CHAPTER5
“We don’t needto talk about him anymore,” I insist. “In fact, I don’t have time to talk about anything else right now. I should head back to my room, grab my stuff, and head to class.”
“Head to class? Katie, I hate to break it to ya, but you aren’t ready for class.”
“What makes you think that?”
He gets up and heads to the kitchen. When he turns on the faucet, I head to the bathroom. Gah, he’s right. I look like shit. I’m still wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday for the date—a black skirt, not quite a miniskirt but still short, and a low-cut top that is just this side of classy and not quite slutty. It’s cold out lately, though, so my nipples were visible to anyone and everyone, like they are now, so forget about the classy comment. And I never washed my face, so my makeup is still there. Honestly, it doesn’t look too bad, except my eyeshadow is a bit smeared and not nearly as sharp as it had been last night. But I look like a train wreck.
I look like I got drunk off my ass last night.
Which I did.
But my professors don’t need to see that.
I groan as I leave the bathroom. Gabe’s right there, and he hands me a huge glass of water that I chug on down.
“I hope the alcohol didn’t go down quite that smoothly for you,” Gabe says. “Wait. You drank last night? Before your father came by or after?”
“Before,” I admit.
He appraises me critically. “Let me guess. You don’t want to talk about that.”
“Nope,” I say, hoping that because he’s fishing, it means he doesn’t know and that Rob hasn’t told all of the guys about what happened.
Then again, Ace could’ve, if he remembers what happened. Maybe he won’t, and it’ll blow over, and Rob and I can go back to the way we were before.
Although I don’t know if everything can go back to the way it was. Rob’s going to see Ace all the time, and until he can get out of his mind the picture of us kissing, it’s not going to be good, regardless of whether or not Ace recalls the kiss.
“Are you going to?” he asks.
“Going to what?”
“Ditch.”
“Ugh. Are you trying to corrupt me or something?”
“Maybe.” He winks at me. “An absence here or there isn’t going to kill you.”
“I suppose,” I say warily. “It can’t become a habit, though.”
“Of course not, but sometimes, the best thing for a hangover is another drink.”
“Bullshit. That’s something alcoholics say.”
“Nope. There’s some truth to it. Ask me how I know.”
“’Cause that’s what you do to cure your own hangovers.”
“Bingo,” he says with a laugh. “Do you know me or what?”
“Or what,” I say.
He furrows his brow.
“I feel like there’s a lot more to Gabe Pendleton than I know.” I rub my chin. “Am I right?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Gabe shrugs. “You look so tense.” He scoots over to me, and he starts to rub my shoulders. “You don’t just look tense. You’re incredibly tense. How about a massage?”