“You’re awful polite when you’re hammered, you know that?”
He rested a hand over his eyes, and flopped one foot on the floor—to keep the world from tilting too much. “Ready for Tokyo, Lexie?”
I sat on the edge of the bed, toyed with his hair. “No, not really.”
He was silent a while. “You’re really not pissed that I went off and got hammered?”
“I’m not your wife, for one. And for two, even if I was, I wouldn’t begrudge you a night out with the guys, cutting loose and doing irresponsible guy stuff. I’m not jealous. I’m not controlling. I’m glad you had fun with them. They’re good people.”
“The best.”
“Why didn’t Crow go with you?” I wondered.
A sigh. “He said he was doing something important. Wouldn’t say what, but that I had to know it was important if he was missing a tour send-off bender.” He hummed. “Wonder what he was doing? I miss his ass. He been my best friend and my brother since I was just a little redneck.”
“You’ve never been a redneck a day in your life, Myles.”
He chortled. “You didn’t know me back then. I had a mullet. For real. A rattail. Thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”
“You did not,” I cackled.
“Did too. Long one. Ask Crow, sometime.” He was silent a long time, near to snoring. “Lex?”
I was about to grab water and Tylenol for him, but turned back. “Yeah?”
He slid his forearm off his eyes, peered one-eyed at me. “Glad we came.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed, but I didn’t disagree. “Yeah.”
“I see why your mom and sisters ain’t leavin’, now that they’re here.”
“Me, too.”
“If I wasn’t touring, I’d be here.” He paused, long and slow. “’Specially if you were here.”
I really had nothing to say to that—thankfully, I didn’t need to. He passed out, then, and I heard him start snoring. I grabbed the water, the pills, and slid into the bed beside him. I was a long time falling asleep, thinking about everything everyone had told me this past week, and wondering what the hell to do about any of it.
10
Myles
Iwoke up groggy. Dizzy. Thirsty. I cracked an eye open and saw water and pills on the bedside table. Thank god. I took the pills, and guzzled water until my mouth felt less like a desert. That done, I stumbled into the bathroom, and took a long, long piss. I made my way back to the bed.
And there she was.
Lexie.
Sleeping.
Facing away, the sheet lining her curves. God, she was gorgeous.
I was way too hungover to get an erection but yet, as I slid into bed and curled up behind her, I felt myself responding. It was…a unique sensation. Being in bed, and so utterly happy to simply be in bed, getting to go back to sleep, getting to feel Lexie’s lush, plump backside squishing against me, her skin soft as silk and smelling like vanilla and lavender. I was majorly hungover, and I was dizzy, and had an achy head and gut, but I was so happy to be here with her.
I slid back under the veil of sleep, my hand on her belly, just under her breasts.
I woke up later,who knew when, feeling less hungover.
Naked.
