I clenched my stomach as she led me out of the house. The jostling alone was enough to make my body want to turn itself inside out. But as we made our way off the porch, my mind quickly wafted back to how sick I felt. Why the hell had I drunk so much? And what the fuck had convinced me to mix pot into it all?
What did I say to Clint?
I can’t remember anything.
“Come on, Rae. To the curb. That’s it. You got it.”
I groaned. “Why did you curse again?”
“Just focus on you right now, yeah? Let me do the rest.”
Allison helped me stand upright before shoving something up to my lips. The cold water poured down my chin a bit before I opened my mouth. It sloshed to the back of my throat and I gagged. Which caused me to retch onto the pavement. I heard Clint’s voice off in the distance, but I didn't hear what he was saying.
Allison sighed. “Get it together, Rae. You need water.”
“Then stop trying to fucking choke me with it.”
I spat onto the ground before she helped me raise up. And when the water bottle touched my lips again, I started drinking. She kept pouring quickly and making me cough. Which made me angrier. But every time I tried to pull away from her, I felt myself falling.
“Would you stop fighting and just accept it? My God, Rae.”
Her words stopped me in my tracks. My throat opened up as the cold water poured down into my stomach. With each drop, I felt better. And I wondered if I was the cause of my own issues. What if I stopped fighting in other areas of my life? Stopped fighting my mother and stopped fighting my fears and stopped fighting against Clint?
Would things get better?
Am I the reason for all this?
“All right. With me. The Uber’s here,” she said.
My head fell against her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
She sighed. “You don’t owe me anything. Clint, though? You owe him big time.”
I never should have gone this far. I never should’ve come to this party. I mean, I’d never been a partier! I didn’t know my limits. I didn’t drink excessively. I hadn’t ever tried drugs of any sort. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t. That was the issue. I hadn’t been thinking, and now the entire night was ruined.
You’re an idiot, Rae.
Allison’s sighs grew heavier as I leaned harder against her. And then, I felt someone wrap their arm around my shoulder. My body heaved from one side to the other, with the water sloshing around in my stomach. I burped. The taste made me shiver as I leaned against someone strong. Someone tall.
“Clint?”
Michael chuckled. “Nope. He’s on the pavement. It’s me.”
I whispered, “Michael.”
“Hey there, beautiful. Come on. Let’s get you two back to the hotel.”
I felt my body being dragged over to the curb. And when I sat down, I looked over at Clint. My eyes widened when I saw the red marks on his face and neck, bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I asked.
Clint slowly looked over at me as Michael spoke up.
“We need to get out of here before that giant ape decides he wants another go at Clint.”
Allison groaned. “I thought you said the Uber would be here in ten minutes?”
“I’m sorry, baby. The app shows the car is here. But I don’t see it. Let me go search around for it. Maybe it’s up a block or something.”