“Thanks, Jess. I appreciate it.” Two and a half tumblers of Jack later, I finally pass out on his couch.
Chapter 6
Tori
Holy mother of all headaches; now I remember why I have a three-drink maximum. I squint through one eye, as bright sunlight fills the room. Liv’s peppy smile is inches from my face. How come she always looks perfect? I groan and pull the covers over my head.
Liv sings noisily, and I hold my hands over my ears. She’s singing about getting out of bed and combing my hair. Oh, my God! What the hell is with this family and singing? It’s way too damn early for singing.
I push the covers down to my nose, and glare at her. “The Beatles? Really, Tug?” I call her “Tug” on purpose. Comparing her to her obnoxious brother is the only way I can think of to get her to cease her off-tune melody. It works.
She frowns and rips the covers off me. “Come on, hangover or not, we are going to find a job today and it’s already after nine.”
I totally forgot that we were doing that today. Why did I drink so much last night? Oh…ouch! The slap – pun intended – to my memory reminds me exactly what happened last night. Memories come flooding back to me. Jake, roofie-boy, and Brady “he’s such an ass” Hunter.
God, Brady. I can still smell his delicious scent. I brush my fingers across my lips, remembering his kiss, his taste. Everything he said to me and my complete lack of control. I want him, yet I want to strangle him. One warm gaze, and I completely crumble.
I sniff the air, and no longer care about Brady or last night. “Bacon!” I squeal. “I smell bacon. Please, Liv, tell me it’s so – someone is making bacon.”
She giggles. “It’s so! My parents made breakfast before they left for work. Now get your butt out of that bed before Tug eats it all.” Ah, parents who make breakfast. I love living here even more.
My feet tangle in the mound of covers when I leap from the bed. I end up tumbling onto the floor, and when I stand
up, Liv laughs at me. I push her aside, and head to the door.
I’m sure I set a record, because I make it to the kitchen a nanosecond later. I freeze when I realize I have to see him this morning. I’m not ready for another heated or hostile Brady Hunter confrontation. I play it cool, praying Liv doesn’t hear the fear in my voice. “Is Brady here?”
“Nope, he never came home. He’s probably with that girl who was all over him last night.”
Her words punch me in the gut. She doesn’t mean to, of course. Liv has no idea what transpired between Brady and me last night.
I’m not going to do this to myself. I’m relieved Brady’s not here. He’s not going to ruin my breakfast, because I love bacon.
I grab the pitcher of orange juice off the counter, pour myself a glass, and gulp it down. After last tight I’m dehydrated and juice never tasted better. I fill another glass and sit. Liv’s giggling about a text she’s just received from one of her many admirers, the high pitch of her voice so loud it sends pain to my eyeballs.
Tug enters seconds later, pulling up his zipper, mumbling something into his chest about coffee making him pee. He starts to finger a piece of bacon on the plate.
Liv looks up from her phone, disgusted. “I hope you washed your hands.”
Tug flashes a smart-ass grin. “Why? I didn’t pee on them.”
Liv’s grimaces. “Gross, you’re so disgusting.”
Tug looks at me, rolling his eyes in response to Liv. “Good morning, Tor.”
I hold my hand against the crease of my forehead. “Morning,” I say in a low voice. Any louder, and my head might explode.
Tug notices and smiles sympathetically. He pulls a bottle of pain reliever from the cabinet, and sends it across the counter to me.
God, I love him right now. I twist the cap off, drop a few pills in my hand, and toss them in my mouth, downing them with more orange juice.
Liv and I sit on the barstools at the kitchen island, and Tug stands on the other side. His hair is still tousled from sleep. Although he’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt, they’re covered in wrinkles, and I’d bet he slept in them. He catches me evaluating him, and winks, obviously misinterpreting my thoughts. I blush a little and look away, embarrassed and flustered.
“What are the Olsen Twins up to today?” Tug asks.
Still unable to look at him, I pinch a piece of egg in my fingers, and toss it in my mouth before filling him in. “We’re going job hunting.”
He laughs. “You two are getting a job?”