You Make Me Weak (The Blackwells of Crystal Lake 1)

“Did I what?”

“Did you get it last night? Because everyone in town is talking about it, and I want details.”

Rebecca opened her mouth and then slammed it shut again. She felt the heat burn up her face and winced when Violet giggled. Everyone in town. Great.

“I knew when you disappeared, something was up.” Violet leaned closer and lowered her voice, which was ridiculous considering they were the only two people in the house. “So was he good?”

“Everyone knows?” Rebecca croaked.

“I might have exaggerated a bit. Maybe not everyone.” Violet shrugged. “I heard some of the guys talking, and then Melissa Davidson said something about you and Ethan.”

Rebecca jerked back in her chair. “Ethan?”

Violet’s wicked smile slowly faded, and she was silent for a few seconds. “You guys were pretty cozy on the dance floor, and then you both disappeared at the same time, so…”

Rebecca knew exactly when her girlfriend realized she’d gotten the story wrong. Violet’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You didn’t leave with Ethan last night.”

Rebecca slowly shook her head and reached for her coffee cup. “No.”

Violet watched her closely, and Rebecca could see the wheels spinning. Her friend’s eyes narrowed, and then she was off her chair like a shot.

“Don’t you say another word. Hold on.” She rummaged through the cupboard above the fridge and returned to the table with a bottle of whiskey.

“Really, Violet? It’s barely past eight in the morning.”

Violet held the bottle in front of Rebecca. “Do you want some or not?”

Rebecca hesitated, for like two seconds, and then, with a sigh, held out her mug. Violet poured a generous finger or two for each of them and then grabbed a box of donuts from the pantry before she settled down. She shoved one of the sugared delights into her mouth and nodded.

“Okay. I’m ready.”

“Hudson took me home.”

“I knew it!” Violet grabbed another donut. “And?”

“I slept with him.”

Violet had to take a good long gulp of coffee to wash down the donut, and she still sputtered and stammered when she found her voice. “You slept with him? What the hell? Last night, you made it seem like if he was the last man on earth, you wouldn’t go there.”

Rebecca almost choked on her coffee. “This tastes disgusting.”

“Never mind that. I need the deets. What happened. How?”

Rebecca sighed. She picked up one of the donuts, but her stomach was full of nerves, and she knew she’d never get it down. She put the chocolate confection back and shrugged.

“I wish I could blame it on booze, but I can’t.” She paused. “I was having a good time, and Ethan was being so nice, you know?”

/> Violet nodded, her head bobbing up and down as she reached for her third donut. “I know.”

“I didn’t care that Hudson was there. Didn’t care at all.”

Liar.

“And then…”

“Then?” Violet prompted, mouth full.

“Shelli was all over him, and I don’t know. Something inside me just…” She stumbled over her words, trying to think of the right ones to describe what she’d felt. “I wanted to scratch her eyes out. For talking to him.”