christ,
Rhian. You could put it a different way.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “OK. My instincts are shit when it comes to the art of love making. Is that better?”
He winced and shook his head. “I actually think it’s worse.”
I slid down in the seat and lay back, both indicating that our conversation was over and that I was going to take a little nap. All I needed was thirty minutes.
“Rhian.” Tegan’s voice came through the fog of sleep. “Wake up.” He gave me a little shake.
“Where are we?” I asked as I took my sunglasses off and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
“East Branch.”
“What?” I sprang up much more alert. “I slept through the entire trip?”
“Yup.”
“Didn’t you need to stop to pee? Or get gas?”
“I did,” he said with humor in his voice. “You wouldn’t wake up.”
Oh, man. I flew out of the car and up the porch. Damn. The door was locked. No idea why she wasn’t here—her car wasn’t in the driveway—but if I didn’t make it to the bathroom ASAP, things would get embarrassing.
When I finished in the bathroom, Tegan was waiting for me in the living room with our bags.
“You can take them to my room. First door on the left. I’m going to text Porter, then we should eat. I’m starving.”
“Why don’t you take care of that and I’ll go out and find us something to eat here. You want a burger?”
“Perfect but can you get me a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a burger and a side salad instead of fries?”
“Got it,” he told me as he went through the front door.
After Tegan left, I sent Porter a text telling him I was back in town. That Tegan and I were going to get food and be here if he wanted to stop by at all.
Not ten minutes later, Porter came through the screen door. I’d assumed he’d been at work, but since it was after three in the afternoon, he could’ve worked early or had the day off. I didn’t exactly have his schedule memorized. Plus, it changed all the time.
“Hey,” he said with a smile as he took me in his arms. His lips met mine before I could answer him.
His mouth moved against mine, our tongues tangled, and you would’ve thought one of us had been off to war. At least until a manly throat being cleared brought me back to reality.
“Tegan,” I said with probably the best smile I’d had in days. “This is Porter.”
The two shook hands and did the guy thing of asking about their work.
“I’ve got your hangover food,” Tegan told me while holding up a fast food bag even though he knew better. Nothing in that bag for me was greasy hangover food.
“Hangover food?” Porter asked, smirking at me.
“Uh. No,” I countered. “Breakfast was hangover food. This is just food.”
“Oh, is that how it works?” my brother asked. Without waiting for an answer he added, “I grabbed some extra in case we had company.” Which meant that he’d assumed Porter would come right over when I’d messaged.
“Thanks, man,” Porter said. “But why the hangover food? Rhian, did you get drunk last night?” he asked like he was a worried father, but he was clearly messing with me.
I groaned and said, “If you’d been there, you would’ve too.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he reached out and took my hand in his. “Why? What happened?” he asked.
Tegan noticeably went to the kitchen, probably to give us a little space. Though he would’ve still been able to hear us.
“Just my parents.” I folded my arms over my breasts. Telling him about it wasn’t high on my list of things to do.
“Come on. Tell me.”
I took a deep breath. “My mother has this idea that the perfect man for me is this douche canoe Aldrich Webber. This right asshole who thinks everyone should fall at his feet.”
His jaw tensed and his muscles went rigid. “That’s the same guy she mentioned asking about you when we were at their house. Uh… did you tell her you’re seeing someone?”
I swallowed hard and adjusted my weight from one foot to the other. “I did. I told her that I was seeing someone and I’ve told her multiple times that I have zero interest. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t care.”
“What else?” he asked, as if he already knew there was more. “What’d she say when you told her?”
I glanced around everywhere but at him. Tegan sat at the table now not even trying to pretend he wasn’t listening.
“I’d rather not say.”
“I can take it, Rhian.”
I wet my lips quickly. “She asked if it was you, but, Porter, my mom is a major-league bitch and I don’t want to say anything that might hurt you.”
“Pfh.” He brushed his hands in the air. “Nothing your mother says is going to hurt me.”
“She said you’re not good enough for me which, for her is like calling you trash. I lost it. I laid into her. Tegan dragged me out of there and let me get drunk to get her fucking poison out of my mind so I didn’t do something I’d regret.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Anger dripped from every word.
“No. That’s why I didn’t want you to go. She’s awful.”
“Rhian.” His voice still steamed with anger, but his volume had returned to normal, “If I’d been there, I could’ve handled it. If I’d been there, I could have taken all that and you wouldn’t have had to.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
He scowled but kept on his own rant. “If you weren’t so set on keeping everything quiet from Laney, I could’ve been there with you. I know that’s why you didn’t want me to go.”
“No. I didn’t want you to go because my parents aren’t worth your time,” I argued back.
“And so Laney wouldn’t know.”
I threw my hands up and paced the room. “I can’t believe you’re mad at me for keeping you away from the hell my parents’ house is.”
“If you’re in hell, then I want to be in hell. What about that don’t you understand?” He reached out and grabbed my arm gently to stop me. “I should’ve been there.”
Everything we’d just said took a moment to sink all the way in. He’d wanted to be with me to protect me from the venom that dripped from my mother’s mouth when I’d thought I was the one who needed to protect him.
I blinked rapidly and my chest filled. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Laney knowing about us was part of the reason I didn’t want him to go home with me. Logically, I knew I shouldn’t care. Laney just wanted me to be happy and she’d support whatever I did. I just didn’t want another moment of I told you so even if she’d never once said it. I felt it. I’d dated some awful guys in college.
“I’ll tell Laney,” I finally said. “We don’t have to keep it from anyone anymore.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly. “Thank you.”
Tegan came out from the kitchen and asked, “Does this mean we can eat now?”
“Yes,” I told him.
“Finally. I’m starving.”
Chapter Seventeen
Porter and I joined Tegan at the table and rustled through the bags until we all had our food in front of us. Thankfully, Tegan had thought ahead and ordered enough for Porter. I would’ve shared with him, but I wouldn’t have liked it.
“Are all these drinks the same?” I asked him, pointing to the tray of sodas.
“Yup.”
I grabbed one and so did Porter. We’d all just taken our first bites when Laney came through the door.
“Hey,” she said with surprise. “I thought you were coming back tomorrow.” Then she surveyed the rest of the table and her eyebrows rose. “Oh, hey, Tegan. What are you doing here?”
“Thanks for the welcome,” Tegan replied.
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.” She came over and sat beside me, swiping two bites of my salad and a bite of my chicken sandwich as soon as I put it down.
“He dro
ve me home,” I told her. “Look, I’ll tell you all about it later, but my mother was in her usual form and it ended with mainlining a bunch of tequila shots last night and getting my brother to promise to drive me home this morning.”
“I offered,” Tegan said through the food in his mouth.
“He offered,” I agreed.
Laney reached over and messed up my brother’s hair. “Such a good brother.” He moved out of her reach. “How long are you staying?”
“Just tonight,” he told her. “I have to get back tomorrow. I don’t get the summers off.”
“What do you do?” Porter asked him.
“I’m a physician assistant.”
“Like a doctor,” I said with pride.
“Not a doctor,” Tegan argued. “More of a… doctor lite.”
“We should go to the pond,” Laney said, bringing all of our attention to her. Yes, we went to the pond a lot, but summers in Michigan were hot and going to the pond didn’t cost anything. “It’s hot as hell today and we could have Zac make us hot dogs on that weird grill they have there. Tegan can meet everybody. It’ll be fun.”
“I’m always in for bikinis and water,” Porter agreed, but he didn’t notice the look Tegan gave him. It was such a brother warning look that I had to keep myself from giggling.
“Tegan and I are in,” I said.
“You can’t answer for me.”
“I absolutely can. You still owe me for going to Mom and Dad’s in the first place.”
It was already late afternoon, so by the time I got changed and pulled my things for the pond together, as well as things for Tegan, it was well past actual dinner time. Laney had left not long after we’d talked to run to the grocery store and get Zac. They’d arrive before we would, but that was fine by me. I was still full from lunch anyway, so they could go ahead and eat.
Porter had to go home to change and grab a towel too, so it was just my brother and me. We arrived at the pond around six. This time I’d insisted on driving because I knew where we were going.
The entire group, Zac and Laney, Porter, Maddie—but no Dylan or Ian that I could see—Andy, Jay, Brad, along with a few women I didn’t recognize, were already there. Some were eating, some drinking, others laughing as we walked up to them. The first thing I did was pull my shirt off. My bikini top, which I was wearing underneath, would be much cooler. But I kept my shorts on for now.
A Little More Touch Me (The Fallout Series Book 2) Page 14