Comfort Zone (Awkward Love 4)

“Let’s get her out of here before she kills herself. Or someone else,” I grumble.

The second we lift her to her feet, Annie wakes up, disorientated and looking very green. We’ve barely walked out into the parking lot, when she’s on her knees, puking her guts up. I groan and walk away, holding my hand over my mouth. I’m a sympathy puker, so one whiff of that and I’ll be heaving my stomach up too. I reach the car and yank the door open and wait until she’s done, then I help Laura toss Annie into the back.

“If she’s sick, she’s all yours,” I warn. “And you’ll be buying the car off me too.”

“She’ll be fine,” Laura insists. “Trust me, she’s a one puke wonder.”

“She better be, or you’ll be cleaning up twice the prize,” I grumble.

I click in Annie’s seatbelt, laughing when she pulls me into a tight hug. She kisses me on the cheek, her regurgitated beer breath nearly making me vomit.

“I love you so much, Becca,” she mumbles. “If I was into chicks, I’d totally be trying to get in your pants.”

“Maybe don’t tell your husband that.” I laugh.

I slide out of the back seat and shut the door, then I turn to Amy, who is waiting to say goodbye. I smile and give her a hug.

“Thanks for your help. And for never telling anyone about that video,” I murmur.

“Oh, so, I shouldn’t have posted it on the university social media sites?” she teases.

“You better be joking.”

She laughs. “Of course I am. So,” she looks at me, “what are you going to do about Liam?”

I sigh as I realize something for the first time.

“The only way I’m going to know what happened, is to work up the courage to ask him.”“Jesus, Laura, what the hell is this?” Matt, Annie’s husband, barks.

He clasps his hands behind his head and glares at us after seeing the state his wife is in. He peers through the window at her when she stirs. She smiles dreamily at Matt.

“Um, your wife?” Laura says in a helpful voice.

“I danced on a pole and flashed my tits,” Annie says. She giggles hilariously as he helps her out of the car. “And now you, sir, are going to get thoroughly fucked. I’ll even put on that little schoolgirl dress you love so much.”

“See? Just another Thursday night,” I joke.

“For fucks sake, why the hell would you say that?” Laura squeaks at Annie. She screws her face up, and dry heaves. “I so didn’t need to hear that. Excuse me while I go and peroxide my ears.”

“What the hell did you do to her?” Matt asks, perplexed. He glares at his sister and then at me.

“Nope, this one is all on her,” Laura says, nodding at Annie.

Cursing under his breath, he practically tosses Annie over his shoulder and stomps up the driveway, with her giggling hysterically.

“Not even a goodbye?” I call out.

“Seriously. I do not need the details of my brother’s sex life,” Laura rants, still fixated on what Annie said.

I walk over to the driver’s side and climb in, then I lower the window, letting Laura lean against the doorframe. She sticks her head in and pecks me on the cheek.

“How are you doing?” she asks sympathetically.

I manage a smile. “Fake it till you make it, right?”

“You’ll be fine. You always are. And you could do worse than fool around with Liam,” she says.

“Like dance on a bar, in a sombrero?”

She laughs so hard she snorts. “Come on. You do that kind of shit sober. You’ll be fine. Call me when you get back, okay? I’m really sorry we can’t be at your parent’s ceremony, too. If I could find someone to watch the kids, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

“You’re only sorry because you don’t want to miss out on the action,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I’m onto you.”

She laughs and gives me a sweet grin. “Moi? Remember how happy you were that time you had to drive me to the hospital?”

“You mean because you got the world’s smallest vibrator stuck up your party place?” I grin.

“Paybacks a bitch, Becca.”

“And apparently, so are you.”

I wave at my friend as I start the car and take off down the street. I’d been hoping for more answers than what I got tonight, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. The only one who can tell me for sure what happened is Liam. The problem is, how do I even know he’d tell me the truth, especially since he asked Vanessa to embellish the truth. Thank God nothing happened. Though Liam doesn’t know that. I smile. Loz was right about one thing.

Payback is a bitch.Chapter TenLiamSlamming the door shut, I take a moment to catch my breath before shoving the key in the ignition. It’s Friday morning, and I’m running late to pick up Becca. Just as I’m about to start the car, my phone rings. I pick it up, frowning when I see my father’s number. I can’t remember the last time he called me, and the few times he did, it certainly wasn’t without a reason.