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"What did you say?" Every inch of my skin tingles. Oh God, I've dreamed so many times of hearing those words from him, but he's drunk. It's the alcohol speaking.
"I said I love you. I wanted to tell you so many times before…" He lets the sentence hang, and I get it. We had only been together for a hot second. I knew that what I was feeling for him, even then, was not just a crush.
Fuck it.
"I love you, too." This must be the hormones and sleep deprivation—because what the hell?
He lifts our clasped fingers to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles. "Thank you."
This conversation is confusing. "Um, you're welcome?"
Wes chuckles, then looks at Echo. "I'm gonna take her out."
He stands, and the sudden loss of contact rips open a void inside of me. I want to shout at him to come back, but instead, I say, "Why did you take her?"
"Huh?"
"Echo." I tilt my head in her direction. "Why did you bring her here?" And why did Mags let him? But that's achatI will take up with her.
"She was my connection to you." Those are his parting words before he leads my dog out the door.
I sit motionlessly. Stunned. What am I going to do with this?
Suddenly, my bladder signals that I never stopped to pee. Uh-oh. I jump up and speed waddle—there is no way this is considered walking anymore—to the hall bathroom. Shit, shit, shit.
I'm washing my hands when I hear voices, and I hold my breath.
"Ugh, some fucker is blocking our driveway again. I'm going to have a word with the asswipe from two doors down tomorrow. It's always his damn visitors." Pause. "Bro, did you drink alone again?" Kai.
"I have company." Wes.
"The dog doesn't count, dick," Kai retorts, but a laugh is audible in his tone.
"Whatever, I'm going to bed."
"Cool. Night."
Two doors close shortly after, and I sag in relief against the wall next to the sink. Time to leave. Opening the door a sliver, I peer outside. The light in the house is dimmed, and I tiptoe to the entrance. I'm about to turn the knob when the red blinking light catches my attention. Ah, fuck, they armed the security system.
I stand there for several minutes. If I trip the alarm, I'm going to have to answer to them both right now. I'm dead on my feet, but maybe if I hide in the media room, and one of them disarms the system in the morning before they find me, then I can sneak out.
Decision made, I grab a blanket off the couch and make my way to my makeshift bed. I close the door, checking three times that it's indeed shut, and then curl up on the couch the guys put in here.
It's surprisingly comfy.
I have no idea what'll happen tomorrow. As of right now, Nugget and I don't care. We're both too exhausted.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
My tongue feelslike I licked a carpet—fucking gross. It's worth the few hours of oblivion, though.
Something wet swipes over my cheek, and I wrinkle my nose. I relish and despise Echo's wake-up calls equally. Okay, maybe I prefer it over waking up alone and hungover. Rolling to the side, I wrestle Echo until she's tucked under my arm. "We need to get you more of those teeth-cleaning bone thingies, girl. Your breath stinks."
Instead of being offended, she licks me over the mouth, and I can't help laughing. I scratch her ear. "Let's take you out before you leave Kai another present."
She had one small accident when I had first brought her over and we didn't have our routine yet, but Kai will not let me live it down.
I throw the covers back and walk over to the bathroom. If I don't pee first,I'mgoing to leave my roommate a surprise. After completing my business, I throw on a T-shirt and pad down the hall. I disarm the alarm and open the front door, but Echo is nowhere in sight—what the hell? She usually shoots past me and is on the little patch of grass in front of the house before I can take the first step. Glancing back, I find her with her nose pressed against the media room. I narrow my eyes. Kai better not have left old food in there again. That also happened, and poor Echo had the runs for two days.
