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“I want to get you and your friends home safely.”
Natalie finally climbed into the car seat. “Fine. I’ll go. Sorry if I messed up you sleeping withher.”
Cody pulled the seat belt around Natalie and locked it. “Nat. Be quiet. Go home and sleep this off.”
“You could come with me.”
Summer didn’t like what her sister was saying, but she also understood she was drunk and not thinking clearly.
Cody slammed the door without another word.
Summer didn’t wait. She backed out down the drive, turned onto the street, and headed home.
Natalie fiddled with the radio, but fell back in her seat when they hit a curve. She reached out and put her hand on the dash to steady herself.
“If you feel sick, there’s a bowl at your feet.”
“Don’t want me messing up your precious car,” Natalie grumbled.
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“I’d rather you left Cody alone.” Natalie turned sideways in the seat. “Why are you still here?”
“Apparently to rescue my drunk sister.” Summer tried to focus on Natalie. “You did the right thing tonight, calling Cody to come and get you.”
“Yeah, you’ll probably just tattle to my mom and dad that I got wasted.”
Summer shook her head. “No, I won’t. Because even though youshouldn’t have been drinking, you behaved responsibly when you called for a ride. You were thinking about yourself, your friends, and anyone else out on the roads tonight you could have hurt if you had gotten behind the wheel.”
“Yay for me.” Natalie leaned her head into the headrest and closed her eyes.
“It’s not always easy to ask for help, especially when you did something you shouldn’t.”
“It’s not like I drink all the time.”
“I never said you did. But you had reason to celebrate tonight. I get that. I hope you had fun.”
“Would have been better if Cody was there with me.”
Summer thought a reminder of the differences between Natalie and Cody might help. Probably not, but she went with it anyway. “Cody would be out of place at a high school party. He’d feel like the weird old guy.”
“Hanging with a bunch of kids,” Natalie spat out. “That’s what you mean.”
“That’s reality, Natalie. Cody is a grown man with ten years of life experience on you. So, yes, it would be weird for him to be hanging out with a bunch of seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds, who aren’t old enough to drink.”
Natalie folded her arms over her chest. “I’m old enough to vote. I can do what I want.”
“You don’t know how glad I am that you did the responsible thing tonight.”
“Whatever.”
Summer parked the car in the driveway, got out, went around the car, opened the passenger door, and helped Natalie out. She wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist and helped her into the house and up to her room.
Natalie stared out the window toward Cody’s side of the house. “When you leave, I’m the one who will make him happy again.”
Summer helped Natalie to the bed and sat her down on it. She pulled off Natalie’s shoes, then unzipped the dress down her back. “Can you get ready for bed, or do you need help?”
Natalie shooed her away with her hands.
