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"But I don't want it. I want that one," she said, reaching for the glass I had moved.
"I know, but I think you've had enough."
Bailey looked over to Ben and waved her hand. He immediately brought over another shot and set it down in front of her, then she picked it up and pounded it back, making a face.
"Bailey, come on, let’s go. I'm gonna take you home."
"I'm fine, Jackson," she slurred.
"Listen, man, she's fine. I'll take her home," Ben gritted.
"I'm sure you would," I said, glaring at him. "What does she owe?" I questioned.
"Two hundred and twenty," Ben said, smirking. "What can I say, your girl likes to drink."
I completely ignored his comment and pulled my credit card from my wallet, handing it to him.
"Come on, Bailey," I said, ignoring the fact that the man on the other side of the bar clearly was only interested in one thing.
Bailey turned her watery, bloodshot eyes on me and shoved at my chest. "He's taking me home," she said, nodding in the direction of Ben.
I looked over at Ben, who could barely keep his eyes off her. The look he gave was making me incredibly uncomfortable. Ben threw my credit card down on the counter, and I could see the irritation in his eyes when he was called away. I looked at Bailey, who now had her head down on the bar. I knew it was probably only a matter of minutes before she passed out.
"Come on, beautiful, let’s get you home," I said in her ear.
Surprisingly, this time she didn't fight. Once my arm was wrapped around her, she slowly and unsteadily stood up, leaning herself against me. Then she looked up at me, squinting.
"We should dance. Remember how we used to dance? You'd hold me like you'd never let me go," she mumbled as one of her favorite songs came over the speakers. "Hold me like that again, Jackson," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body into me.
I readjusted my arm around her to make sure she wouldn't fall and guided her to the door.
"Mmmm, you smell so good. Just how I remembered," she muttered, burying her face into the crook of my neck, the soft puff of breath sending shivers through my body.
I led her to the door of the bar and pushed it open, the cold air hitting us both as we stepped outside. I slowly and carefully led her to my car, opened the passenger door, got her seated and her belt done up.
Once in the driver’s seat, I started the engine. "Where are you staying? With your mom?" I questioned. When she didn't respond, I glanced over at the passenger’s seat to see Bailey had already passed out, her head resting against the head rest. I tapped the steering wheel with my right hand and thought for a moment. There was no way I could show up at her mom's house with Bailey in this condition, nor could I take her back to Ryan and Cara's. I wasn't sure if she had a place of her own, so there was only one thing I could do. I was sure I was opening up a can of regret as I pulled away from the curb, heading in the direction of my place.
Once I had her inside, I turned on the light on the table at the end of the couch and carefully placed her on the couch. I tucked a pillow under her head and was just going to leave her there when she started to dry heave. I quickly rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl, and returned just in time to watch as she got sick all over herself.
"Fantastic," I muttered, setting the clean bowl on the table. I ran down the hall and grabbed one of my T-shirts, returning to the living room. I carefully slipped her soiled shirt off over her head and slipped my T-shirt on in its place, then I gently pulled her out of her jeans. I looked down at her, as she rolled onto her side and curled her bare legs up to her. Pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, I gently covered her and placed the bowl on the floor beside the couch.
I balled her clothes up, then went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and dropped two headache tablets in the palm of my hand. I dropped her clothes into the washer and returned to the living room, leaving the pills and water on the table in front of her. She was sound asleep, and I pulled the covers up over her shoulder and shut the light off.
I stood watching her bathed in the light from the streetlight. She was still so beautiful, and now that I knew she was safe from that creep, I felt more at ease. I doubted I would get any sleep tonight, but I walked down the hall to bedroom anyways, slipped out of my jeans, and pulled my shirt off over my head and crawled into bed.
9
Bailey
I rolledover and could already feel my stomach threatening to empty its contents. I opened my eyes, but the bright light from the window practically blinded me, and I buried my head back into the pillow. The clang of metal aggravated my already aching head as I rubbed at my dry eyes and lifted my head, pain running through my temples.
I looked around the room and then down at the unfamiliar, oversized T-shirt I was dressed in. I looked to the table where a glass of water sat, beside that two headache tablets. I reached for them, popping them into my mouth and drinking down the warm water.
There was another loud bang from the other room, and I sat up and kicked the covers off me to find I had no pants on. I took in a deep breath, recognizing the old worn material of the La-Z-Boy chair. I had purchased that chair for Jackson when we had moved in together. What the hell was I doing at Jackson's? I stood up, glanced around the room one more time, and headed into the kitchen.
Jackson stood at the counter, shirtless, his muscles in his back rippling as he whipped whatever he had in the bowl. I leaned against the doorframe and took in the view. "Can you please just stop that," I bit out, rubbing my temples as pain shot threw them again.
He turned abruptly as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been. A small smile crept onto his lips. "Sleep well?" he asked, going back to whipping the contents of the bowl.
