CHAPTER 6
OLIVIA
ONE MONTH AGO
T hat vow I made to God?
The one where I swore I’d never drink again?
I should’ve stuck to it.
Because drinking only leads to stupid decisions. Like trying to kiss a man that hates my guts.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He just stood there.
Frozen.
I don’t even know what possessed me to do it. It’s not like he’s given me any indication that he’s even remotely interested in me.
Hell, I don’t know if I’m interested in him.
Maybe seeing Savannah so loved up with Hunter messed with my head. Perhaps the love bug that’s infected my best friend’s brain is contagious.
Yep, that’s probably it.
Or maybe you can’t be trusted after drinking two bottles of wine with Hunter’s mum .
Whichever it is, I’ve never felt such burning embarrassment as I do in this moment.
I drop my head back against the door with a heavy thump, causing a dull ache to form and I welcome the pain. Anything to take away from the painful mortification I currently feel.
I peel off my shoes and skulk my way into the living room, throwing myself down on the sofa with a huff. I look around the room, taking in the unusual silence, and sigh.
Tonight, will be the first night I’m alone in the house. And it just so happens to be the one night I need my best friend here to vent to. I curse her internally for falling for a cowboy and leaving me all alone in my time of need.
All jokes aside, I’m happy for Savannah. She deserves to be loved the right way. To be with someone who chooses her every day. Someone that loves her and Reign to the fullest of his ability. And I truly believe that Hunter is going to be the man to give her that.
I just wish she were here to give me some advice.
I lay my head back against the sofa and close my eyes as my mind runs wild with thoughts. About Grayson. About Savannah. About what I’m gonna do with my life now.
I must doze off, because what feels like only minutes later, I feel something warm brush against the bridge of my nose and I pry my eyes open, finding Reign sitting in my lap, her eyes wide and innocent.
I give her a groggy smile and she beams at me. “Morning auntie Livvy.”
“Good morning, my girl.” I return her affection, running my finger down the bridge of her nose before booping it. She giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck in a crushing hug. I hold her against me, breathing in the familiar scent of detergent with a mix of lotion.
God, I love this kid .
The moment I held her for the first time I felt an overwhelming feeling of protection. Like I would do anything for her, no questions asked. They say that you don’t know love until you lay eyes on your child for the first time, and although she isn’t mine, I love that kind like my own. I don’t know if children are in my future, but I know that if they are they’ll be damn lucky to have Reign as their cousin.
“Why are you sleeping on the sofa?” she asks against my ear, and I release her.
“I think I fell asleep here by accident.” I laugh.
Savannah enters then, her face glowing and deliriously happy. I give her a knowing look as I ask, “Good night?”
She blushes. “Mmhmm.”
“Hunter is going to babysit me while mummy goes for girls’ night,” Reign interrupts and I raise a brow at her mum.
“Is that so?”
Savannah nods at me sheepishly, almost as though she’s embarrassed. “Bella invited us both out tonight and Hunter offered.”
I give an impressed nod. “That was nice of him.”
“Yeah. So, get up and go shower. We’ve got outfits to plan, and you smell like a winery.”
I give Reign a mock shocked look, earning a giggle from her before dragging me ass off the sofa and doing as I’m told.
***
I think I drink too much.
I stumble towards the cab, my arm wrapped tightly around Savannahs as we keep each other upright. The world tilts around me like I’m riding a seesaw, and I giggle to myself.
I’m wasted.
“Liv?” Sav whispers, and I look at her, closing one eye to focus.
“Yeah, Sav?” I whisper back.
“I’m… so… drunk,” she hiccups between each word, and I dissolve into a fit of laughter.
“Sav?” I whisper.
“Ye-yeah?” she hiccups.
“You have two heads,” I deadpan, and she throws her head back with a cackle.
We successfully make it into the taxi with only a few worried glances from the driver and Savannah lays her head on my shoulder. “I think I’m in love,” she sighs wistfully.
“I think you are, too.”
She looks up at me through heavy lashes. “I can’t believe you kissed Grayson, and he froze.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groan, earning another quiet laugh from her.
The drive is a blur and in just minutes we’re pulling up in front of our house. The driver opens our door for us and for reasons unbeknownst to me, I curtsey. “Thank you, kind sir.”
The man shakes his head at me with an amused smirk and Savannah howls as she reaches for my hand and drags me towards the front of the house.
My legs turn to jelly as I look between the house and Savannah with squinted eyes and a tilted head. “Is it just me or is the house reaaaally far away?” I slur.
Savannah stops, looking back at me and then at the house. She walks back towards me before turning around and crouching down. “Climb up. ”
I pick up what she’s putting down and take a running jump onto her back. She catches me around the back of my legs and takes off towards the house, our loud laughs echoing in the silence of the neighbourhood.
We reach the bottom of the porch steps and Savannah takes a deep breath before putting her foot out in front of her, but in her alcohol induced state, she misjudges the distance, completely missing the step.
“Shit,” Savannah giggles and the world tilts for the second time as we go tumbling sideways towards the bushes, landing in a heap of tangled limbs.
We’re both stunned into silence for a second before bursting into laughter. Tears stream down my face as I search for purchase, trying to grab onto something, anything, to pull myself up. I come up empty, dropping my arms and falling back into the dirt.
“Heeey, Cowboy.” Savannah slurs, and I squint one eye open, finding Hunter leaning over the porch railing.
“Sav?” His amused voice penetrates the air.
“You’re so pretty.” Savannah mumbles and I nod in agreement.
“So pretty.”
I hear a deep chuckle in response. Something warm is pressed against my face, and I wrap my arms around it, nuzzling closer to the warmth.
“You’re upside down,” Savannah giggles.
“No, baby. You’re upside down.” Hunter replies and my heart swells at the endearment.
“Aww, he calls you baby,” I coo.
The two of them exchange a few more words that I don’t pick up on, before the warmth is pulled from my arms and everything goes silent .
I peek through a heavy lid, finding myself alone in the bushes and an overwhelming sadness consumes me. I spread my arms out and stare up at the sky.
They left me all alone. This is how it’s going to be from now on. Me, all alone.
Before I get the chance to spiral into self-pity, Hunter is back, hooking his arms underneath mine and hauling me up. “C’mon, Liv, let’s get you inside.”
I stumble against him, and he rights me. “I like you, Hunter. You’re good people.”
A chuckle rumbles in his chest. “I like you, too, Liv.”
“I’m sorry I told Sav to break up with you.”
I should probably stop talking, but the alcohol, mixed with my self-pity sadness has me babbling.
Hunter pauses. “You what?”
“I was just embarrassed that your brother rejected me.”
“My brother rejected you?”
I give him a pathetic nod. “Yep.”
“Which one?”
“The grumpy one.” Hunter is silent for a minute before continuing to walk me towards my bedroom.
“Don’t take it personally, Liv. My brother’s been through some shit.”
I resist rolling my eyes. It’s not an excuse to treat someone like shit. “Ain’t we all.”
I enter my bedroom, pausing in the doorway to say, “I kept your secret. Can’t wait to see it,” before staggering my way towards the bed and collapsing on top of it, face first.