AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m going to vomit now.”
I’d spent the last ten minutes holding Hazel’s hair back as she upchucked into the toilet. As she murmured about how she was never drinking again, I smiled to myself, thinking about all the crappy drinking nights I’d had where I’d said those same exact words.
When she finished her violent attack on the toilet, she lay down on the ground and curled into the fetal position. “I sleep here,” she mumbled.
I chuckled as I bent down to lift her in my arms. “No, you sleep in your bed.”
“I sleep in your bed,” she echoed, snuggling into my arms.
Not exactly right.
After I laid her down—inherbed—I placed a puke bucket on the floor, just in case, and then I tucked her in.
She reached her arms up and wrapped them around my neck, pulling me into a hug. “Thank you, best friend,” she whispered, before plopping back down against her pillow. As I turned to walk away, Hazel murmured some more. “I have to help her.”
“Help who?”
“Mama. I have to get her and the baby out of there. I have to help,” she said with her eyes shut as she began to fall into a deep slumber.
I wasn’t sure she knew what she was saying, but I said, “I’ll help you help her, Haze.”
“Promise?” she whispered.
“Promise,” I replied.
10
HAZEL
What was that excruciating sound?
Was it a rooster? Was a rooster honestly screaming outside my window as my head pounded as if it were going to explode?
Why did my mouth feel so dry?
Why did I feel like death?
“Cock-a-doodle-doooo!”Mr.Rooster shouted, making me push a pillow over my face. I hated how awake and happy the guy was, as if he hadn’t drunk all the vodka in the land the night before.
Vodka.
Ugh. Screw vodka.
My eyes warily opened as I sat up on my elbows. I groaned as my stomach flipped, skipped, and turned. Just then, the painful sound of the doorbell ringing went off. When it kept dinging, I dragged myself from my room to answer it, seeing as how Ian hadn’t any plans of getting to the door.
I swung it open as the sunlight beamed toward me. I’d never felt more like a vampire in my life, and when I noticed a woman standing there with a basket of goodies, I instantly felt bad for hissing in her face.
She didn’t frown at my insane reaction to the light, though. She smiled brightly and tilted her head to the left. “I’ve been meaning to stop by to meet you,” she said, walking into the house. She set the basket of things down on the table and then turned back to me and held her hand out for a shake. “You must be Hazel. I’m Holly, Ian’s grandmother.”
The woman I’d just hissed at was Ian’s grandmother.
What a great first impression.
I brushed my hand across my face and cringed a bit when I hit the bruise. I’d forgotten that was there, and now Holly was staring at me and my massively bruised skin. I held my hand out and shook hers.
“Sorry, I’m just waking up. Normally I’m better at first impressions.” I smoothed my hands over my pajamas—pajamas I hadn’t recalled putting on—and gave her a tight smile.
“Oh, honey, don’t worry about it. You look beautiful.” She smiled so brightly I couldn’t help but smile too. I’d never seen such a genuine expression in all my life.
