The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett(44)

I heaved a couple more times and looked up. Connor was standing a few feet away. Before I even had time to think that the situation couldn’t get any worse, Rush came up behind him.

“I don’t feel good,” I told them weakly.

“You don’t look good either,” Rush said. “Are you done throwing up?”

“I think so,” I said, hating how pitiful I sounded.

“Hawthorn Creely, I never thought this day would come,” Connor said, as if my being drunk at a party was some big joke.

“Don’t,” Rush warned him, then moved to my side.

I leaned against my brother and tried to clear my head, make the world stop tilting back and forth.

“I want to go home,” I said.

“Who’d you come here with?” Connor asked.

I didn’t know why he thought that was any of his business. “Why are you two here at all?”

“It’s a party,” Rush said.

“A high school party. Aren’t you a little old?”

“At least she’s sober enough to insult us,” Connor said.

With one of them on either side of me, we walked around the side of the barn toward the highway. We didn’t get far before Emily came running up.

“I was looking everywhere for you. What’s going on?”

“I don’t feel good,” I told Emily.

“She’s drunk,” Rush said.

“No, I’m not.”

Emily ignored me and spoke to my brother instead. “Are you taking her home? I’d rather he not do it.” She nodded her head in the direction of the party.

“Who?” Rush asked.

“Her date. Enzo Calvetti.” At the dry tone of Emily’s voice, all my warm feelings for her vanished.

“Don’t be like that,” I snapped.

“Like what?”

“Judgmental.” I pulled away from Rush and reeled for a second before balancing.

“I’m not making a judgment. I’m stating a fact. You came here with him,” said Emily.

“And you hate it. You hated him before you even met him.”

“Like you were so open-minded about Logan.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” I shouted. People around us turned to look.

“Hey,” Rush said, “keep it down.”

Emily didn’t heed my brother’s warning either. “You’re here, but you brought that creep with you, and you’re drunk and making a scene and making this all about you, just like you do with everything!”

“I do not.”

“You do! That’s how it always is. That’s how it’s been for the past ten years, Hawthorn. Well, guess what? I’m not a supporting role in your life story.”

Then Emily stomped away.

I tried to stay on my feet and puzzle over what she’d said at the same time. Before I made any progress on the latter, Enzo walked up.

“Hawthorn, you OK?” I could tell he was concerned, which made me happy. Even though he’d abandoned me.

“Back off,” Rush said to him.

Enzo scowled. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m her fucking brother, and I’m really not the in the mood for any more bullshit tonight.”

Enzo faltered. I sent him a psychic message to save me, to swoop in and whisk me away from the current situation. Even if the whisking would be done on the bus, not a noble steed. And instead of riding into the sunset, we’d go back to his crappy apartment.

“We’ll take her home,” Connor said quietly.

“She came here with me.”

Yes! I would have jumped up and down if not for the risk of throwing up again.

“Yeah, and you ditched her and let her get drunk when she’s obviously inexperienced,” Rush said.

I cringed. If I hadn’t been so out of it, I would have died from embarrassment.

Enzo looked from my brother to Connor and took a step back. That’s when I knew he wasn’t going to rescue me. He was going to let himself get bullied by a couple ex-jocks.

“We’ll take Hawthorn home,” Connor repeated. “Go back to the party or get out of here.”

Then Rush and Connor were walking me to the car. It was funny, the way my feet were moving even though I didn’t tell them to. Also, the way the ground had turned into one of those fun house floors that tries to throw you off balance. I wanted to tell Enzo about it, but we’d left him behind us. Besides, I hated him for not standing up to my brother.

There was some discussion about which of them would drive me home or if both of them should. Finally, Connor convinced Rush to stay and said he’d meet up with him in an hour. I got the feeling that Rush’s new girlfriend was supposed to show up at the Barn and that’s why Connor told him to stay. I tried to ask them about it, but I was too tired.

“Let me know if you have to throw up,” Connor said when we were on the road.

I nodded and slumped against the window. Watching the trees go by in the glare of the headlights made me light-headed. I closed my eyes, felt sleep trying to take me.

“No one gives Enzo a chance,” I slurred.

“You did.”

“Yeah. I guess.” I risked opening my eyes. The trees were still moving too fast. No, I reminded myself, the trees weren’t moving; we were. “He didn’t kill Lizzie.”