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“I can’t say exactly what happened the first round in the bathroom because when I woke up, I found you lying on the tile floor. When I lifted you up, you got sick again. After cleaning you up, I got you in bed and made you drink a glass of water and take a couple of ibuprofen. Trust me, you’d be feeling way worse right now.”
“Wow, Ty. You did all that for me?” Lo says between sips of water.
I nod. “It wasn’t a big deal. You took care of me when I had my sunburn.”
“You’re too sweet to me,” she says as I hand her two ibuprofen.
“Hangovers fucking suck. I wasn’t going to let you suffer. Plus, I’ve got more tips. Shower, coffee, and a greasy breakfast.”
Lo groans, and her cute face scrunches up in disgust. “Don’t talk about food right now.”
“I know. But trust me, I’ve been there.”
“I’m sorry, Ty. I feel like such an idiot.”
“Why?”
“I shouldn’t have gotten that drunk.”
“It’s okay. You were having fun. What’s so wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess…” She trails off. I have a feeling she wants to say more, but she doesn’t.
Last summer, we told each other everything. She knows alcohol has destroyed my family. But she doesn’t know about my own struggles. I haven’t told her about how I was heading down a bad road when I was drinking. About my fight with Levi. About my bad hangovers and days of being sick.
I make a choice not to drink now, and while she didn’t say anything, I know she’s noticed. She has to. No longer do I drink at parties, or around friends, or even hanging at the beach.
“You can tell me anything, Goody. You know that, right?” I walk around to her side of the bed and sit down next to her. “You can ask me anything, too.”
“Did you stop drinking?” she blurts out. “Did something happen?”
I sigh as I scrub a hand down my face. But I won’t lie, not to her. “I’ve made a choice not to drink now. It was leading me down a bad road, and with my family’s history, I can’t risk it.”
“Ty, why didn’t you tell me? I feel awful now,” Lo says as her shoulders fall.
I take her hands in mine and turn to face her. “It has nothing to do with you, Lo. So don’t feel bad. It’s a choice I make. It doesn’t mean you have to make the same one.”
“I know, but I want to support you. And if that means not drinking, then I won’t.”
“I appreciate that, Lo. More than you know. But I won’t stop you from having fun. If you enjoy drinking and getting drunk, then so be it. All I ask is that you do it responsibly.”
Lo laughs. “You sound like such a dad right now.”
I elbow her in the side playfully. I open my mouth to ask her to get in the shower with me when someone knocks on the door.
“Chloe? Let me in, girl!”
“Just a minute!” Lo yells back.
Well, there goes that idea.
“I’ll let her in. Meet me downstairs in an hour?”
Lo nods, and I stand to go, looking around for my shorts when she tugs on my arm. She stands and slides her arms around my neck. “Never leave me again without a kiss. Teeth brushed or not.”
Goody smiles, and my knees go weak. Goddamn, I’m such a sucker for her smiles.
And then I take her face between my two hands and kiss the ever-living shit out of her.
