“Where? What?”
“I need you to sit up so I can get the belt off,” Lake instructs, his voice far less pissed than the last time I heard it.
“Okay,” I murmur, pushing up so he can unclip me.
He swiftly removes the belt and then leans in, hauling me out of the truck and into his arms. He doesn’t bother even attempting to put me on my feet as he strides toward the cabin. Fallon is on her knees off to the right of the cabin, vomiting, and Dante is carrying Ember inside. We really made a mess of ourselves tonight, but my god it was fun.
Lake walks me through the door, and I have no doubt in seconds Waylen or Aaron will be over here when the sensors go off. They’re not going to be happy when they find out what we’ve done. Lake puts me down on my bed and proceeds to pull my shoes off and jerk the covers back. He moves me effortlessly, pushing me under them before pulling them over my body.
The bed is like heaven, pure heaven.
“Wait,” I say when he goes to walk off.
“I’ll be back in a second, just wait here.”
He disappears and the muffled sounds of voices can be heard outside. I recognize Waylen’s voice, and I could swear I hear Lake telling him that Fallon has a stomach bug and they’re just helping her out. He’s lying for us? Why?
What seems like hours later, Lake returns to the room with a bottle of water and some painkillers. He places them on the bedside table and then stares down at me. I try to focus on him, but I’m fighting the deep darkness that is begging me to join it.
“Did you just lie for us?” I murmur, bringing the sheet up to my chin.
“If Waylen found out what you did, he’d have to call it in. As much as it makes me fuckin’ wild what you and those girls decided to do, I don’t want to see you back in prison. You do it again, though ...”
“We won’t,” I murmur, and then attempt to sit up because it comes to my attention very suddenly that I need to pee.
“What are you doing?” Lake asks, putting a hand on my shoulder as I attempt to wobble out of the bed.
“I need to pee.”
He closes his eyes for a second, as if for calm, and then helps me stand and walks me out and toward the toilet. He waits at the door as I stumble in. It takes me a lot longer than I’d like to get onto the toilet, but I manage and halfway through my pee, I start zoning out once more. God, I can’t recall the last time I was this drunk. My head drops down and my shoulders fall forward as I fight sleep.
Loud banging on the door brings me back around.
“What’s goin’ on in there? You good?”
I want to answer, I really do, but sleep feels a little more inviting right now.
I close my eyes and am snapped out of it when Lake’s hands are once more on my face. I didn’t even hear him come in, did I black out for a second?
“Come on, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Get out,” I half fight, slapping at him. “I just peed.”
“I’ve seen worse, come on.”
He stands me up and then awkwardly helps me pull my pants back up. If I wasn’t so drunk, I’d be dying with shame right now. Then he flushes the toilet, helps me wash my hands and takes me back to my room. He puts me back in the bed and brings the blankets up, tucking them around me.
“Lake?” I murmur, when I hear him slowly backing away.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry.”
Silence.
“No you’re not.”
I giggle, softly. “I’m not, but I am, if that makes sense.”
He grunts. “Surprisingly, it does. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll make you wish you didn’t sneak out after I warned you not to.”
“Ohhh.”
“Go to sleep, Willa.”
Then, just like that, the room is dark and he’s gone.
I don’t remember a single thing after that.
5
I stare at the breakfast in front of me, and I’m certain my face is turning green. Lake made sure we were all up and out this morning, punishing us for our little escape last night. Fallon literally made it two steps out the front door before she vomited again, so she got to go back into the cabin. Can’t have Waylen figuring out they lied and all that. Cursing that she got away with it, I willed myself to vomit the entire way here, to no avail.
Until the food is served, that is.
It’s beautiful food, and on any other day I’d probably be in awe of the spectacular presentation of fruit, cereal, yogurt, eggs, bacon, and toast. I haven’t seen such appealing food in quite some time, and I have no doubt it tastes like heaven, but even the thought of water right now makes me want to curl up and cry. My stomach twists at the very thought of a single thing touching it.