When I Fall (Alabama Summer #3)

Blood runs hot in my veins.

Baby?

“Baby?” I set my beer down and lean forward on my elbows. The room goes quiet. “What, you met her five minutes before I got here and you’re already giving her a fucking nickname? Or is the word Beth too difficult for you to remember?”

Confusion tightens CJ’s face. “What the hell’s up with you?” he asks gruffly, leaning back in his chair, keeping his fucking arm exactly where it is.

I grit my teeth, looking around at the six pairs of eyes on me. One set in particular feeling like they’re holding me by the throat and the balls.

You’re losing it. Losing. It.

“Nothing. Let’s play the damn game.” I lean back in the chair and pick up my cards, setting three aside to pass to Ben and taking the ones Tessa hands over to me. I then toss the two of clubs out in the center of the table, starting the game.

Ben takes his turn, then CJ. Beth seems unsure of what she can or can’t play, looking between her cards, then at the ones in the center of the table, back and forth repeatedly. She tosses a five of hearts on the stack.

“You can’t play that yet,” I tell her, reaching across the table and tossing her back the card. “Hearts can’t be broken on the first trick.”

“Oh. Right, yeah, I knew that.” She tucks the card back into her hand. Her eyes slowly lift to mine. “I don’t have any clubs.”

“You can play anything but a heart on the first trick,” Mia says, popping a grape into her mouth. “After hearts are broken you can play as many as you want.”

“A trick?” Beth frowns, studying her cards again. “What’s that again?”

CJ leans back and looks at her hand. He sets his cards down. “We’ll play together, okay? Until you get the hang of it.”

I glare at CJ. “I think she can figure it out by herself. It’s not that hard.”

“Relax, man,” Ben mumbles next to me.

“What? We’re playing hearts, not bridge. She doesn’t need anyone holding her hand and walking her through it like she’s a fucking idiot.” I look directly into Beth’s eyes, the veins in my forehead threatening to burst. “Do you?”

She flinches. Her chin trembles. A hand covers her mouth. Her cards hit the table seconds before she’s pushing her chair back. “Excuse me,” she whispers, leaving the kitchen in a hurry.

I reach out to stop her, but a sharp sting cracks against my shin. “Ow, fuck.” I scowl at Tessa. “Did you just kick me?”

She shoves against my arm. “What is wrong with you?”

“Seriously, Reed,” Mia snaps, looking over my shoulder. “That was really rude. I think you hurt her feelings.”

“Because I don’t want CJ hanging all over her? Why the fuck is she even here?”

CJ stands from the table. “What is your problem, asshole?” He moves to follow after Beth.

Fuck that.

I get up in his face. “If anyone’s going after her, it’s going to be me. Sit the fuck back down and make sure everyone else knows what a trick is, since you’re so willing to help.”

“You know what, Reed? I’ve never had a problem with you, but right now, I’m real close to knocking your ass out.”

Ben’s at my back. “CJ, let him go after her. He’s the one who needs to apologize.”

“Nobody’s knocking anyone out.” Mia gets up from the table and pulls against CJ’s arm. “I just mopped the floor this morning.”

“I told you women this was a bad idea,” Luke says from his seat at the table. He leans back and takes a swig of his beer, then frowns at Tessa. “You get off on his misery, babe. It’s kinda fucked up.”

Tessa waves him off. “I do not. I’m helping Reed. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”

Ben steps back and allows me to pass. I look over at Tessa. “You’re helping me? How is this helping me?”

She says something behind my back as I exit the kitchen, but I don’t hear it. It probably doesn’t make sense anyway. Whatever the hell her and Mia were trying to achieve with this clusterfuck of an evening, I’ll never understand.

I’m ready to punch a cop. Beth’s hiding somewhere in the house.

I fucking hate game night.

Heading upstairs after checking the first floor, I notice the light shining underneath the bathroom door at the end of the hallway. I knock on it gently.

“Beth?”

She sniffles, then clears her throat. “Hold on. I’ll be out in a second.”

Fuck. She’s crying. I made her cry—again.

I take a step back and stare at the door, counting to five before my hand forms to the knob. Another five before I’m testing to see if it’s locked. It isn’t.

“Hey.” I step into the bathroom and push the door shut behind me. Her head snaps up from her hands. “Beth, look I’m . . .”

The biggest dickhead on the planet.

Her eyes are glistening with tears, a few wetting her cheeks. She quickly stands from the stool she’s sitting on and wipes at her face. “I’m so sorry I’m here. I had no idea you were coming tonight.”

I move closer, shaking my head. “Stop. I didn’t come in here to get an apology from you. You don’t owe me one, okay? I’m the asshole. I’m the one who needs to make this better.”

She stares up into my eyes. “Make what better?”

“Us.”

“There’s an us?”

“I think there was an us. Up until you left my house the other day crying, I think we were . . . something. Am I completely off here?”

Her nose wrinkles as she sniffs. She blinks up at me, looking at my mouth, my nose, above my eyes.

I wipe my hand across her cheek, brushing away a tear. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t handle that shit downstairs. I’ve been jealous twice in my entire life and both times have been with you. It’s confusing. I don’t know how to deal with it. And the past couple days,” I force my hand down when I realize it’s traveled to her neck. “Fuck, Beth. The past couple days have been really fucking awful. Why didn’t you call me back? Did you get my message?”

After a brief hesitation, she nods. “No, I did. I got it.” She sniffs again. “I just didn’t know what to say. It was really embarrassing when you didn’t remember what happened between us. I feel like I took advantage of you.”

I smirk.

She fights a smile, then shoves against my chest.

“Stop. It was, Reed. What did you expect me to do? Call you back and go over every detail of what we did?”

“That would’ve been awesome.” I grab her waist and lift her so she’s sitting on the edge of the sink. She gasps against my neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning you up. You have black stuff on your face.” I cup her cheeks when she tries to look in the mirror behind her. She stares up at me, lips parting. “I got it. I made you cry. Let me do it.”

She relaxes against my hands. “Okay.”

Reaching behind her, I grab a few tissues out of the box on the sink. I wipe them along her skin. “And you wouldn’t have to tell me every detail. I am remembering some of it.”