She shook her friend's shoulder. But Piper's eyes didn't open, and she smacked her lips and mumbled some nonsense.
“Wait, is she asleep?” I blurted out.
Jack looked at me and nodded seriously.
“How long has she been sleeping?” I asked him.
“Um. Basically since the minute she got here,” he muttered. “I didn't want to wake her. Every time I nudged her, she kind of made this tired, angry grunt—like she was mad at me for moving. So, uh, I let her sleep.”
Camille clasped her hands and made a puppy-dog face at Jack. “Aw! That's so sweet of you, Jack.”
“Are you kidding?” I laughed. “That's pathetic. He's just too shy to tell her to get lost.”
She looked at me and that puppy-dog face was gone in an instant. “Shutup, Beau. You wouldn't know how to be sweet if your life depended on it.”
The boys all cracked up—that was the first time they heard how me and Camille talk to each other. All around the booth, they made their remarks:
“Hey, I like her!”
“She's right, you know.”
“Beau found himself a firecracker!”
Camille went on with trying to wake Piper. But the girl seemed completely knocked out. Even when Camille tried to physically pick her up, Piper slumped right back over and spilled against Jack's big body like a bag of potatoes.
“See?” he said, raising a hand. “She's really determined to use me as her pillow.”
“Damn. Is she even okay?” I asked with a hint of concern.
“Yeah, she's fine. I know it looks bad, but this is normal for her,” Camille said. “Thing is, she's a heavy sleeper. Once she's out shedoesn'twake up. I don't even know how I'm going to get her up to her apartment. She lives on the 9thfloor …”
I checked my watch. I still had plenty of time before curfew. Plus, the devil on my shoulder started whispering things in my ear—
I slammed the rest of my drink. “I can help.”
Relief washed over Camille's face. “Really? You don't mind?”
“It's no problem.”
Her brow grew heavy with appreciation. “Wow. Thank you. Seriously, Beau, thank you.”
Don't thank me too much.
I climbed out of the booth and waved at the boys. “I'll catch up with you guys later.”
“Later Beau.”
I bent over and grabbed Piper. In one easy motion, I scooped her up and hoisted her over my shoulder. Camille seemed surprised; her eyes went glossy and her lips made the tiniest o-shape.
“Ready?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she said with a swallow.
“Okay. Let's go.”
Chapter 9
Sworn Enemy
