Chapter 27
twenty-seven
RUBY
“Ugh,” I groan. “I think I’m dying.”
My head is pounding, and my mouth feels like what I’m guessing a dirty ashtray tastes like. Cracking my eyes open, I furrow my brow when I don’t recognize the bed or bedroom I’m in. Lifting the blanket, my eyes widen when I see I’m in a tee that’s definitely not mine … or Joel’s. “Where the fuck am I?” I grunt, flinching at the harshness of my voice.
“You’re up.” The sound of Maddox’s voice startles me, and when I look toward where it came from, my eyes widen when they land on him. He’s standing in the doorway to what is obviously his bedroom. He stands there shirtless, with a backward cap on his head and in gray sweatpants.
Gray.
Fucking.
Sweatpants.
Holy book porn, Batman. Never have I seen anything hotter than what is before me right now. Pushing myself upright, I cross my legs and take a calming breath. Lifting my gaze, I look over to Maddox. He’s now leaning against the doorframe, his arms are across his chest and his muscular biceps are waving their jazzy “look at me” muscles in my face. “Why am I here?”
“What do you remember?”
Someone asking that is never a good thing, but I think back on last night. “Ummm…” As I think, it all comes crashing back to me and my eyes open wider in shock, disgust, and embarrassment. “Oh my fucking God! I vomited.”
“Several times,” he confirms. His cheeky tone pisses me off, as does the smarmy look on his face.
“But me vomiting doesn’t explain why I’m here.”
“You passed out in my car while we were dropping off Sabbi and Eamon. I didn’t want to leave you alone in case you vomited in your sleep, where you’d choke and die. So, I brought you here, which was a good thing because at stupid a.m., you woke up and vomited all over yourself and the bathroom.”
“Oh my God,” I cry again. Falling back to the mattress, I cover my face in embarrassment.
“I cleaned you up and you started to cry?—”
“Oh my God, stop. Just, please stop.”
Ignoring me, he continues, “Amongst your sobs, you told me you loved me and I’m so pretty.” He chuckles and is grinning like a carnival clown right now at my embarrassment.
Sitting up, I glare at him. “This is not funny, Maddox.”
“From where I’m standing it is.”
“Ugh, I hate you right now, but do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Put some fucking clothes on.”
Pushing off the doorframe, he heads into his closet to grab a shirt. He steps back into the room while pulling it over his head.
“That’s not any better,” I hiss at him when he looks to me, once again grinning. He grabbed a navy tank that’s a little on the small side and does nothing to hide his muscular physique .
“You’re cranky when you’re hungover, but luckily for you, I have the best cure.”
“A time machine so I can go back to the past and not drink so much?”
“Sorry, I don’t have access to a Tardis, but I can whip you up a bacon and egg wrap with extra bacon, crispy.”
“And coffee?”
“Of course.”
“Fine, but can I grab a shower first? I feel all icky.”
“Sure.” He nods. “Your clothes should be dry soon, I’ve just popped them into the dryer.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did, they were covered in vomit.”
“Ohhh, well, umm, thank you.”
“There are spare towels under the sink and when your clothes are dry, I’ll pop them on the bed for you.”
“Thanks, Maddox. I appreciate you looking after me.”
“It’s what friends do when one of them gets shitfaced.”
“But are we friends? I was kind of horrible to you the last time we spoke, and last night I was a terse surely bitch.”
“We’ll always be friends, Reindeer.”
We stare at one another, and we let his words hang in the air. Once the uncomfortableness reaches fever pitch, he walks out, closing the door behind him.
Dropping back to the mattress, I stare at the ceiling. This is all Joel’s fault, he should have been there last night. Speaking of, my phone begins to ring from the side table.
“Where are you?” he says by way of greeting when I answer. “I’m at your place to get you for the final meeting with the wedding planner before tomorrow.”
“Shit,” I hiss. “I’m with Sab.” The lie falls off my tongue like a hot knife through butter.
“Where are you and I’ll come get you guys. ”
“We’ll meet you there,” I tell him. “We’ll be like ten minutes behind you.”
“Fine,” he huffs and hangs up.
Dialing Sab’s number, I climb out of bed and turn in circles, not sure what to do right now. “Why are you calling me at the asscrack of dawn?” she grunts into the phone. She’s as hungover as I was five minutes ago but after that call from Joel, I’m sober now.
“Joel just called to see where I am ’cause we’re supposed to be meeting with the planner in half an hour.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at Maddox’s in his shirt and I need clothes and for you to come and get me.”
“Why are you at Mad’s in his shirt?”
“I vomited and he looked after me after we dropped your drunken ass off.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. Who knew my brother could be so nice? Eamon the f-u-c-k face left me on the sofa, and I woke up to Cassie staring at me asking to get a pet hedgehog.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Maybe you should just get her one.”
“Not you too,” she whines.
“Well, the answer seems simple to me.”
“Do you want me to pick you up and save your sorry ass?”
“Are you able to drive?”
“No, but Eamon will since he left me on the sofa last night; he owes me big time.”
“Can you bring me a change of clothes too? Not sure my little black dress from last night is the correct attire for when you’re about to finalize the plans for your wedding.”
“But you looked hot in that dress.”
“I know, but it’s not appropriate.”
“Look at you being all responsible. I’ll be there in ten. ”
“Real ten, Sab, not your twenty-minute version of ten minutes.”
“Fine, fine,” she agrees. “See you soon.”
Surprisingly, she arrives exactly ten minutes later, and I quickly change into the jeans and sweater she brought for me, perks of being the same size as your bestie. Then she and Eamon whisk me up the mountain but by the time I arrive, Joel is gone. Apparently, he signed off on everything and left to, surprise-surprise, head back to work.
Sitting in the back of the car, I stare out the window and watch the snowy fields pass by. I’m supposed to be getting married tomorrow, and I’m not even one bit excited.
We stop by the cottage to grab Sab’s bag, and then Eamon drops the two of us off at my place, since we’ll be getting ready for the wedding here tomorrow. Waving bye to Eamon, we head inside and like the other week, Joel has another surprise for me. A full body massage for two followed by a picnic with wine—ugh—and cheese and deli meats for two.
“He does love me,” I mumble as I walk into my bedroom to change for my massage. With this surprise, finally, I’m excited for tomorrow but much like the upcoming storm, my life is about to be thrown into chaos.