Page 85 of GAF Factor

“Isla, the first time we kissed was on Christmas.”

“Nooo,” she laughed. “The first time we kissed was right before we got kidnapped. But you don’t remember that ‘cuz you were drunk,” she slurred.

My heart hammered in my chest as she rolled to the side and tucked her hands under her cheek. I had kissed her back then and she hadn’t told me? Why the fuck would she keep that a secret unless…

“Isla,” I shook her, trying to wake up her. “Isla, wake up!”

She rolled back to face me, her eyes blinking as a smile lit her face. “Knoxy poo!”

“Isla, when I kissed you the first time, did I hurt you? Did I?—”

“I’m so tired. Just wanna go to sleep.”

“Isla, I need to know?—”

But she was already passed out. I leaned back on the bed, shoving a hand through my hair as I stared at the woman I loved. What the fuck had I done that night?

21

ISLA

Someone wastap dancing in my brain and I was not enjoying the performance. I rolled over, peeling my tongue off the roof of my mouth in disgust. What was that taste? Was that vomit? Had I thrown up and not known about it? Was that even possible?

I pushed myself into a sitting position, grasping for the wall that wasn’t there. My hand met a strong, steady shoulder instead. “Thank God,” I grumbled. “I was about to fall over.”

“You looked like you were about to,” IKE rumbled.

I winced, pressing my hand to my ear. Geez, why did he have to shout at me? I was right here. “Can you lower your voice? I know it was stupid to drink last night, but shouting is not the answer.”

“Give it a minute.”

Give what a minute? My brain? The entire world? Everything was shifting. Tectonic plates were moving at an alarming rate. I could feel the ground moving beneath my feet, shaking the entire building. I was going to fall through the cracks and be boiled to death by lava.

At least it would be a quick death, if not painless.

IKE shifted beside me and then I felt the bed dip. I nearly fell backward, but he caught me, holding me upright. The small movement nearly made me throw up.

“I don’t feel so good.”

“I’m not surprised. You drank half a bottle of vodka on peanuts.”

I groaned, barely remembering that first drink where I thought it went down so smoothly and I should have more.More. That was the stupidest word on the face of the earth.

“Just relax.”

His fingers prodded my skull and then he was massaging my head, working out the worst of the headache. It was still there, still hammering away, but the sharp pain wasn’t quite as intense. I finally peeled my eyes open and dared to look around the room. It looked…normal.

“Oh, thank God.”

“What?”

“I thought for sure I would open my eyes and find the room destroyed.”

“You should have seen it last night,” he mumbled.

I turned sharply, regretting it an instant later when nausea hit hard. “Why? What happened last night?”

“There were peanut shells everywhere.”

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