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Fuck it.
I tip the bottle.
8
Chase
“Thiswasthebestnightever!”
I chuckle at my sister, keeping my arm tight around her waist as I lead her up the stairs towards her bedroom.
She hiccups when I push open her bedroom door, then laughs to herself as I drop her on the edge of her bed before rifling through her drawers and pulling out a pair of pyjamas. Tossing them into her lap, I move into the bathroom and grab her reusable water bottle. I fill it to the brim and rifle through the cabinet until I find some paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Bailey is snoring softly, fully dressed in her party outfit and half off the bed, when I make my way back in. I place the water and pills on her bedside table before gingerly moving her until she’s tucked under the duvet, her hair splayed out on the stark white pillows.
I press a kiss against her forehead, then flip her bedside lamp off before tiptoeing from the room. The door closes with a soft snick, and I make my way back downstairs. The party has long dwindled, and any stragglers still in the cottage are snoozing in the lounge.
I find Ryan in the kitchen, picking away at the mess left behind.
She’s finally alone—after I’ve spent all evening trying to talk to her and having to watch Bailey drag her away constantly—and I take a long moment to watch her, grinning at the baggy jumper she’s replaced the green dress with. She might have looked like a vision in the sparkly number, but there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a girl wearing your clothes.
“The cleaners will get that tomorrow, you know,” I say, chuckling as she bumps into the counter.
She presses a hand to her chest, pulling in a deep breath. “You really need to stop creeping up on me. You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days,” she snaps, narrowing her eyes. “And yes, I know we have cleaners coming. But I’m here, I’m awake, and I have hands. Might as well make a start.” She offers me the black bag, cocking a brow expectantly. I take it from her with a sigh, then move around to start on the island.
We make quick work of the kitchen and even the hallway before I snatch the bags up, moving them out of her reach.
“I think we’ve done enough for the night, Ry.” I glance at the clock ticking away on the wall, see the early hour. “Come on, it’s 2 a.m. Time to get you into bed, Cinderella.”
“Okay,” she says, rolling her shoulders before she starts to move around me and heads into the kitchen.
I follow her and close the door behind us with a soft snick. The bin bags fall to the floor as I reach out for her, wrapping my arm around her waist and tugging her into my body. “Look up.”
Her eyes narrow, but she tips her head back, choking back a laugh as she sees what I’m getting at. “Mistletoe.”
I nod, closing the distance between us as her gaze zeroes in on my face. “You drank, Ry.”
“I know,” she breathes, her tongue darting out to wet her plump bottom lip.
“Why?” I push, needing to hear the words from her before I take this further. The ball has always been in her court, whether she knows it or not. “I thought you wanted to pretend it never happened.”
She shakes her head, a wistful smile gracing her lips. “Is that possible? God knows I’ve tried, but you’re always just there. You terrify me, but there could be something here, and I guess … I want to give it a chance. See what it means.”
“Yeah?” I grin, leaning down until my lips hover over hers.
“Yeah,” she says, her breath coasting over my cheeks as she leans in and presses her lips gently to mine. “But I do have one condition.”
I chuckle, moving my lips against her cheek until I reach her ear. “I would expect nothing less from you, Ry.”
“Nobody can know.”
I pull back, cocking my head. I wasn’t lying when I said I expected her to have conditions, but the thought of this one didn’t even cross my mind. “Am I your dirty little secret?”
“No.” She laughs, reaching up to drop her arms around my neck. Using the arm holding her waist, I hoist her up, and she wraps her legs around me without hesitation. “I’m not ashamed of this, or whatever thismightbe. But if we’re wrong and this isn’t anything, everything would get weird and awkward, and I love your family. Bailey is my best friend. I think we see what this could be before we let everyone else in on it.”
“Okay, I will concede on your condition. But thisissomething. You know that, right?” She nods, though I can see the worry lingering in her hazel eyes. “Talk to me, Ry. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I saw that little redhead chatting your ear off all night,” she mumbles, her fingers grazing my neck.
