Page 64 of My Irresistible Enemy

“I don’t know,” Aiden said. “He started acting kinda funny about half an hour ago. Losing his train of thought, slurring his speech, getting dizzy. I don’t understand, because I know he was drinking non-alcoholic punch all night. It’s like he’s been roofied.”

Those words crashed through the buzzing in my brain, hard enough to make me stumble all on their own. Fuck, that couldn’t be true, could it?

Aiden pulled me upright, but I just wanted to sag to the floor.Roofied? But I’d been so careful. I never drank around people I didn’t trust. I didn’t leave glasses out where someone could tamper with them. I tried to stay alert.

But I hadn’t been careful at all tonight, had I? I wanted to vomit. I hadn’t seen what had gone into that punch, hadn’t gotten that second glass myself. I peered at Aiden blurrily.

I trusted him, I realized. I wasn’t sure why, but I did. I knew, implicitly, that he wouldn’t have done this to me on purpose. But if he’d set our drinks down for a moment? Left them unattended while he talked to someone else?

This could not be happening. Not again. Not now.

The worst part about it was, I couldn’t remember what the last time had felt like. All I remembered was the aftermath. So I couldn’t even be sure what was happening tonight because I had nothing to compare it to.

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.

“Jesus, Nolan, are you hurt?” Mal asked.

I shook my head. This was my worst nightmare. Not just what had happened, but having people see it. Having my best friend see it—seeme—like this.

“Mfin,” I said. “Sneedmd.”

Mal looked at Aiden blankly.

“I just want to get him upstairs,” Aiden said, wrapping his arm around my waist again. “I think he needs to lie down.”

“Let me help.” Mal moved to my other side and slipped my arm around his shoulders.

“Dond—d’nee—” I tried to explain, but he cut me off with a look.

“Hush. Let people help you for once, okay?”

That wasexactlywhat I didn’t want, especially not from Mal, but Domino chose that moment to slink around my ankles, which made me stumble again, and after that, it was useless to argue.

The climb up to my room was awful. I kept getting dizzy and wanting to hurl, and when we reached the third-floor landing, I slipped. I flailed around for something to hold on to, but instead of grabbing the bannister, I grabbed Aiden, and managed to pull him down on top of me.

“Mm—fuhh—sh-sh-shorry,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut and wanting to die.

It was bad enough to be so completely out of control, but for people to see it? My best friend, and the guy who hated me? It was excruciating.

Someone was laughing. I squinted one eye open, expecting to see Aiden enjoying himself at my expense, but it was actually Mal, who shook his head and chuckled.

“I know he’s cute, Nolan, but can’t you wait until we’re in your room to grope your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I grumbled, except it came out more like,snot myb flengk, and only made me want to die even more.

I felt a hand on my cheek then, cool and grounding, followed by Aiden’s voice. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re gonna be okay. Just a few more feet to go, and then you can lie down, alright?”

I wasn’t sure which was more surprising—how gentle his voice was, or the fact that it actually did help to hear him say that. Reluctantly, I nodded. If I was going to die, or puke, I probably shouldn’t do it in the middle of the stairs. I didn’t want to make Mal’s night even more inconvenient than I already had.

The final steps through the hall to my room, and then across the carpet to my bed, were agony. I’d never felt more relieved for my head to hit the pillow. Aiden waved Mal out, thanking him for his help. I was too exhausted to even lift my head to say goodbye.

I wanted to pass out and never wake up, but Aiden wouldn’t let me. “I’m going to go get you some water,” he said, touching my temple again.

“Don wahn,” I told him. My lips were smushed into the pillow, but he must have understood me.

“Don’t care. I’m getting you water, and you’re going to drink it. Stay there.”

Where was I going to go? I never wanted to move again. I just closed my eyes and waited for him to leave. With any luck, I’d slip into a coma before he came back.

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