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An hour later, my sister was wild-eyed as she outlined her increasingly absurd plan on an invisible board behind her. I could imagine the torn newspaper clippings, the photos, and the red string connecting each seemingly unrelated items together. It was both frightening and impressive all at once. I’d really like to see what she could do with an actual murder board. It would be something, that’s for sure.
“Should I be concerned you’re so into this?” I asked and took a sip of whiskey.
“I’m invested, Mack, any member of our family who says otherwise is full of shit.” In fact, I was confident she would be the only one. “Now, read it back to me.”
“Read what back to you?”
“The plan,” she huffed. “Please tell me you’ve been taking notes, I’m too drunk to be remembering all the genius I’m coming up with right now.” Her hands circled her head in a flurry.
“Surely, if it’s genius, it’ll come back to you.”
“Do not get cute with me, Milton.”
I winced at her use of my given name. I still didn’t understand what the fuck my mother had been thinking. She had delusions of grandeur, and I was the one who wound up looking like an obnoxious prick with three names. Thank god one of my brothers started calling me Mack before I turned one and it stuck. I only got Milton when I was in trouble. Or when Chase was trying to piss me off, which I was happy to give right back to her because she hated the name on her drivers’ license, too.
Pip snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Stay with me! Have another drink.”
I was pretty sure we’d passed the point of alcohol being helpful three or four drinks ago. I took another gulp of whiskey all the same.
“Okay, tell me what we’ve got so far.”
I blew out a breath and squinted at the note in my phone, the words dancing merrily across the screen.
“What are you two conspiring about?” Chase asked and I yelped as I buried my phone in the folds of my tutu.
“Nothing!” Pip and I answered in unison. Yeah, that wasn’t suspicious at all.
Chase’s eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up as she scrutinized us. “You’re up to something.” She hiccuped. “I had too many martinis.” This was the problem with knowing someone since you were fifteen, the problem with knowing someone as well as I knew Chase. I’d rather be clueless about the implications of her choosing martinis over her usual whiskey. I’d rather not know that she only drank martinis (dirty and with extra olives) when she was horny.
The pit of my stomach hollowed out. Did that mean she’d seen someone who’d inspired the feeling… in a room full of mostly married men? Was it Marco? Was it me?Wishful fucking thinking.
She hiccuped again and somehow managed to trip on her own feet at the same time, sending her tumbling sideways into my lap. She landed with a squeak, her arms curling around my neck like this was perfectly normal and she often used me as a chair. She didn’t.
I could feel my sister’s amused gaze on the side of my face but I couldn't look at her. I wouldn't look at her. Because I knew what her look would say.I told you so, along withjust throw away the plan and kiss her already. But that wasn’t a good idea. I needed to get her on a date first.
“I think it might be time for bed,” I said against Chase’s hair, attempting to be subtle as I took a deep inhale of the fresh floral and citrus scent that had been imprinted as hers years ago. She nodded, or at least I thought she did.
“The room across from Sav’s is all made up.”
“And the others?”
“One has Connor’s Christmas present in it and is off limits and the other is being… repainted.” There was something about her hesitation that had me suspicious but I didn’t argue.
“I didn’t think you’d be staying,” she added.
In her defense that was because I said we wouldn’t be. I’d had every intention of having a couple of quiet beers and driving home. But then Chase had walked down the stairs in that fucking costume and remaining sober was no longer an option. And now I’d be sleeping on the couch as penance, because I sure as shit was not going to get into bed with a drunk and horny Chase. Not because I thought she’d make a move, but because I wasn’t sure I could trust my unconscious self to keep things platonic. Just having her curled against my chest like this was torturous enough.
“Let’s get you to bed, Cheese.’
“Yes please.” The words were warm air against my skin, making the hairs along my arms prickle.
My knees had a moment of unsteadiness supporting both our weights as I stood, but I managed to stabilize us as Chase shifted and wrapped her legs around my waist. It was both better and worse.Don’t think about it. Just get her to bed.
“Ni-ight,” Pip sing-songed as we left the marquee and crossed the cold slice of space between it and the warmth of the house. Chase’s legs tensed against me as the wind hit us and I swallowed a groan. If she remembered this in the morning, she was going to be mortified. I’d like to be able to tease her about it, but I already knew that I’d be doing my best to forget how she felt. It was yet more information I didn’t need to know about her.
We made it upstairs to the only available room with minimal staggering. Why the fuck did I drink so much? If I’d stuck to my two beers we’d be in my car and on the way home by now.
“You smell really good.” Chase murmured and I froze two steps from the bed. Despite the fact she was clinging to me like a limpet, I had assumed she was close to passing out.
