Page 16 of Reckless With You

Tucker’s hands were in my hair, though again, not in a fun way. He pulled it back from my face and rubbed his other hand down my back as I threw up in the toilet.

Oh, good, that mortification thing was back. This was a disaster. Another of my own making. What was wrong with me?

I threw up everything I’d just drunk and eaten. Including the lovely cheese that Zoey had brought over.

God, I couldn’t believe I had wasted cheese. And good tequila.

If you’re going to throw up anything, it should be rum. Rum is what you threw up.

At least, that’s what I had learned.

It probably didn’t help that, you know, Dad was an alcoholic and drank a lot. But I had learned all my drinking from him.

And…good. There came that horror. The shame again.

I didn’t want to drink my worries away. I knew it didn’t help. After all, it certainly hadn’t worked for dear old Dad. And it wouldn’t work for me. I wasn’t going to do this again. I couldn’t.

“I hate this,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

Tucker was in front of me then, pulling my hair into a band behind my head and wiping my face with a washcloth. He was so good at taking care of people. He always had been.

I knew he hadn’t really had anyone to take care of him, at least that’s what I had gleaned from listening in on conversations over the years. He didn’t have anyone now either. But he did have Devin. He had us.

And here he was, taking care of me.

“I know you hate this, baby.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Don’t be sorry. You’re allowed to get drunk. If your door and blinds had been closed, you would have been safe.”

“How stupid. I’m so stupid.”

“No, you’re not. You’re allowed to make bad decisions. You weren’t driving, you weren’t doing anything to others. So, it’s all good. And you know one of your brothers could have been here at any moment if you needed them. And the girls just left you alone. And I’m here now. We’re all here for you. Okay?”

I shook my head and leaned into him, sighing.

“I’m drunk. I’m in a bathroom. And I’m pretty much naked.”

“I noticed.”

“I would punch you, but I don’t have the energy.”

“Tequila does that.”

“I hate this,” I repeated.

“I know, baby. Okay, let’s get some water and aspirin into you, and then I’m going to tuck you into bed.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“You shouldn’t go to bed?”

“I shouldn’t have done this. Shouldn’t have done any of this. I should have kept things the way they were.”

“You’re mumbling again, but I think I got that. That fucking asshole shouldn’t have led you on. But I don’t want to get into that. Let’s get you into bed,” he whispered, his lips at my temple. He helped me brush my teeth, something I was very grateful for even in my drunken state, and then walked me to the bedroom.

I peeled away from him, taking off my shirt as I did. I could have sworn I heard a groan come out of Tucker’s mouth, but I ignored it.