I remembered everyone finishing eating, I remembered us paying the bill, I remembered us hitting the bar, and I remembered throwing back tequila shots with Tori.
I remembered her bitching about having to sit through a three-course dinner with Colton and how she was going to kill Kinsley, Holley, and Ivy.
I remembered… not a lot after that.
Or anything, actually.
That explained the headache that was threatening to make my brain explode.
“No,” I said slowly. I shook my head then winced and pressed my fingertips against my temple. That was a mistake.
“Oh, shit.” Dylan chuckled and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “This is going to be fun.”
“What is? Oh, God, what are you showing me?” My stomach tightened in a knot when he slid the phone across the counter to me.
“Hit play,” he said, once again hiding his smile behind his mug.
“I don’t think I want to,” I said warily, looking at the screen. There was a blurred image of what looked like me on the floor. “Am I… on the floor?”
“Yes. You spilt water everywhere then tried to rescue it from the carpet.” He paused. “Then tried to rescue the carpet from the water.”
“Oh, God. Now I know I don’t want to watch it.”
“It gets better.”
“For you, maybe. For me, it can surely only get worse.”
This time, he didn’t hide his grin. “I can either tell you or you can watch for yourself.”
“Say it.” I pressed my hand against my forehead and looked down. “Go on. Rip off the Band-Aid.”
“After I convinced you that the paracetamol I gave you had a popcorn lifeboat and would not drown—”
I groaned.
“You realized your dress was wet and demanded I take it off.”
Oh, no.
“I refused and sent you to bed, where you insisted that I had to help you because it was a zipper and you couldn’t reach it. And you’d worn it in the hope someone would take it off you.”
Now that part I remembered.
The putting the dress on. Not Dylan undressing me.
“Keep going,” I muttered.
“I went to get you more water and some more paracetamol, and when I came back, you were in bed.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. Where in that did I compliment you?”
“Oh, when you told me two or three times that, if I weren’t your roommate, you’d date the shit out of me.”
My cheeks burned.
Red. Fucking. Hot.
This was not happening. No way. I hadn’t said that, had I?
Dylan grinned wider. “Then you told me you’d fuck it out of me, too.”
“Now you’re lying!” I jerked my finger in his direction.
Shaking his head, he put down his mug and walked over, taking his phone back. He dragged his finger across the screen and then tapped the middle, and sure as shit, my voice filled the room.
Saying exactly what he’d just told me, albeit in a far drunker, sleepier tone.
“Oh, my God,” I breathed, burying my face in my hands. “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Pinky. It’s quite the compliment.”
“No. Oh, my God.” I could never look him in the eye again. Ever. There was no way. I would have to move.
How ironic.
I’d taken him as my roommate because I didn’t want to move, and now my own idiocy was going to make me move anyway.
Fantastic.
“I don’t know why you’re so embarrassed. It’s fine. I’m not bothered about it, Say. You were drunk.”
I dropped my hand and stared at him. “Dylan. I told you I wanted to fuck you.”
“And you were drunk. Everyone says shit they don’t mean when they’re drunk.” He sipped his tea, looking more amused than bothered… Just like he was saying. “And you were drunk.”
“Yeah, no. I got that part.” I sat up straight and blinked to clear my vision. “I don’t know who to kill first. Myself, or Holley and Kinsley.”
“Murder is a little drastic.”
“But suicide is okay?”
“Wow. Even hungover you’re a pedantic pain in the ass.”
“Thank you.” I finished my water and crushed the bottle before capping it again. “So… we’re okay? I don’t have to move out?”
He choked on his tea. He thumped himself in the chest with his fist and, after he’d wiped his watering eyes, he said, “Why the hell would you have to move out?”
“No reason.” I pushed away from the island and headed in the direction of the bathroom.
“You’re so bloody dramatic!” Dylan yelled after me.
“Shut up!”
***
A hot shower, two coffees, a sandwich, and a slice of cake had all but cured me of my raging hangover.
And three bottles of water and probably enough pain pills for three people, but who was counting?
Either way, I felt better, and since I was in town, I decided to stop by the store and tell Kinsley and Holley just how unamused I was.
Judging by the familiar silhouette of Tori’s ponytail and the ‘CLOSED, back in one chapter!’ sign on the door, I wasn’t the only one.
I pushed the door open to her ranting.
“What on Earth made you think putting me with Colton was a good idea? Was this some sick kind of experiment? You know I can’t stand that prick.”
“Oh, are we yelling at them? Excellent.” I sidled up next to her. “Well? What made you think it was a good idea?”
Holley stared at my dark glasses. “I’m sorry, Anna Wintour. Can I help you?”
I showed her my middle finger. “Yes, you can give me the same explanation you’re giving her!”
“I already told you!” Holley snapped.
Wow. Someone was in a bad mood.
“Yes,” Kinsley said, interjecting and pushing Holley out of the way. “We told you that we couldn’t give you preferential treatment just because you’re our best friends, and there kind of wasn’t a win when it was the four of you left.”
“Yes, there was!” Tori’s voice rose a few decibels. “You could have put me with Dylan! Saylor and Colton get along! It would have been fine!”
“I don’t want to have dinner with Colton,” I said, then paused. “Although it probably would have been preferable, in hindsight.”
“Oh, no, what did you do?” Kinsley’s eyes widened.
“Nothing!”
“Saylor…”
“I didn’t do anything!” Which was technically correct, thank you very much. “I might have said a couple dumb things when I was drunk, but…”
Holley blinked so fast I thought she was going to pass out. “When you were drunk? You got drunk?”
Tori perched on the table and swung her legs beneath her. “We all got drunk. You left us to our own devices. Jasmine offered to open the bar if anyone wanted cocktails and we all took her up on it.” She turned to me. “What did you say to Dylan?”
I gave them a brief rundown, including the part where I attempted a little rescue mission on the living room floor, then said, “I told him I’d fuck the shit out of him if he wasn’t my roommate.”