I groaned and ran a hand across my face. “No, Mom, no. It’s not like that.”
“There are different rules for you. I allow you more freedom because you’re an adult as far as I’m concerned, and you can make your own choices. But a mother has trusted me with her daughter, and I asked you to respect that.”
It was unfair to put her in a position where she had to go against Ellie’s mom. “I know,” I said. “I’m sorry. She didn’t mean to end up like that. She got carried away. She’s straight edged, Mom, I swear. She doesn’t usually drink but I think it was just a new setting and it went too far. She’s a good person. I swear.”
It was quiet for a while again.
“Where’s Noah?” she asked.
“At Eric’s.”
“With Cass?”
I nodded and there was definite disappointment in her expression. As much as she loved her son, she knew that the situation between Cass and Noah wasn’t the healthiest thing for either of them, but less so for Cass. My mom really liked her. My dad too.
“I’m going to sleep with Els tonight,” I told her.
“I do not think so!”
“Mom, come on. She’s wrecked. She needs to be watched so that she doesn’t choke on her own vomit.”
“I told her mom tha—”
“You wanna tell her mom that she died in her sleep?” I challenged, a low blow perhaps but it worked because Mom pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Fine. But don’t—”
“She’s trashed, Mom. I’m not going to have sex with her. Have a little more faith in me.”
Her smile was tired, but it was there, and I thought that the conversation was done, until she pointed at the corridor. “Clean that vomit up. Now.”
“Aw, man.”
It was just after two in the morning when I slid in behind Ellie and wrapped an arm around her waist so that I was spooning her. There was no better feeling, nothing quite like having her little frame mold so well to mine, tucked in and safe. Her head was under my chin and I kissed the top of it, knowing that I loved every second of tonight. I loved watching her have fun, dance, even drink. I loved introducing her to my friends, calling her mine, having her wear that title with the proudest smile. The way she sought me out throughout the night, waving at me from across the party. Even looking after her made me smile. All I could do was hope that I got to be the one that was helping her into her PJs after a big night out for a damn long time.
Ellie
Cottonmouth was real, and this was the worst case of it that I’d ever had. The sun poured in from the bedroom window, heating the room to the point of discomfort, worsening the pounding in my head before I’d even opened my eyes or moved. If there was a way that I could skip this entire day, I would, because it was going to be the worst headache I’d had to date.
A light tickle at the back of my neck startled me into a more alert state and I leaned up on an elbow, peering over my shoulder to find Leroy curled up behind me. I didn’t even realize that he had an arm draped across my waist, but my eyes slowly traveled over our tangled state as I smacked my lips together, attempting to moisten my mouth. Worst case of the pasties, ever.
As delirious as I felt, I appreciated how handsome he looked behind me. He still wore his T-shirt and jeans, which I assumed was for my benefit. He was a true gentleman, with nothing but respect for me. His hair was a mess and his lips sat parted while he breathed shallow and low. My head thudded even harder, and without warning, the room began to spin, causing me to drop, seeking comfort in the mattress. I must have wobbled as I went down, because my head collided with the side table drawer.
“Darn!” I yelped, grabbing the side of my head as Leroy startled awake behind me. I mumbled an apology about my language, rolling into the pillow and whimpering in pain.
He was fast, because in a split second he had leaped over me and sat on the floor beside the bed, his hands holding my face. As if the headache I’d had before wasn’t bad enough. Now it felt like I was going to have to just finish off the job and knock myself out entirely.
“Ellie? You hit your head?”
“You didn’t hear that?” I groaned. “I think the neighbors heard it.”
“You’re bleeding a little,” he wrapped a hand around me and helped me sit up. The entire time I kept my face buried in my hands. Maybe it would help with the pain and the unbearable shame at what a tragic mess I’d become.
“Wait here a second.”
I leaned against the headboard and breathed through the immense pain that made me feel nauseated. Leroy returned a moment later and I peeked through my fingers to find him holding a first aid kit.
“Can you move your hands for me for a moment?”
I did as he asked and pushed back my hair in an attempt to smooth it out a little before my hands dropped into my lap. My thumbs twiddled with embarrassment as he sat a little closer and dabbed at the warm blood on my face. He was so gentle, wiping it off with a wet wipe before he put a Band-aid on my temple.
“Here,” he handed me a fresh wipe. “For your hands.”
I noticed the little bit of blood that coated the tips of my fingers. “Thanks.”
He leaned over to the side table drawer where a glass of water and an aspirin were waiting. As I reached for it, memories came flooding in and I squealed with shame, slapping a hand to the already sore forehead.
“I threw up on your mother’s feet,” I whispered, my cheeks suddenly as hot as the sun. All I wanted to do was cease to exist. “I-I . . . what . . . oh my G—”
“Els,” he pressed a finger to my lips, silencing the blubbering with a small smile. “It’s okay. It was just her slippers. She’s got a dozen pairs. And she hated that vase. She kept it there out of respect for Dad; it was a present from him. She’ll probably thank you.”
“I had forgotten about the vase.” I lifted the sheets up to hide my face. “She’s going to send me home, right? Tell my mom?”
“No, she—”
“I won’t.”
Leroy turned around and I peered past him to find his mother standing at the room’s threshold. She was dressed in a beautiful coral long-sleeved dress that had a thick belt around its middle. Her feet were bare, but she wore a large sun hat and held a clutch in her hand.
“You can relax, sweetheart,” she walked farther into the room. “I’ve had to deal with Noah and Leroy on a few occasions when they’ve had too much to drink. But I did assure your mother that you would be safe here.”