Page 68 of We'll Meet Again

“Absolutely not,” he said firmly. “You’re going to bed.”

“But you’re coming with me, right?”

“No, ma’am. You are way too drunk and there are rules about things like that.”

She frowned, her lower lip jutting out into an adorable pout. “But where will you sleep?”

“On the couch, like a gentleman,” he said. “I’m gonna get you something to sleep in, alright?”

She heaved an irritable sigh. “Very well.”

He went to his dresser and retrieved her favorite pair of his sweatpants and a t-shirt. After helping her change, he got her some water and a couple aspirin. She took two of them, and he left another two on the nightstand for her to take when she woke up. Then he pulled the comforter over her shoulders and kissed her forehead. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

With Billie settled, Ethan hopped in the shower, letting the hot water wash away this disaster of an evening. First the loss, and now all this with Billie. He had never been drunk before, but he had been around enough drunk people to know that often a lot of truth came out under the influence of alcohol. The thing about law school certainly didn’t come out of nowhere. She had been holding onto it, and something made her spiral enough to drink so heavily she finally admitted it to him.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it nagged at him the entire time he bathed. They had been together for weeks now, and were friends before that. Why hadn’t she ever confided an aspiration like that in him?

Honestly, it reminded him of the dream she told him about that night they were babysitting. About receiving a letter and whatever news it contained had her on the floor and heartbroken. Had a dream really made her so resistant to hurt or rejection that it made her keep everyone and everything at arm’s length? His old nightmare made him hate the cold, but it didn’t give him anxiety likethat. That was a whole other level that he was certain he was not equipped for dealing with.

And frankly, if getting rip roaring drunk was a coping mechanism for her, he wasn’t sure he could handle that either. Her behavior was totally out of line, and his face still burned from embarrassment. For the first time, he was actually angry with her.

But the big question, the one that frightened him more than anything was - what else was she keeping from him?

Chapter 18

Billiewokewithapounding in her head. Groaning, she turned over, bleary eyes taking in the room that appeared to be swimming. She wasn’t at home. This was Ethan’s room, but he wasn’t in bed with her. She pushed herself to sit up, clutching at her head when it hammered in protest. On the nightstand were a couple aspirin and a water bottle, ready for her consumption. She took the aspirin quickly.

Even with the help of medicine, she wobbled at the lingering pain behind her eyes when she got out of bed. She hadn’t been that drunk in years. In fact, she couldn’t even recall the end of the match, much less how she ended up back at Ethan’s and in his clothes. The last thing she remembered with absolute clarity was talking to Greg, of all people, and how shitty he made her feel. Pushing her hair out of her face, she stumbled out to the kitchen.

Ethan was sitting at his table, coffee in front of him and scrolling on his phone. He looked up at the sound of her steps. He didn’t smile.

“Hey,” he said coolly.

“Morning,” she replied, searching his face for any sign of what he was feeling, but he was stoic.

“You still wanna break up?”

Her stomach dropped out and she gaped at him. “W-what?”

“That’s what you said last night,” he said. “You’re so afraid of hurting me that you just wanna throw in the towel.”

“Ethan, I didn’t mean it,” she said, though she didn’t know how convincing it was. She still carried Greg’s words like chains around her neck -selfish, cold, you’ll break his heart.

“Didn’t you?” he challenged.

She almost flinched at how harsh he sounded. “Of course not. I’m sorry if I worried you, but -”

“You did a lot more than that,” he said. “You totally humiliated me in front of my teammates too.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn’t as if she had done that with the intention of hurting him. One mistake and suddenly he was acting like this?

“Well,excuse me, but we can’t all be perfect like you, Mr. Golden Boy! Us mere mortals have some flaws and get drunk every once in a while!”

His jaw clenched. “You think this is easy for me? Being the way I am?”

“Clearly, since you seem to expect it from me!”

“Well, it’s not!” he cried, getting to his feet. “I’ve worked damn hard to be a good person, Billie, but a stunt like that doesn’t make it any easier!”

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