Page 128 of Rebel Romeo

My brows lifted. “Getting drunk is handling it?”

She shrugged. “It was Jill’s idea.”

I was all too familiar with how to take care of someone who was hungover. I scooped my hands into her hair, brushing it back from her face, then pressed my cool palms to her forehead.

For the millionth time since my mom’s visit, her warning filled my head. Why was Katherine drinking? How did McCay find out about the panty sales? The Katherine I fell for would have never gotten drunk the night before tech Sunday. The Katherine I fell for wouldn’t be on probation. Wouldn’t sell her panties. Wouldn’t send videos of her getting off for money.

That was all me.

My nickname was a sham. I wasn’t Light. I was the dark fucking cloud eclipsing her light.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “That feels nice.”

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Have you taken Tylenol or anything?”

When she shakes her head, I stand up, taking Katherine with me. Because I left my bag out on the stage, I walk us both over to the first aid kit in the corner.

Inside, I find Ibuprofen as well as an anti-nausea medicine and drop both in her palm with a bottle of water. “Think you can keep these down?”

She groaned, but also nodded as she tossed the pills into her mouth and chugged half the bottle of water.

“Katherine,” I said, brushing my thumb across her jaw. “What are you on probation for?” I want to hear it from her.

Her wet blue eyes turn up to mine. “Someone hacked my Venmo and sent screenshots of our messages to McCay.”

Holy shit.

I sucked in a sharp breath. That was so much worse than I thought.

Addison snooping through my room flashed through my mind. But if it was her, how would she have found Katherine’s @Anyotherrose account?

I groaned. My journal. My journal had been in the drawer, too. And by hacking into Katherine’s account, she could fuck with Kate while keeping me anonymous.

While I didn’t think Addison was savvy enough to hack into anything, I didn’t doubt she knew people who could. Or at the very least, she could afford to pay someone who could.

I really was bad for Katherine. My relationship with Addison nearly got her kicked out of school.

The sound of her stomach growling pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. “You haven’t eaten today, have you?”

Katherine shook her head.

Thank God I had thought to grab a few donuts on the way in this morning. “I’ll be right back, okay? I have something to eat out in the auditorium.”

As I stood to get up, Katherine latched onto my hand, stopping me before I could turn away. “Promise you’ll be back.”

It was like she could read my thoughts. Feel my doubt. Granted, that was what this drinking was all about in the first place, wasn’t it? The fact that she could feel me pulling away? Distancing myself from her.

Gently, I took her pinky and wrapped it around mine. “I’ll be right back.”

This time.

I pulled her against me and bent to kiss her but she groaned. “Puke breath,” she whined.

I shook my head. I didn’t care. I kissed her because I could. I kissed her because I wanted to. I kissed her because I was terrified it might be the last time I ever did.

Then I turned and went to the stage where Keith was standing over my bag, my phone in his hand.

“What the?—”

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