“Yep.”
Thankfully, it is the one to the main door, and once we’re upstairs, it takes three tries before I find the front door key. Walking into the hallway, she starts patting my shoulder.
“Quick, let me down. I need to pee.”
I lower myself, and she drops out of my arms with a thud. I turn around to help her and notice her dress has ridden up her thighs, and I don’t know where to look. Thankfully, she hurries off to the bathroom.
Pulling off my coat, I take the takeaway bag into the kitchen and grab two plates. And start picking at my chips, but after a few minutes, Violet hasn’t come out of the bathroom. I quietly walk down the hall, listening for the sound of water running or the toilet flush, but I hear nothing. As I get closer, I notice the door ajar, but avoid looking inside as I rap my knuckles on it.
“Vi, you okay?”
Nothing.
“Vi,” I repeat. Still nothing.
I count to three and then peek inside. She’s sitting on the floor, head resting against the bathtub, her legs out in front of her.
“Come on, you, bed.” Kneeling, I scoop her up into my arms.
“Where we going?” she asks.
“You’re going to bed.”
She shakes her head and hits my shoulder with the back of her hand.
“Nope, I still want my chips,” she slurs. “I was just resting my eyes.”
She snuggles into my chest as I walk into her room. Her bed looks as though a tsunami has hit it. Various clothing articles are strewn over it, along with makeup and hair products. Holding her with one hand, I manage to shove some stuff out of the way enough for me to lay her down before I move everything onto her dresser.
Pulling back the cover, I untie her boots and pull them off, smiling at her flamingo socks. Sitting her up, I lean her forward, and after a few tries, I manage to get her out of her coat. That’ll do, no way I’m touching anywhere else.
I tug the cover over her and take a step back when she whispers my name, “Nathan?”
“Yeah?” I move closer to hear her better.
“I don’t mean to be so hard to love,” she says, her voice tired and broken.
My chest tightens because I was fuming on her behalf when Tanya said that to Violet.
I kneel and take her hand in mine. “You’re not hard to love, Vi. Your ex doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
She shakes her head a little, but her eyes remain closed.
“It’s not just her, though. After Max died, I felt like I wasn’t good enough, that they wished it were me instead,” she mumbles.
“Fuck no, Vi. You’re just drunk. Go to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
Her fingers squeeze my hand, her palms soft compared to my calloused palms.
“You promise?” she asks in a whisper.
“I promise,” I say, leaning down and gently kissing her forehead. She hums, and then her breathing grows heavier, and I know she’s asleep now.
Back in the kitchen, I fill a large glass with water, take it back to her room, and place it on the bedside table. One of her legs is now on top of the cover, her dress riding up her thigh and waist.
I turn around and walk out.
And then I finish off my food. I cover hers. I doubt she’ll want it tomorrow, but just in case, I pop it in the fridge.
