AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I…I’m sorry?” Daria looks confused, like she’s not sure if she punched Elaine or not.
Elaine stomps into the bathroom, fixing her most scathing look on Daria as she goes in. Blood drips through her fingers.
Lindsey runs after her. We can hear her fussing over Elaine even after the door is closed.
“Damn, girl,” Chase says, lying back on the bed with his hands behind his head. “Nice shot. I’ve wanted to see someone do that for years.”
Daria sits down on the bed, still looking a bit bewildered. “My hand hurts,” she mumbles.
“I bet. That was one hell of a punch. I wish I had it on video. I’d post that baby online. That was a top-quality knockout. Where’d you learn to hit like that?”
“I don’t know,” she slurs. “I feel sick. Shit, how much did I drink?”
“Like, half a bottle,” I tell her.
“I’m gonna go puke, or I’ll have like a major hangover in the morning.” She gets up and stumbles into the bathroom. Elaine and Lindsey emerge in a hurry, closing the door to muffle the sound of Daria being sick.
“Her nose isn’t broken,” Lindsey says. “Most of that blood was coming from her lip.” Elaine is holding a wet towel on her mouth and nose.
“Man, you’re gonna have the fattest lip,” Chase says. “You’ll look hot in our ski pics.”
Elaine’s scathing look is wasted on Chase. Besides, it doesn’t work so well with half her face out of commission.
“Guess I don’t have to worry about Todd now,” I say lightly. I hate to get joy from her misery, but I know she’d do the same for me.
Chase shoots me a look, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
“He’d still rather sleep with me, fat lip or no,” Elaine says with a sneer.
“Girls, girls,” Lindsey says. “That’s enough excitement for one night. This was supposed to be a fun, relaxing girl’s night. Not…this.” She gestures to us. “Look at y’all. You’re drunk, Sky. Daria is sick. Elaine, you have a busted lip. Can we just watch a movie and go to sleep? It’s late. Chase, you should go home.”
“I’ll stay a while and watch part of the movie before I head out.”
“Fine, whatever,” she huffs in exasperation. “Just don’t be here in the morning. And we’re watchingLove Actually.”
“Again?” he groans.
“No whining. And yes, that’s my favorite Christmas movie. I watch it every year. You know that.”
She pulls back her blankets and climbs into her huge, canopied king bed. Chase slides down in the middle. Lindsey sighs and looks like she’s about to protest, then decides not to. She scoots in next to him and lays her head on his arm. Elaine gets in beside her, towel still held to her mouth.
“Come on, Sky, don’t be afraid. I don’t bite,” Chase says, patting the bed on the other side.
I reluctantly climb in and lie down next to Chase, though it seems like a very bad idea, especially when Lindsey rolls the blankets up over all of us.
I might die being this near Chase for two hours, and in a freaking bed no less.
“This is cozy,” says Chase, squeezing us all together. The manly smell of his body and the faint spicy smell of his cologne makes my head swim more than the alcohol in my bloodstream. Not to mention he’s warm and toasty, while I’m cold from my trip outside. I sigh and melt against his body, and a soft sigh of pleasure escapes me.
I almost say, “You’re so warm,” but catch myself in time to avoid any more uncomfortable situations. “I’m so tired,” I say instead.
My heart is racing at the thought of what I almost just said. The alcohol is making everything hazy. I’m warm and relaxed and drunk, and Chase is cozy and sweet, and everything’s too good. I feel too good.
The sensation of Chase’s body pressed up against mine fills me with an urgent desire, like an itch that just aches to be scratched. But I can’t scratch it.
I want more. I want to roll over and kiss him until I’m dizzy with kissing him, and I want to tell him I love him, and that he feels so good next to me, like he should always be there.
His arm curls up, and he strokes my hair, and I nearly moan at how good it feels when he touches me, even when he’s teasing. But I can’t.
