I want to tell her that I’m the lucky one, but I refrain from saying that or the fact that she should have never tolerated me staring at another woman. “I’m an asshole, and all I can say is I’m sorry, Alli, but there are a hundred guys that would die to be with you.”
“Just not you…”
“You’ll find someone, Alli…that looks at you like that.” She doesn’t say anything for a moment and I’m left wondering if this conversation is about to take an ugly turn. “Please don’t hate me.”
She lets out a breath and stands up. I can see the hurt written all over her face still, but I also see her guard sliding up. “Well, will you at least come out tonight? I don’t want to tell all my friends I just got dumped.”
“Al—” I want to tell her I don’t care because all I want is to curl up in bed with Leighton and make love to her until the sun rises, but maybe I owe this to Alli.
“Please, Everett! You promised you’d go with me. I don’t want to be the only loser without a date.”
“You’re not a loser, and I’m fairly certain a lot of your friends are single.” Not to mention a fraternity-sorority mixer is probably the perfect place to find a new guy.
“Everett! I haven’t asked you for much…and you’re breaking up with me for another girl. I’m just asking that you give me tonight.” Her eyes plead, almost begging.
“I’m not going to pretend we’re together. No kissing, no touching, Alli. We’re not together,” I tell her. The last thing I need is to put up some ridiculous charade and having it get back to Leighton that we were all over each other at some party.
Fuck that.
“Fine, Everett.” She doesn’t say anything before she’s through her bedroom door and out of sight.
This did seem to be a pretty amicable break up. I had expected Alli to throw things and pitch a fit and possibly hit me; it could have been a lot worse.
What’s a few drinks at a frat house?
Holy fucking shit, everything hurts.
The throbbing behind my eyes is exacerbated by the fact that I’m seconds from puking. My stomach rolls the second I move my head, and I freeze as I wait for the nausea to pass. Fuck, I’m hungover. I try to move to my side, knowing that I always feel worse when I’m lying on my back and manage to knock into someone. “Fuck,” I grumble. “Leighton.” I want to cuddle up to her despite my hangover, and I frown when everything feels…different. Her hair feels different and her skin—bare skin that I know as well as I know my own feels foreign.
I open one eye and they almost fly out of my skull when I see who’s in bed next to me.
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I look around realizing I’m in Alli’s bedroom and Alli is in bed right next to me, sleeping peacefully. I shut my eyes and pray it’s a dream, but when I open them, I’m still in this hellish nightmare.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” I yell as I sit up so quick it spurs my nausea. But the hangover doesn’t have anything on the fact that I am currently naked in bed with a woman that is not Leighton Mills.
“Oh my God, owwww,” Alli moans as her eyes flutter open. “Jesus, Everett, loud much?” She sits up and I realize that she is also naked when her sheet falls below her chest.
“What the fuck, Alli!” I’m off the bed and pulling on my boxers that I find on the floor next to the bed.
She puts her hands over her eyes and groans. “What do you mean, what the fuck?”
“Why are we in bed together? What the fuck am I doing here?” I wrack my brain as I try to remember what the hell happened last night that would have led me here, but I don’t remember much after leaving Alli’s pregame. “What happened?”
“We got fucked up.” She chuckles. “We did a lot of shots.”
“Bullshit. I think I had one beer at your pregame and one Jell-O shot.”
“But you drank a ton at the frat.” Why the fuck would I do that? I find my jeans and reach for my phone. I’m fucking irate when I can’t find it. When’s the last time I talked to Leighton?
“Where’s my phone, Alli?” I snarl.
“I don’t know! And you’re really on one hundred right now. I’m going to need you to tone it down.” She closes her eyes and rubs her temples.
“Focus! What happened when we got back here?”
“Well…I think that’s obvious, no?” She looks under the sheet and then points at me and then back to her naked body.
Her implications blare in my mind and my heart begins to pound. “We did not have sex,” I grit out. I don’t know if I’m trying to ignore the writing on the wall or hold onto hope that things aren’t what they seem, but the look on Alli’s face proves that I’m only kidding myself.