Chapter 17
Shiloh drank three more mojitos, becoming progressively tipsier. Combined with the two from the bar, they quickly fell over the line and into drunk-off-their-ass territory. Their inhibitions lowered with each drink, and I started to see glimpses of the real Shiloh peek through.
I loved it.
As they babbled about anything and everything, I realized I’d never heard them talk so much. I happily sat back and let them. The night wore on, but eventually they ran out of things to talk about and the conversation lulled. Shiloh and I sat on one couch while Carlos curled up on the other, having grown bored of our new houseguest who would no longer let him lick their face. How dare they.
Shi snuggled into the plush cushions. With their head resting against the back, they closed their eyes. I muted the TV that had been playing some nonsensical 90 Day Fiancé episode I’d seen a hundred times. Their breathing slowed, and I thought they’d fallen asleep. Even in the dim light, I could see their dark lashes tickle the freckles across their cheekbones. I shook my head, wondering why the hell their ex wouldn’t be going to the ends of the earth to make them happy.
Shi cracked an eye open. “You perving on me, Clark?”
“Can’t help it.” I grinned. “You’re too pretty.”
“Shut up,” they slurred, turning their face into the couch to hide their beautiful blush.
“I thought you’d fallen asleep.”
Their empty glass spun around in their hands. “Not quite. Just wondering what my next move is. I don’t know anyone here. I barely know how to find the grocery store on my own.”
“Do you want to go back to Houston?”
“I thought I would. But I don’t. I like it here. I didn’t realize what was outside of Houston until I left.” They closed their eyes, sighed, then shook their head. “Enough about me. I want to know more about you.”
“You mean there’s stuff you didn’t find on Google?”
“Shut up,” they giggled.
“Something in my background check didn’t add up?” I gasped dramatically, clutching a hand to my chest. “You didn’t find that video from my thirtieth birthday, did you? Raleigh assured me he destroyed all evidence of that.”
Despite the theatrics, there actually was a mortifying video from that night—and I knew all too well that Raleigh didn’t keep his promise and destroy it. The bastard.
“Stop making me laugh! I have to pee!”
“If you need help going potty, Shi Baby, all you need to do is ask.”
“Fuck you!” They shoved their glass into my chest and rose from the couch. I watched until they were safely behind the bathroom door, then I went to the kitchen.
There was no chance in hell they were getting more alcohol—I knew when to cut someone off. I had more than a buzz going myself, and one of us needed to be coherent. I dumped their glass in the sink, draining the rest of my own cocktail. I grabbed two cold bottles of water from the fridge and returned to my seat. I was thinking about knocking on the door to check on them when they stumbled back into the room and collapsed next to me. “I don’t want that,” they slurred, shoving the bottle away.
“Drink it, or I’ll put you to bed.”
They snatched the bottle, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, “Someone should.”
“I want half that bottle gone before I answer any personal questions out of that pretty mouth of yours.”
Shi settled into their corner of the couch, eyes on the trashy reality show playing silently while they sipped at the water. They clearly needed it more than they realized because they didn’t say a word, the water slowly disappearing. They must have been reading the captions because they suddenly snorted. “How can you watch this shit? It has to be fake.”
“I don’t think anyone could make this stuff up if they tried,” I told them. Then I shrugged. “Hannah likes it. I guess there’s something cathartic about letting your brain rot for a few hours.”
“Hannah’s your daughter?”
“Yeah, she got me into these crummy shows when she started spending weekends here.”
I thought Shi would ask more about her, but they fell silent instead, content to watch the show on mute. “This one has to be delusional,” they finally remarked.
I looked up from the bottle in my hands to the screen to see who they were talking about. “Oh, a thousand percent. But it’s like a train wreck: I can’t stop watching.”
Shi moved out of the corner of my eye. They were holding up their water. “Does this earn me any questions?”
After deeming their offer acceptable, I nodded. “One. ”
“Did you like me catching you last night?” they giggled.
“You are definitely still not sober enough,” I laughed, heat creeping under my collar.
Another precious laugh. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”
Though I wanted to entertain the conversation just to hear that sound, it wasn’t the time. “You’re drunk.”
“I was curious sober too.”
“All right, time for you to get to bed.” I patted their knee and moved to stand, only for them to grab my hand. Shi’s water bottle fell to the couch between us, and their eyes locked on to our entwined fingers. Heat flickered through my veins, as if their gaze drew a path of fire up my arm. I should have pulled back—I knew I should have—but something prevented me from doing so.
Surely, Shi Baby wasn’t about to do what I thought they were.
Our eyes met, then, and I knew.
I was frozen in place, breath held, as they leaned in. Time seemed to dilate, then…
I dove for the water bottle they’d dropped, and in record time twisted the top off and pressed the spout to their lips. They sputtered on the first sip but took the bottle from my hand and tipped it up, draining it.
“You’re too drunk to do anything with that mouth but drink water,” I told them gently. “When you can speak without slurring—hell, without giggling —we can talk about it.”
“What about James?”
“I’m sure he’d love to be a part of that conversation. You ready for bed?”
“Mmhmm.” Shiloh sat up and set their water bottle on the table. “I’ll go.”
“Absolutely not. You’re staying here.”
“I’m not some charity case, Ryder. I can get myself home.” They s tood and swayed on the spot, and I jumped up to steady them with an arm around their waist.
“Uh huh, if ‘home’ is face down in the middle of the street somewhere.” They snickered, and I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go.”
I led them down the hall to Hannah’s room, parking them on the edge of the bed. “Do you want some clothes to change into?”
“Um,” Shi clutched their stomach.
I lunged for the trash bin under Hannah’s desk and fell to my knees in front of Shi as every one of those mojitos came back up. I brushed their hair away from their face, soothing them as much as I could. They tried to apologize between heaves, but I shushed them, combing through the sweat-drenched locks. I only set the trash aside once I was sure they were finished.
“Think you can manage the bathroom?” I asked. At their nod, I helped them to their feet. “There’s a spare toothbrush under the sink.”
While Shiloh readied themselves for bed, I switched out the liner in the trash can. By the time I reappeared in the bedroom with a new water bottle, they were sprawled face down on the bed—jeans and all. I snickered, placing the water on the nightstand and creeping out of the room. A soft mutter of my name made me turn back.
“Did you dodge my kiss because you don’t find me attractive?”
Damn . I felt my heart crack in two. “No, Shiloh. You’re beautiful.” I padded back across the room and leaned over the bed. Shiloh’s breathing began to slow. I moved in close, whispering softly. “I have a boyfriend, and you’ve had too much to drink. And we work together, but none of those reasons are the true problem. Your ex is an idiot and you were too good for him. The right person is going to be so lucky to have you, Shi Baby.” I tenderly pressed my lips to their temple, hoping that they would remember it and that it would soften the blow of the double reject ion. “No matter what, you always have someone in this town. You’re not alone—not ever.”
Shiloh finally let their eyes fall shut. I stood, quietly retreating to the doorway where I could make sure they drifted off to sleep. Only after their breathing slowed did I let myself retreat to my own bedroom.
I went through my nightly routine and crawled under the covers, but my brain wouldn’t turn off. Usually, alcohol lulled me into a gentle sleep, but tonight I could only lie there and stare at the ceiling while the booze slowly faded from my system. I kept replaying that moment on the couch, wondering what would’ve happened if I hadn’t interrupted Shi.
Would it have stopped with a kiss? Would I even want that—any of it—if James wasn’t in the picture?
My stomach twisted at the thought. I sat up, thinking I was about to be sick.
No, I didn’t.
I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that realization. As Shiloh had pointed out earlier, I’d never been an overthinker. But damn it, those confusing emotions swirling around in my stomach had made one out of me and I couldn’t stand it. The last week or so had been a complete whirlwind, and I had no idea how to make sense of it all. The stubborn part of me wanted to hole myself up to avoid dealing with it. But I couldn’t do that anymore. There was another part of me, one that was bonded to a damn vampire, and I kept hearing his voice in my head.
“You don’t have to do this alone .”
The voice was so vivid, so clear, that for a split second I looked around the room, expecting to see James lurking in the corner or sneaking out of the bathroom. I eyed my phone on the nightstand, and the window beyond that. No, I couldn’t have him over right now—not with Shiloh in the next room .
I calculated the time difference to Vegas. It wasn’t too late, especially if Raleigh worked that night. But what if he didn’t? He still had a husband and a daughter at home.
I groaned and threw myself back down on the pillows. I couldn’t call Raleigh to get me out of this either. Not only was it my problem to deal with, but I already knew what he would say. And I didn’t need to hear his smug voice saying it. Whatever it was I needed to work through, it would need to wait until morning.
Yet again, I spent the night tossing and turning. With each hour of the clock, I cycled through the different emotions plaguing my mind. I couldn’t put a name to any of them, but in the end, there was only one fact I was certain of.
I wanted my vampire.