Sweet Nothing(49)

A creaky, dirty yellow cab pulled into the parking lot, the tires crunching against the gravel. The window rolled down and I smiled, surprised.

“Mel!”

“I thought you might need another ride.”

“I’m sober. I’m giving him the ride.”

Josh glanced up to see the wrinkled veteran staring down at him with a frown and then heaved again. “You’re taking me home?” Josh asked.

I reached into my pocket, giving Mel the money I owed him.

Mel narrowed his eyes. “What’s that?” he rasped.

“The money I owe you. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long.”

He waved me away, unimpressed.

“Please,” I said, holding out the bill.

He snatched it out of my hand. “You sure you don’t need a ride? You might need a chaperone with this one.”

Ginger ran out in a robe and fuzzy boots, carrying his pants, hoodie, and wallet. “We didn’t do anything!” she yelled across the parking lot. “Don’t leave!” When she reached us, she noticed the puddle of vomit on the ground and made a face, holding the backs of her fingers to her nose. “Oh, gross. I’m so sorry. I knew better than to let him drink that much.”

Josh made another hurling sound and more liquid came up.

“How much did he drink?” I asked, helping to steady him.

“I’d have to look at his tab. Pretty sure he spent his whole paycheck.”

“*,” Mel grumbled, lifting up his hat and then pulling it back down. He pulled his shifter down. “You still got my card, sweetheart?”

“Still got it,” I said with a smile.

Mel pulled away and Josh vomited again, this time leaning so far over he almost fell face-first into the puddle below.

“Damn it, Josh,” I scolded him, rubbing my palm against the tensed muscles of his back.

His arm shot out and he held my leg, spitting and groaning.

“Avery,” Ginger said. I looked up at her. “We didn’t. I couldn’t let him drive. I did pull off his jeans because he’d spilled a shot on them and they stunk and I didn’t want it on my sheets. But if you go upstairs and look, you’ll see that I’d made me a pallet on the couch.”

I looked at Josh, unconvinced.

“I know how he feels about you,” Ginger said. “I wouldn’t do that to him.”

“And,” Josh said, still bent over.

Ginger smiled and rolled her eyes, handing me his things. “And Michaels tried to persuade him several times that she was ready if he was willing, and he made it clear he was only going home with you.”

“You’re a good boy after all,” I said, running my hand over his back in a small circle.

He swallowed. “Yes, but if you keep doing that, I’m going to puke again.”

“Sorry,” I said, grabbing his arm and reaching around his back to guide him.

“Where are we going?” Josh asked.

“I’m taking you home,” I said, walking him to the passenger side of my car.

Ginger winked at me before walking back to the bar.

“Ginger,” I called after her. She stopped, her hand on the door as she turned around. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

Her smile grew, and she nodded before disappearing inside the bar. I slid into the driver side, looking to my right. Josh had already leaned his seat back, his arm thrown over his eyes.

I leaned over, covering him with his hoodie.

He peeked at me with one eye. “I wish I didn’t feel like shit. I so want to hold you right now.”

“Shower and toothpaste first, then I’ll think about it,” I said, pulling the gear into drive.

Josh reached over, feeling blindly until he found my hand and then squeezed. “Thank God,” he whispered, pure relief in his voice. “Thank God.”





It had been seven weeks and four days since I thought I was going to lose the one person in the world who saw me—the real me.

That moment was enough to make me realize I should definitely never take eight shots of hard liquor on an empty stomach, but more importantly, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this girl.

I wanted to prove I was serious and committed to her, but I knew it would take more than a penny, even though since the second she’d put it back on, she’d cherished that necklace as if it were one of the queen’s jewels.

“I can’t believe you’re going to propose, man.” Quinn glanced over at me from the driver seat of the ambulance with a grin on his face.

“Like you haven’t thought about it,” I shot back. The wagon rocked back and forth after Quinn hit a pothole too fast, and I reached for the overhead handle.

“What Deb and I have is different.”

“Judging by that weird f*cking swing she had you put in your bedroom, I’d have to agree with you.”

We laughed, but it did little to settle my nerves as the diamond ring I’d picked out for Avery burned a hole in my pocket.

I’d never pictured myself settling down with anyone, but now it felt like the world would crash and burn around me if she didn’t say yes. Why was I so scared?

Quinn’s expression turned serious. “Can I ask you something? Something you may not like?”