Paige rubbed her back. “Don’t be, everyone has been where you are at least once. Get some more rest, and tomorrow, you can have leftovers.”
“Does everyone think I’m beyond pathetic?”
“No, Bree. Everyone thinks you had too much to drink last night. And as soon as you’re ready, they all want to know about the mountain man who so gallantly delivered you home last night.”
Bree peeked up at her mom. “Everyone?”
“No, sweetheart, not everyone. If there is anyone more miserable than you are today, it’s Jace. His ailment doesn’t appear to be a hangover. His is more, uh, the effects of fury.”
“Fury?” Bree gasped.
“After the third person asked him if he knew the man who brought you home, yeah, it turned to fury.”
As perverse as it felt, knowing Jace was furious, Bree was able to drift back to sleep with a smile on her face.
“You didn’t see her,” Jace said to Blythe. “She was so drunk she passed out.”
Blythe studied him, but didn’t answer.
He leaned forward. “Did you hear me?”
“I heard you, Jace, and you can lower your voice. I’m sitting right next to you.”
“Okay, so, like I said, she was really drunk.”
“You upset her, and she reacted.”
“Wait. I upset her? I did? How did this become my fault?”
“Telling her she was your hookup girl? Asking her if you could scratch her itch? Bet you didn’t think anyone heard you, but I did.”
He put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. “I don’t know what got into me. I was an asshole. I admit it.”
Blythe got up so quickly, Jace had to grab her chair before it tipped all the way over and hit the floor.
“Where are you going?”
“Anywhere you aren’t.”
“Blythe, c’mon. I’m trying to talk to you about Bree.”
“I don’t feel like talking to you, Jace.”
He followed Blythe into the other room. “Wait. Please, Blythe. I’m sorry.”
When she sat down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, he sat next to her.
“I knew this was going to be a rough weekend,” she said. “But I had no idea it would start out this badly.”
Jace didn’t know what to say. He knew it would be awkward, but this was way beyond that.
“When did you get here?” Jace kept his voice soft, hoping he’d be able to get Blythe to forgive him. He needed her to talk to him.
“Yesterday morning.”
“Do you know the guy she was with?”
Blythe closed her eyes. “No, I don’t, but Ben does.”