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“I thought I told you to go home,” he said, his words slurred.
“I didn’t want to leave you if you were upset.”
He studied me for the longest time, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my elf costume.
“Why are you so fucking good, Tink?”
I moved toward him just as he tipped his head back and downed more booze.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Why? You’ve got this perfect fucking family, and goddamn, you deserve it. I don’t have that. And I don’t need to bring you into my shit. Do you get that?”
He was angry, and he poured another drink before I tried to take the bottle from him, but he set it back down in front of himself.
“We’re friends. This is what friends do.” I reached for his glass, but he jerked it away and downed the liquid before I could stop him.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah? You think so?”
“I do.” I moved closer.
“Well, I’m a friend who wants to fuck you, Georgia Reynolds. How about that?” He raised a brow, pushing to stand before falling back into his chair and laughing. “Yeah. That’s what a good friend I am. I think about bending you over my desk every fucking day. About kissing you and tasting you and—” He shook his head, and then his gaze locked with mine. “I’m an asshole, Tink. You best run for the hills.”
Holy wowsers.
I bent down in front of him. “Stop it. I’m taking you home.”
He poured another drink and tipped his head back again. I’d only ever seen him have a glass of wine or two. I’d never seen him out of control or sloppy.
“He’s fucking married. My dad,” he whispered as his hands found each side of my face, and he looked at me. His eyes were wet with emotion, and all the air left my lungs at the sadness I saw in that beautiful, dark gaze. “He’s having another fucking child, Tink. And she’s gone. It’s like she was never here.”
“So, talk about her. Celebrate her. Don’t hide your memories of her from the world. From yourself.”
He shook his head and took another drink. “I’m so fucking tired. Go home, Georgia Reynolds.”
“I’m not leaving you here.”
He groaned, and his head fell back against his leather chair, and his eyes closed. I tried to lean forward and get him to his feet, but he was deadweight. He grumbled something I couldn’t make out, and I pushed to stand, pacing around, trying to figure out what to do. I couldn’t move him; he was too heavy. I hurried to the lounge and made him a cup of coffee while chewing on my thumbnail as I tried to decide what to do.
I was not leaving him.
That wasn’t an option.
I picked up my phone and sent a text to Hugh, not in the family group chat, because I didn’t need everyone knowing what was going on.
My boss is upset about something, and he drank too much. I can’t pick him up to drive him home because he’s too heavy, and I can’t leave him here.
Hugh
I’m on my way. Get some coffee in him if you can. Be there in five.
I smiled as I stared down at my phone. There wasn’t one sibling that wouldn’t have responded the same way. I was lucky to have a family who was always there for me.
Maddox didn’t have that.
He had jets and helicopters and fancy houses with closets that were bigger than my bedroom.
But family and love were not something that you could buy.
