Life of the Party (Wayward #1)

CHAPTER 12

The light was blinding. I groaned, and the noise made my head throb. My mouth was totally dry, my throat and sinuses raw, like they’d been rubbed with sandpaper. I rolled into a ball and put a hand to my feverish brow. I couldn’t swallow.

“Here.” An angel from heaven spoke, placing a cool glass of water in my hand. She chuckled. “Drink this.”

I nodded weakly and tried to sit up, my head throbbing anew at the change in position. I forced a shaky hand to bring the cup to my lips. The water was precious, life-giving, cold and soothing. My throat and mouth worked better.

Next, I tried to open my eyes. One slit at a time, allowing the harsh light to filter in slowly so they could adjust. I coughed, and my lungs felt burnt.

Had I come down with some rare tropical disease in the night?

I panicked slightly once my eyes were fully open. I was on the floor, somewhere, in a living room. A blanket covered me. I spotted Alex slumped over on the couch, but I didn’t recognize anything else around me.

Then I remembered the voice, the sweet angel from heaven.

“Charlie?” I croaked. The sound made me wince.

“How you doing, hon?”

“Ugh. Not good. Where are we?”

“You’re at my house, silly. Don’t you remember?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I can’t think straight.” I lay back down. My hand hit something hard, and then I realized someone was beside me. Quickly—much too quickly for my poor head, I sat up and surveyed the man lying there .

It was Grey. Of course it was Grey. I don’t know who else I expected. His face was slack, relaxed, but beautiful in peaceful sleep. His shirt was off, allowing me a good long glimpse of his dark chiselled chest and glorious six-pack. Multiple black tattoos covered his naked shoulders and muscled arms. A sudden thought occurred to me, and I looked down at myself beneath the blanket. I don’t know if it was relief or disappointment I felt when I realized I was fully dressed.

I’d only blacked out once that I could remember, at the party with Riley when I took that Quaalude. I hoped my mind would bring back all the moments I seemed to have forgotten of the previous night. It was way too good not to remember. Especially since I was waking up next to Grey now.

“What time is it?” I asked Charlie, who was bustling around her tiny kitchen. I could hear coffee brewing.

“Um…eight twenty-four.” She answered.

“Oh shit. I’ve got to get to school.” I groaned, attempting to get up. It didn’t go so well. I ended up back on the floor, my head in my hands. What was the point, anyway? After a few healing moments, I moved again, this time placing my head on Grey’s chest and resting my arm lightly on his torso. Mmm…I felt better already.

“You’re going to be late, Mac.” Charlie came over and grasped my hand. “Come on.”

I was too weak to even protest. One moment, I was totally content lying with Grey; the next, I was pulled into a world of agony, bleary-eyed, holding onto the counter to keep from falling over. I swayed unsteadily.

“Have some coffee. It helps.” Charlie plunked a mug down in front of me. I looked at her for the first time that morning. She seemed a little worse for wear, but still gorgeous, as always.

“How are you awake so early?”

“Kat woke me up.” She made a face.

“Oh.” I took a swig of coffee. It burned all the way down. “Do I look how I feel?”

She grinned at me. “Easily fixed.”

I groaned again, heading to the bathroom to investigate. It wasn’t terrible. I changed out of the clothes Charlie lent me and back into my own, borrowed some of her deodorant, rubbed some toothpaste over my gums, sprayed some mystery perfume all over and threw my knotted hair into a ponytail.

My lips were chapped and swollen. They smiled at me in the mirror.

When I came out of the bathroom, Zack and Alex were awake, loud and rowdy, recapping the best moments of the night. I snuck past them and crouched down next to Grey, not quite willing to leave him and this unreal dream that ended with us together, somehow.

“Hey.” I kept my voice low. “I’ve gotta go to school.”

“Okay,” Grey growled, but he didn’t open his eyes. I giggled sympathetically.

“There’s water here.” I handed him the cup.

“Tell those assholes to keep it down.”

“Hey, assholes, keep it down!” I yelled at them, right in Grey’s ear, realizing my mistake too late. I looked down repentantly. He was glaring at me with one eye open.

“Sorry. Uh…I’ll just be going now.” I smiled. Alex and Zack laughed at me.

“I bet he appreciated that.” They joked.

I put a finger to my lips, “Shhhh,” but I was trying not to laugh. “Bye.” I bent down, hesitantly, and kissed Grey’s lips. To my joy and relief, he moved his hand to cup the back of my head and kissed me for longer.

“You work tonight?” He wondered.

“Yeah.” I groaned. “I’m going to die. You?”

“Nope.” He chuckled slightly and winced. “I get to sleep all day.”

“That is not fair.” I groaned again.

“But it was worth it, right?”

“So worth it.” I smiled. We kissed again, and then regretfully, I forced myself away from him. I didn’t care about school, but I definitely didn’t want to repeat the twelfth grade, either.

“Where are you going?” Zack wondered, watching as I gathered my things.

“I’ve got to walk to school.”

“School? Geeze, how old are you anyway? Fifteen?”

“Something like that. I’ll see you guys later.” I opened the door to the painfully bright sunshine, took a healing breath, and stumble-limped down the old grey stairs.

I wasn’t far from my school, but it was far enough when every step was utter agony. I sighed and began my trek, lighting a smoke though my poor lungs wheezed in protest.

I heard a car coming down the street, rustily, it sounded like. When it began to slow by the time it reached me, I turned to investigate. It was purple, old…beat up.

It was Riley.