Page 27 of Cups of You

Amber rolled over with a groan. Her head was pounding, and her mouth was uncomfortably dry like she had fallen asleep with cotton balls stuffed inside her cheeks. She squinted against the harsh strips of light that fell across her pillow and over her face. She was regretting that fourth glass of wine that had seemed like such a perfect idea last night.

It wasn't often Amber had more than two glasses of anything alcoholic and rarer still that she went past three. The nights of her knocking back shots and still being worth a damn the next day were long gone.

A knock at the door had her wincing as the sound ricocheted in her skull. She pushed herself up but quickly settled back flat when the room spun. Her stomach lurched and a burn clawed at her throat. Only by the grace of God did she manage to swallow it back.

“Come in,” she croaked out when it was safe to speak.

The door creaked open, and Jackie stuck her head in. She clicked her tongue when she saw Amber still in bed.

Amber threw an arm over her face to hide the sun and the sight of Jackie’s judgmental gaze. She already felt like death. She didn’t need to be judged for it too.

“Yes auntie?”

“Just checking to see if you were still alive. How you feeling baby?”

Amber snorted and then grimaced as the vibration made her headache worse. “Like I got hit by a wine tour bus.”

Jackie chuckled. “Well, that's what you get for drinking a whole bottle of wine. Bennie looked about the same when I woke him up this morning. Poor boy looked ready to return home to the Lord.”

Amber nodded and quickly regretted it. She vaguely remembered helping Benjamin get comfortable on the couch downstairs before quite literally crawling up the stairs on her hands and knees and pouring herself into bed.

“What time is it?”

“Nearly noon. You should get up and shower. Smells like wasted potential in here.”

Amber huffed out a hoarse laugh. “Ugh, don't make me laugh auntie. Is Benjamin still on the couch sleeping?”

“Of course not. He left hours ago.”

Amber frowned and dropped her arm. She pushed herself up more slowly this time and closed her eyes until the world stopped feeling like it was tilting the wrong way on its axis. When she opened them again, her aunt was standing fully in the doorway.

“Okay. What do you mean he left hours ago?”

“I mean, he left hours ago.”

“Wasn't he still drunk?”

“Thankfully, no. At least one of you had the good sense last night to stop at two.” Jackie shook her head. “Plus, that poor boy has a business to run, remember? He grabbed a shower and I fixed him up some breakfast before I let him leave.”

“Oh,” Amber replied. She felt bad about possibly making him late for work.

“Yes, oh. You should go thank him for putting up with your mess all evening and then keeping you company while you drank away your feelings.”

Amber groaned again, this time in embarrassment. “I was a jerk, wasn’t I.”

“You sure were,” Jackie replied. “That poor man was trying to help you feel better, and you were showing your entire ass from start to finish.”

“Not literally though, right?” she looked down vision swimming slightly. Amber was relieved to see she was in the same clothes from yesterday.

Jackie snorted. “That probably would have been preferable. Bennie could have spent Valentine's Day with anyone else, but he chose to spend it with us, and you showed no gratitude. I know for a fact I did not raise you that way.”

“I know,” Amber grumbled before dropping her face into her hands.

Jackie continued like she never heard her.

“Why, just a few days ago, Mrs. Clemons was talking about how her daughter, Lindsey, was asking about him. I’m sure she would have been a lot more grateful if someone brought over muffins.”

“Who?”

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