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Piper's face looks shocked as hell and it makes me giggle even more. I'm definitely not the same naive, sheltered girl I was when I left this town. Piper caught glimpses whenever she would visit, now she's getting the bigger image. This is the person she always wanted me to be in high school with her. She enjoyed the parties and drinking but I never did. I wasn't against them per say, I just didn't like the people who threw them or the people who attended. I'm more confident in who I am and I don't care as much about what people think about me. The ones who would judge me, they don't deserve my time or attention.
"Who are you?" Piper finally says as she bursts into laughter. "I thought I was going to have to coerce you into a few drinks and here you are throwing them back like a sorority sister."
"I'm the new and improved Brayleigh Carter. My mother is probably so proud," I joke. "Actually, if she asks, this is my first drink."
Piper pretends to zip her lips with a wink in my direction.
"So," Piper says with her mischievous eye twinkle. "Anyone catch your eye tonight?"
"You're not trying to set me up too, are you?" I groan, throwing my head back slightly.
"Of course not," Piper mumbles while simultaneously nodding her head. "I mean your mom is trying to get you married, I'm just trying to get you laid. It's totally not the same thing."
"There was one person." I start speaking before biting my lip. I want to say Kit, but instead my eyes immediately seek out Archer in the crowd. His eyes are surprisingly on me, our gazes locking when I look at him. Piper's eyes follow my eye line and she squeals a little when she sees who I'm staring at.
"Yes. You need to bang that man," Piper demands excitedly. "I wholeheartedly approve of you sexing the hell out of Archer Wild."
I look over at Piper in astonishment. "I need another shot."
Chapter Four
Brayleigh
Why? Why in God's name did I drink so much last night? That was one of my worst ideas ever. I'm pretty sure I told Piper her pregnancy boobs looked fantastic when she drove me home last night. I don't even want to think about the conversation I had with my mom before I stumbled to bed.
Piper is a bad influence even when she can't drink. She wanted to see my party trick of taking shots with no hands. I'm pretty sure she just wanted me to try and impress Archer with my mouth skills. Jokes on her, I ran away from him all night instead of impressing him in any way. Okay, maybe I stumbled away from him all night. He looked a little concerned when I almost fell into the beautiful archway as I made my graceful exit.
My drunken idiocy seems to know no bounds. At least I don't seem to have a hangover today. Almost guaranteed that my dad will have me working in the barn mucking out stalls today. He's always wanted to do this to me for coming home wasted. I think he was always slightly disappointed that I was a good child growing up. He used to ask me why I was so good? When I came home tipsy from my graduation party, he was legitimately so happy to give me his hangover speech about if I can drink with the big dogs, I work with them too. I wasn't drinking with the farm workers but okay, dad.
What I need right now is a shower. I smell like a bar threw up on me. I should probably wait until after I do the horse stalls though, the smell of horse shit is worse than tequila that's for sure. Food, that's what is actually first on my priority list. I can smell Mom's fresh danishes in the oven. I use the bathroom quickly, giving my hair a brush and washing last night's makeup off so that I look semi human.
My shorts and tank top will be fine for breakfast. Besides, my stomach is screaming at me that we need food. I can't keep ignoring it. Grabbing my phone from my dresser, I check my messages as I make my way to the kitchen. Piper sent me a video of me sloppily doing a line dance in bare feet. Watching it makes me want to go back and hide in my bed until I die from embarrassment.
"There she is! Glad to see you're still alive," Mom shouts as I walk into the kitchen.
Looking up, I stop short when I see the Wild twins, Grayson and Mason, sitting at the table with my dad as my mom chops up fresh fruit at the island.Motherfocker. Of course they're here. I can't seem to escape these damn guys! It honestly feels like the universe is laughing their ass off at me. It's telling me I could only run from this problem for so long. Well, I'll show the universe just how determined I am to run away. These sexy men will not trap me in their perfectly sculpted web again. Nope, not me.
"Yup," I mutter, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "It was just a little alcohol."
My dad bursts out laughing at that comment. The Wild twins look like they're both trying really hard not to laugh along with him. My mom is staring at me with a yeah, sure look that makes me question what all I said to her last night.
"It's not a lot of alcohol if you're Ernest Hemingway," my dad says as he guffaws a bit more. "For you, it's a lot of alcohol."
I glare over at my dad as I do my best not to keep glancing at Grayson or Mason. I still need to be polite though so I turn to them, giving both a polite smile and a good morning. That’s good enough, it was nice and polite but doesn’t open the door for me to talk and then fall all over myself in front of them. It’s the perfect reaction, I need to stop overthinking this with them. We’re not children anymore and I’m not in love with them. I don’t even really think about them ever. They are practically strangers to me. Strangers I’m walking around without a bra in front of. In pretty short pyjama shorts. Smelling like a dive bar.
Fudge.
There’s no going back now, I just need to do damage control until I can hide. Maybe if I just keep my back to them my nipples will stop trying to stand at attention for them. My ass practically falls out of these sleep shorts, but that feels like the lesser of two evils here.
“Making danishes?” I ask Mom as I try to sneakily move around the island. “They smell fantastic.”
“I am,” Mom replies, looking at me suspiciously. “Why don’t you go have a seat at the table, they’re almost ready.”
“I can help you with the fruit,” I exclaim. I’m pretty sure I look like a deer in the headlights right now as I silently beg my mom to let me stay over here. I could do the adult thing and sit at the table, making small talk. The problem is I don’t feel like acting like an adult. I have reverted back to my teenage years at this moment and I kind of don’t want to be an adult.
“I’ve got this,” she says, her lips twisting into a smirk. “You go catch up with the boys. It’s been a little while since you last saw them.”
There’s no arguing with Mom, I learnt that a long time ago. I give her a tight smile as I turn my headlight nipples towards the table and go have a seat. Mason is talking to my dad about some new tractor that he’s recommending we get for the farm while Grayson turns to smile at me. I smile back as those damn butterflies take flight again. You would think all that tequila would kill them, but those suckers seem to be immortal or something.
