Wrong For You (Before You Series Book 3) (11 page)

Violet rolled her eyes even though Annette had a point. She couldn’t even make conversation or listen to music while she drove. Her thoughts always drifted off to other things. “I’m better now,” Violet said, even though it wasn’t the truth.

“Sure you are, sweetie, but I’ve already had one trip too many in the ditch with you and I’m adverse to spending the rest of the weekend in the hospital. God knows, going to the hospital on the weekend is like serving a mini-prison sentence.”

Two days after getting her driver’s license, Violet accidently drove them into the ditch near her parents’ ranch and Annette never let her forget it. “Whatever,” she protested. “I just got my driver’s license a couple days before and you weren’t hurt.”

Annette laughed her deep smoky laugh that reminded Violet of their childhood slumber parties, sneaking sips of her dad’s bourbon in the barn, and a million other stupid pranks. “Not too bad, but I don’t hold it against you. You can’t be good at everything. Your inability to drive is charming…when I’m not forced to be in the car with you.”

“Screw you,” Violet said good-naturedly as she elbowed Annette in the side.

“Vi, don’t hate me for spilling the truth.”

***

Two hours into bottomless mimosas, Violet’s head felt heavy and her lips tingled, but she had barely thought of Alec and his sexy arms wrapped in even sexier tattoos as they held her in bed last night.

She waved her hand in front of her and she thought her hand blurred in the air. Not a good sign. “No more,” she said as her hand hit her water glass, sending water flying across the table.

Annette jumped up from her seat, narrowly escaping a tidal wave of ice cubes. “Holy shit. You’re wrecked.”

Violet giggled. “You think?”

“Yeah. I should probably take your drunk ass home before you throw up your egg white omelet.” Annette mock shivered. “I can’t even imagine what that crap tastes like a second time.”

Violet tossed her napkin over the mess on the table. “It’s not bad. Besides, I don’t need more calories with the number of drinks I’ve consumed and it’s only…” she lifted her wrist to study her watch. Telling time when her eyes wouldn’t stop bouncing around the room was a monumental task. “One thirty.”

“You’re a toothpick. I don’t think you need to worry about calories.”

“Where are we going next?” she said slapping some money on the table from her purse.

“I’m bringing you home. Did you already forget?”

“No way.” Wide-eyed, she shook her head back and forth in a big, exaggerated sweep of her head that made her dizzy. “Alec might be there and I can’t see him yet. I need to be armed and on guard the next time I see him.”

“Huh?” Annette said through a chuckle.

“He has these eyes,” Violet said, leaning forward. “They’re dark blue like twilight, hooded and sensual, and every time I look at him, I feel like I’m falling into him. I think he might be a snake charmer or something.” Then laughter erupted from her mouth as if she’d just said the funniest thing in the world.

“Yeah, right,” Annette said with her eyebrows raised. “I don’t think that makes any sense.”

“You’d have to see him to understand it.”

Annette exhaled loudly. “So, no going home right now. Any ideas where you want to go?”

“A bar,” she said, jumping out of her seat, clapping her hands excitedly. She needed a bar. What better way to forget her idiocy than to douse the burning flames of regret in her chest with a truckload of alcohol? “Remember when we graduated from college and we danced on tables at that bar near campus? Let’s go there.”

Annette shook her head, looking a little apprehensive. “I don’t know, Vi, that doesn’t sound so smart. Maybe we could hang out at my house and make those margaritas.”

“Can we invite some people to come over? We could have a party.” With a bunch of people around, she didn’t think she’d fall back into a state of deep emotional self-pity and margaritas sounded really delicious right now.

Annette wrapped her arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the parking lot. “I have some new cute neighbors. If they’re home, I’ll ask them to join us.”

“Okay. Let’s do it. I’m all for cute neighbors and I haven’t been to a party in so long,” she said, swinging her arm out in front of her to emphasize how long it had been.

Annette barked out a laugh and shook her head. “Yes, I know exactly how much you like cute neighbors.”

“I stepped right into that, didn’t I?” Violet said, swatting Annette’s arm. Acid burned her stomach as reality crashed into her slice of drunken happiness. She groaned. “Don’t remind me of him. I was having so much fun.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Annette said, squeezing her shoulder. “I’m just glad we’re spending the day together. We can deal with the rest later. Today we’re going to have fun…lot’s of it.”

“Yes, fun,” Violet said with a touch of whimsy. Fun was the perfect antidote to a one-night stand that had gone badly, really badly. Well, not all bad. The sex part was nice. Better than nice. It rocked. It was the stuff afterwards that sucked.

Chapter Fifteen

Alec had been sitting on Violet’s front porch for the last two hours. As far as he could tell, she hadn’t been home all day. Now, it was nearly nine o’clock at night and he was worried something had happened to her after she ran out of his apartment this morning. When she left, she was upset, but he convinced himself that she’d be fine in a couple days and it’d be better if he let her go thinking the worst about him instead of entangling her in his life, especially when he lived in another state. As the hours ticked by without any sign of her, remorse seized hold of him and refused to let go.

He didn’t know what he’d say to her when she finally returned home, but he needed to say something. Yesterday, he had several chances to send her away and do the right thing, but in a moment of weakness, he couldn’t stop himself from touching her and taking what he wanted.
Asshole
, he chided himself.

Headlights lit up Violet’s street, and he stood up, staying in the shadows of the front porch, trying to get a better look. When he noticed it wasn’t Violet’s car, he started to sit back down, but the car stopped in front of her house and he froze in place.

The driver’s side door opened and he heard laughter.

“You’re home,” a woman he didn’t know said as she walked toward the passenger door.

The passenger door flew open, springing back so hard it almost slammed shut again. “And you said I was a bad driver. We nearly hit that lamp post and you were driving so fast I could barely see.” It was Violet’s voice and she sounded like she fell inside a bottle of booze for the better part of the day.

“That’s because your head is spinning.”

Violet cradled her head with both hands. “Annette, you’re lying. I think you’re the one who had too much to drink. My head is just fine, see?”

Shaking her head, Annette leaned against the open door, one hand on her hip. “Do you need help?”

“I’m perfectly wonderful,” Violet shouted. “Stop asking me if I need help. I’m more than capable of walking, talking, and driving by myself.”

“Riiight says the girl who hasn’t stopped drinking since this morning.”

“You’re no fun,” Violet said, standing up. “Ouch. Crap that hurt,” she yelled, rubbing her head. “I hit my head.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Annette wrapped her arm around Violet’s waist. “You need to get in bed and sleep this off. You’re trashed.”

“But I had fun,” Violet said in a singsong voice, or at least he thought that’s what she said because fun came out as a hiccup.

“And you’ll probably be kicking yourself when you wake up tomorrow.”

“Nah, I didn’t drink that much. One or two at the most,” Violet said, tripping over a raised lip on the sidewalk in front of her.

Before Alec could consider his actions, he stalked forward and grabbed Violet by her shoulders and pulled her toward him. “I can get her inside.”

Annette yanked Violet by her waist, boomeranging her backwards, but Alec refused to let go, tightening his grip on Violet’s shoulders.

“And who are you?” she asked, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Alec, her neighbor.”

Annette’s eyes swept over him contemptuously. “No, thank you. You’ve helped enough for one day.”

Shit. Violet spilled the story and he came out looking like a complete jerk. Not that he was surprised. He was a jerk. “Let me carry her inside and then I’ll leave,” he said, his voice urgent but soft. He tugged her back toward him ever so slightly. He didn’t know why he was fighting to take care of her. It seemed ridiculous when she had a very protective friend offering to do it. He needed to pull his head out of his ass and mind his own business. After the way he treated Violet this morning, he was lucky Violet hadn’t hit him or worse.

“Ugh,” Violet moaned. “I don’t feel so good. Stop playing tug of war with me.”

“You’ll be okay,” Annette cooed in her ear, a sympathetic smile on her lips, but when she focused all of her disdain on him, her eyes hardened and her lips thinned. “Just tell this asshole to back off and I’ll take you inside.”

Violet lifted her head and opened her mouth, but no words of dismissal exited. Instead, she lurched forward, violently hurling all over his shoes, and it didn’t stop with one eruption. Before he could move away, her body jerked toward him again and vomit hit him squarely on the front of his shirt.

Paralyzed, he didn’t say anything for a few prolonged beats of silence and then Annette started laughing, and it wasn’t a small chuckle. Her entire body shook and she dropped her hands from Violet, bending at the waist. “That was fucking awesome,” she said between gasping breaths. “In fact, it was the best thing I’ve seen in…oh…years.”

“Oh my God,” Violet said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes wide and unblinking. “I’m so sorry, Alec. I didn’t do that on purpose. I promise.”

“Vi, don’t be sorry,” Annette said, reprimanding her, between bursts of laughter that kept rolling one after another. “I haven’t laughed this hard in so long.”

Finally dropping his hands from Violet’s shoulders, Alec looked down at his shirt, and not wanting to be drenched in vomit for one more minute, he tugged it over his head and tossed it next to Violet’s front steps. “Where are your keys?”

“Huh?” Violet said, swaying back and forth, staring blankly.

“The keys to your house.”

“Oh.” She started fumbling with the pockets of her skirt, but never quite making it inside either one and he realized she was still wearing her clothes from last night. She hadn’t even bothered to change before she ran away this morning. He didn’t like that he made her so uncomfortable she didn’t feel like she could take refuge in her own home. “I thought I put them in my pocket, but I don’t know.” Her hands dropped limply to her sides.

“Let me look.” His hand dipped into one pocket and then the other. “Here they are.” He held them up for her to see.

“Oh thank you,” she mumbled, holding her hand out, her nails brushing against the skin of his bare stomach, making him hyperaware of her and partially aroused, which was fucked up on so many levels. She stilled and tipped her head up to him. “Oops,” she giggled as her fingers caressed the line of his tattoo along his side.

Alec looked at Annette, who stared at him opened-mouthed. He gave her his best ‘don’t fuck with me’ smile. “Open the door and I’ll carry her inside.”

“Fine.” She opened her hand and he tossed her the keys.

Alec wrapped one arm around Violet’s shoulder and the other beneath her knees, lifting her and carrying her into the house.

“You smell so good,” she said, closing her eyes and burying her nose into his neck.

He chuckled. “Even with your vomit on me?”

Her eyes popped open and she moaned. “Did that really happen? Please tell me it didn’t.”

“Shh…don’t worry about it,” he answered, pushing the hair from her face and kissing the top of her head. “I was in the line of fire. I should have moved.”

She groaned. “How would you know that I was going to do that? I’d like to think I have better control when I drink, but I don’t do this much or ever.”

“Unfortunately, I have plenty of experience with people who’ve had too much to drink.”

“Mostly women, I bet.” She closed her eyes again, shaking her head. “Ignore I said that. I don’t care. I don’t want to know.”

He smiled, brushing his lips across her feather soft hair. “Not always. You’d be surprised what I’ve seen.”

“Crazy clients,” she said, referring to the job he told her he had.

“Something like that.” Lying to her on top of everything else didn’t sit well with him, but confessing the depth of his deception while she was intoxicated and sick didn’t seem very productive. It could wait until she felt better. He had so much to explain to her and only two weeks remained until he left. Hopefully he’d never have to return. Even as the thought flashed through his mind, the idea of never seeing Violet again tugged uncomfortably at his heart.

Following Annette down the short hallway, he stepped into a room that had to be Violet’s. Soft blue walls, lavender bedding covered with a sea of gray, cream, and blue pillows greeted him. It suited her.

“Dizzy. So dizzy,” she murmured into his chest while her hands clawed at the bare skin of his chest.

“Are you going to be sick again?”

“Oh my God,” she groaned, her voice both strained and alarmed. “I think so.”

“Hold on, Little Violet,” he whispered into her ear, skittering his fingertips along the clammy skin of her forehead.

“Where’s the bathroom?” he barked at Annette.

“Use this,” she answered, shoving a clear trashcan lined with plastic in his face.

With the trashcan in one hand, he sat down on the edge of the bed, cradling Violet in his lap.

Her stomach rumbled and once again she threw up the contents of her stomach. “So embarrassing.”

“How much did you let her drink?” he yelled at Annette. Didn’t she care what happened to her friend?

“Enough to forget what an asshole you are,” she shot back as she handed Violet a hand towel.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That she may have been with me today, but you’re the reason she felt the urge to self-medicate.”

Well, fuck. He didn’t have an answer for that. Violet was strong and caring. He hated that he held any responsibility for her current state. “Can you bring her a glass of water and some Ibuprofen?”

Her eyes narrowed, debating whether to leave them alone and he hated it. She sighed. “Fine, but don’t hurt her.”

“What the hell? I’m not going to hurt her.”

Annette’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Well then, don’t say anything stupid.” Without waiting for a response, she stormed out of the room, her sandals clicking against the hardwood floor with every step.

“Better?” he asked Violet, rubbing her back in long, even strokes.

Moving her head up and down ever so slightly, she said, “I just want to go to sleep before that happens again.”

Once he kicked off his soiled boots, he gently placed her on her side. When she shivered, he pulled the gray throw blanket from the bottom of the bed over her legs and placed the trashcan on the floor parallel with her head. “Close your eyes. Annette is going to leave water and Ibuprofen on your nightstand.” Propping the pillow up behind him, he leaned back against her headboard, crossing his legs at his ankles.

“You don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine now. There can’t be much left in my stomach.”

“I’ll leave when I’m sure you’re okay.”

She shook her head. “Annette’s here. She’ll stay with me.”

He realized that, but he wanted to take care of her and apologize for his asshole behavior this morning. “She’s probably tired and I live right downstairs, it’s easy for me to help you,” he said as his fingers ghosted along the side of her of her face, almost reverently. He felt like an ass wanting to touch her so much, but he couldn’t stop himself. Even sick and throwing up, she looked like an angel, his personal angel. And as the thought floated through his mind, his lips turned up at the corners.

Annette paused at the doorway, eyeing his boots on the floor. “Do you think you’re staying or something?”

“Just for a couple hours until I know she’s fine.”

“Ah, let me think about that.” She tapped her chin as she walked into the room. “No fucking way.” She shook her head dramatically as she placed the glass and the medicine on the nightstand. When he didn’t make any move to leave, she leaned toward him, her eyes blazing with heat, probably trying to intimidate him, but she had him confused with another person if she thought that shit would work on him. He made up his mind. He was staying. Nothing she could do or say would change his mind.

“Out,” she demanded, flinging her hand toward the door.

“No.” When he saw the look on her face, he had to hold back his grin. She looked as though she were ready to spit at him as her head spun around on her body. He hadn’t seen such unbridled rage directed at him since he left his childhood home at the age of eighteen.

Her foot tapped rhythmically on the floors, echoing through the dim room. “Can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?”

“If you think it’s necessary.”

“I do.” She stomped toward the door, turning around at the entrance with her hands firmly planted on her hips. “Hurry up. I don’t have all night.”

Before he got up to follow her, he ran his hand along the side of Violet’s head, tracing her features with his fingertips.

He stepped into the hall, closing Violet’s door behind him. She was almost asleep. From the little he observed of Annette, she could go nuclear on him in the next few minutes and he wanted Violet to sleep. “What do you want?”

“Funny, that was exactly what I planned to ask you, so why don’t you go first and explain why you’re suddenly interested in helping Violet.”

He lifted one shoulder nonchalantly and then dropped it. “I’m her neighbor. I’m available. I want to help.”