Page 7 of Something to Someone

Swallowing, I took a breath and said, “Goodbye, Ryder,” before I hung up the phone.

THREE

THE MORNING AFTER

Ryder

With how muchI drank the night before, I wasn’t surprised to wake up face down on my bed with a raging headache. At least I’d made it back to my bed.

Last night withstanding, I wasn’t a huge partier. I had the occasional night out during my four years in college, and I enjoyed a beer or two with friends, but clubs were not my scene. Unless it’s my birthday, and then I guess I was more likely to give into peer pressure.

I groaned, lifting my head and blinking the sleep from my eyes so I could reach for my phone which was miraculously plugged into the charger on my bedside table. It was almost noon, but it felt like I’d only been asleep for a few hours. If I remembered correctly, we’d stumbled into my apartment just past two in the morning.

I managed to roll onto my back and dug the heels of my palms into my eyes. I needed water and meds and something greasy and?—

There was a knock on my door, and I opened my eyes enoughto see Theo step into my room. With the glorious items he held in his hands.

“Oh my gosh, I could fucking kiss you.” I pushed myself up until I was sitting upright against the headboard and swallowed down some mild nausea.

He shook his head and set the plate, water, and medicine bottle on the table beside me. “No, you wouldn’t, I’m not your type. I’m not blond.”

I looked back fondly on the people I’d dated before. And although I didn’t have a preference when it came to someone’s gender, they did usually have blond hair. Weird.

“You’re right,” I agreed and grabbed the water and meds first, swallowing those down before I grabbed the plate and gazed down at the hearty breakfast sandwich. I took a bite and groaned in satisfaction. ‘Thank you so much,” I said around a mouthful of food.

Theo cringed but nodded all the same. “I knew you’d feel like shit.”

“Why did you let me drink so much?”

“Me?” He pointed to his chest like he was offended by the insinuation. “I had nothing to do with that. That was all Connor. And when I did try to stop it, you told me to ‘let loose’and ‘stop acting like a grandpa.’”

“Hmm,” I hummed. “Not sure I remember that, but it does sound like something I’d say.”

He gave me an unimpressed look, and I smiled.

“What else happened that I might not remember?”

He sighed and leaned back in the chair that I thought I remembered him sleeping in the night before. I stowed that question away to ask later.

“Well, after you bought everyone in our vicinity shots, you told us you had to make a very important call and that you’d be right back. Only you were gone for twenty minutes and left me with Connor.”

My hands stopped the sandwich midway to my mouth.ThatI remembered. Shaking off the memories that rushed back and deciding they would also be dealt with later, I quickly took a bite and put the sandwich back on the plate.

“So, what happened?” Theo asked, and I pointed to my mouth, slowly chewing my food so I could consider how to answer.

Theo knew exactly what I was doing, but I wasn’t going to tell him that I walked out of the club to call Caroline just so I could hear her voice for a few minutes.

“I don’t remember,” I lied. Theo braced his elbows on the arms of the chair and pressed his fingers to his lips, probably trying to decide if he wanted to pry for more information. But Theo wasn’t a big talker, so he let it slide.

“Right, well, now that I know you’re alive, I’m going home.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure my mom misses you,” I muttered as he stood.

He ran a hand through his hair and stopped halfway to the door. “I thought we’d moved past that. Are you still?—”

I shook my head and rolled off the bed. My entire body was sore, and I swore my kidneys ached, but I crossed to him at the foot of my bed. “No, we’re good. Just tired still, and you know I like to give you shit.”

For a while I couldn’t comprehend their relationship—my best friend and my mom were the last people I expected to fall in love, but they had. It had been almost two years, and I still had my moments where it was a little odd. Like when I saw them showing each other affection or remembered that they were living together.

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