Page 47 of Love Me Reckless

Ava puts her arm across Kirilee’s shoulders and hums a soft sigh.

“Okay, okay,” Kirilee moans.

I reach for Kirilee’s hand and help her out of the booth, making sure she’s steady on her feet before I let her go.

Kirilee turns to the bartender. “Bye! Thank you!” Her legs wobble but Ava wraps her arm around her waist to steady her.

We make our way to Kirilee’s car and I help Ava get Kirilee settled in the back. During the drive, the girls talk in quiet tones, interrupted by giggles, but by the time we pull up to the hotel, Kirilee is asleep on Ava’s shoulder.

“I got her.” I reach in and lift Kirilee. She curls into me, her face relaxed, her long legs dangling over my arm. We crowd into theelevator and Zach pushes the button for our floor, then wraps Sofie in his arms, cradling her against him.

In the quiet hallway, I carry Kirilee to the girls’ door. Ava lets us in, and I follow her to Kirilee’s room. It’s dark, but the light from outside the windows gives me enough detail to make out the big bed. Ava opens the covers and I set Kirilee gently in the middle.

“Night, princess,” I say, and kiss her on the forehead.

Chapter Twelve

KIRILEE

A dull throbbingat the base of my skull wakes me. Sunlight is peeking through the blinds so it must be well into the morning. My toes are aching and my leg muscles feel sore, but the memories of last night are worth the pain.

I danced and sang like a crazy woman and asked strangers for random favors like I was born to be bold. Though it makes my headache throb, I laugh into my pillow. Who was I last night?

Ava pokes her head into my room, her dark hair damp from a shower. Her eyes light up when she sees me awake.

“Hey, girl.” She carries a cup of coffee and a glass of water. “How are you feeling?”

I scoot up in bed. My headache taps a little harder. “Not bad considering how late we stayed up.”

She sits on the edge of the bed and hands me the water first.

Grateful, I take a long sip. It’s cool and silky on my chalky tongue. “Did you sleep okay?” Since the break-in, she’s had nightmares.

Her expression brightens. “I slept great. That giant bed wasamazing.” She whips out her phone and opens her pictures. “You were quite the spectacle last night.”

“It was so much fun!” I flip through the series of us. It starts at the bar with that shot of tequila, then we’re on the dance floor. Each picture makes my heart jiggle.

“That bald guy was hilarious,” Ava says with a grin.

“The way he got down on one knee for me so I could kiss the top of his head. So sweet.” I hum in appreciation.

“The drummer giving you a condom takes the cake, though,” she says as I flip to more shots of us dancing. Ava even took several of me dancing with Sawyer. That playful hint to his smile and my rosy cheeks make us look so relaxed together. Maybe it was the alcohol, or just how I felt last night. Like I could truly be myself.

Hot little prickles walk down my spine, but I banish them with a deep breath.

I flip to the next image of us, but a face in the background catches my eye. “Hey, is that Jeremy?” I zoom in, squinting.

Ava looks over my shoulder. “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you.”

Jeremy and another close friend of ours from high school, Ryan Hutchins, went into the Air Force together, but they ended up on different paths. Jeremy ended up in base security at Travis Air Force Base north of the Bay Area while Hutch joined special forces.

“Did you talk to him?” I ask.

“A little. He’s home for a visit. Came down for the music.”

“Huh.” I glance up at her. “Are he and Hutch still close?”

Ava’s eyes cloud. “Hutch says they’ve kind of drifted apart, but according to Jeremy last night, he talked to Hutch a week ago.”

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