“But you didn’t,” Graham clipped.
“The fuck did you just say?” Hunter set his glass on the banister, then pushed me behind him, puffing himself up trying to appear larger—against Graham, it was a lost cause.
“I said you didn’t. You got her a rock she doesn’t want.”
“Graham… Hunter… I…” My head throbbed again as my blood pressure rose. “This isn’t the fuckingCall of the Wild—Jesus.”
All that did was fuel them.
Hunter pushed Graham, making him step back to catch his balance.
“You’re drunk. I’m not fighting ya, buddy,” Graham said.
“I’m not your buddy.” Hunter shoved him again.
Graham clenched his fists and took another step. “You really don’t want to do this.”
“Really? I think I do.” Hunter pushed him again; this time Graham didn’t falter. He was a solid, immovable wall, ready to take whatever Hunter doled out and give it back and then some.
“Hunter, I said stop!” I grabbed his arm and yanked, but his mind was already made up. He shoved me back into the wall. Graham’s face went dangerous.
“Would you two just stop it?!”
“Why, and let this pain in the arse ruin your party?” Hunter’s gaze cut to me, then back to Graham.
“Hey!” Graham held up his hands. “I’m not the one wrecking Max’s party.”
“Her name’s Maggie, you wanker.”
Oh, my God.
I cradled Graham’s gift in the crook of one arm and threw the other up for effect as I rolled my eyes. “You’re both fucking unbelievable!” I groaned and walked away, shaking my head.
I wasn’t about to sit there and watch two grown men act like children—again—so I popped into the kitchen, tucked the owls back into the box, and traded them for whatever was left of the magnum bottle of champagne my mom had been hoarding sinceWonder Titsarrived.
Mom had left me half—which was another fucking trigger. Wasn’t she supposed to be this shining example of righteousness? By the time I finished the bottle, maybe I’d have a hard time remembering the disaster of this evening. I brought the bottle to my lips and took three big gulps before traipsing past Graham and Hunter still shoving one another… coming up with trashy insults, just being… assholes.
They didn’t even notice I’d walked by—not really anyway. Maybe it was better that way… I could be up the stairs and passed out before anyone noticed… and that alone made me breathe a little easier.
chapter 18
HERE COMES THE REEFER
Graham
I walked awaybefore I knocked some sense into that prick. I could have flattened him in one swing. But not tonight. Not with everyone here. Not with Maggie… shit… Maggie. I scaled the stairs, skipping every other one, and searched each room for her.
Not in her bedroom, the guest room, the rose room.
“Max?” I called up the stairwell to the attic.
Nothing.
Then, at the end of the hall, an orange glow danced behind the curtain on the balcony door.
I opened the door. Sure enough, there she was, along with Katie and Derek taking turns sucking the soul out of a joint like it was the only thing left keeping them alive.
“Nice…” I said. “Anything else any of you would like to further alter your conscious state of mind?”
