“I thought I told you to wait for me inside.”
“You did.” She looked up at me with determination in her eyes. “But I didn’t listen.”
“Clearly.” I walked over and sat down next to her. “I need to apologize for earlier.”
“For which part? The not giving me a chance to explain or for storming off and leaving me?”
“Both.”
“Hmmm.” Still suffering from the effects of the alcohol, she leaned her head back on the brick wall and closed her eyes. “I didn’t lie about not knowing who you were at that bar, Country.”
I knew she’d used my road name on purpose. She was trying to make a point, and she did. It was loud and clear. “I fucked up, but in my defense, I told you I would.”
“Yeah, you did, but I didn’t think it would be so soon.” She slowly turned her head in my direction and squinted at me as she mumbled, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“What do you mean?”
“Us.” She closed her eyes and turned away from me as she said, “It was just supposed to be a one-time thing. Maybe we should’ve left it at that.”
“Maybe so.”
It could’ve been my pride or the ever-growing knot in my stomach, but I didn’t say anything more. I simply stood, then reached down and lifted Kiersten into my arms. She rested her head on my shoulder as I carried her back inside and down to my room. I placed her down on the bed, then took off her boots and covered her up. As much as I wanted to crawl in next to her, I didn’t. Kiersten needed time to sober up and figure out what she really wanted. I wasn’t going to make the decision harder than it already was, so I walked out of my room and left her there sleeping, hoping by morning, she’d see things differently.
I’d soon realize that was a mistake.
Ten
Kiersten
There were many reasons why I rarely drank, but mainly it was because of the morning after—the throbbing headache, the queasy stomach, and the foggy haze that took hours to get over. But the absolute worst was remembering all the stupid things I did or said while I was partaking in said drinking and the regret that came with it. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking about that while I was partying with the girls last night. I also wasn’t thinking when I got upset with Grayson and drank even more—much, much more. I hadn’t even opened my eyes the following morning when dread washed over me. My head was pounding, my mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and I thought I would be sick. I cracked my eyes open, just enough to see that it was daylight, and that’s when I realized I was alone in Grayson’s bed.
I eased up from the bed with a groan, then wiped the sleep from my eyes and groaned even louder. I felt like absolute death and seeing there was no sign of Grayson didn’t make me feel any better. I tossed the covers back and was about to get out of bed when I noticed a bottle of water and two Tylenol sitting on the bedside table. I reached for them both and, after swallowing the pain relievers, forced myself out of bed. In desperate need of a shower, I shuffled into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and slowly removed my clothes; after checking the temperature, I stepped under the hot spray.
With my head dipped forward, the warmth cascaded down over my body as I rehashed the night before. I was having such a good time with Grayson, his brothers, and their ol’ ladies. I couldn’t remember enjoying myself more with a group of strangers. They treated me as if I belonged there—like I was one of them. That was why it hurt so much when Grayson thought I’d lied to him and stormed off without giving me a chance to explain. It also stung that he never even tried to convince me I was wrong when I said we’d made a mistake by not ending things after that night in the bar. I knew it was a stupid thing to say. I didn’t really mean it. I was just drunk and being dramatic, but clearly, he found some truth in what I’d said. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left me in the bed alone—which made me wonder where he’d ended up sleeping last night.
My mind immediately went to the scantily dressed bartender who was basically throwing herself at him at the party. The thought of him ending up in her bed had my heart hammering in my chest. I quickly finished my shower and got out to dry off. Since I hadn’t packed a bag, I had no choice but to put on my dirty clothes, which didn’t exactly help my state of mind. I towel dried my hair and swished around some mouthwash I found sitting on the countertop and spit it in the sink. Then, I charged out of the bathroom to hunt down Grayson, only to find him standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “How ya feeling this morning?”