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"Hey, let's dance," Sammy grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the dance floor, away from the men.
I let her drag me along, my mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Jake and Frankie's other friends. They were all so cool and confident, while I was a nervous wreck half the time.
As we danced, I caught a glimpse of Jake across the room. He was laughing and joking around with his friends, his eyes scanning the crowd. For a moment, our gazes locked again, and goosebumps ran up my arms.
"Why don't you tell them how you feel?" Sammy shouted over the music.
"Not gonna happen!" I shouted back.
My head spun. The music pounded against my chest. Everything in the room was spinning. Shit, maybe I had drunk too much. As I stumbled towards the exit to get some fresh air, Jake appeared before me. His muscular arms caught me before I hit the ground.
"Whoa there." He steadied me with his hands. "Are you okay?"
I looked up at him. His face zoomed in and out. "I think I had too much to drink," I slurred.
"Let me take you outside." He guided me to the door. "You need some fresh air."
Once outside, I took deep breaths, gasping for air. I couldn't stop the spinning, but the nausea calmed down. Jake stood beside me, his hand on my back.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
I nodded, grateful for his help. "Thanks, Jake. You're always so kind to me."
He smiled at me, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Of course, Mal. I care about you. You know that, right?"
Yeah, as a little sister. I kept my mouth shut instead of saying what I wanted to. It also helped to keep the bile down that started threatening to creep up, despite my desperately trying to keep it down.
I swayed and went to sit down. Rex's arms wrapped around me. "Hey, little sis, it's okay. I got you." His blonde hair glowed against the moonlight.
Squinting against the darkness, I realized Matty was with them as well. I was outside alone with all three of them. Clamping my mouth shut, I tried not to say anything.
But as the alcohol clouded my judgment, the words slipped out before I could stop them. "You know, sometimes I wish you guys didn't just see me as Frankie's little sister," my voice was barely above a whisper.
They exchanged a look, and Rex spoke up. "Of course, we don't just see you as that, Mal. You're our friend too."
Matty nodded in agreement, his hand resting on my shoulder. "Yeah, we care about you, kid."
Kid? Kid? See, that was the problem, and they didn't see it. I was always the kid, the little sister. Nothing more to them. I opened my mouth to yell, and bile slammed into my throat. No, not in front of them, please.
Rex must have sensed my unease because he pulled away slightly and looked at me with concern. "You okay, Mal? You look like you're about to be sick."
I shook my head, trying to fight off the nausea that was building in my stomach. "I'm fine," I said weakly.
Matty stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you need us to take you home?" he asked.
I shook my head again, but the nausea was too intense. I doubled over and vomited on the grass, my body heaving with effort.
"Shit," Jake whispered. "We need to get you home." At least, I thought it was him. Words swam in and out of view, shivers ran up my spine, and the air was so heavy I couldn't breathe.
Arms wrapped around me and lifted me. I was vaguely aware of Rex and Matty on either side of me, guiding me toward their car. I was too dizzy to resist, too sick to protest.
As we drove through the dark streets, I leaned my head against the window. I made a fool of myself in front of them. Now not only was I the little sister, but I was also the idiot who couldn't handle her alcohol.
But despite my embarrassment, I was grateful for their help. They didn't have to take care of me, but they did. They could have easily told my brother and made him deal with me.
As we pulled up to my house, I stumbled out of the car, my head spinning. Rex and Matty helped me up the steps to my front door, and I fumbled with my keys until Jake took them from me and opened the door.
"Thanks," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
