Page 28 of I Blame the Alcohol

Stella nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and I have to bite back a smile at the chaotic state of her hair. Her cowgirl hat got knocked off in our make out session and my hands made quick work of messing up Stella’s normally impeccable mane.

I make eye contact with Wes’ girlfriend, who immediately blushes deep red like she was the one caught doing something naughty. Wes, on the other hand, seems to be speechless for the first time in his life.

“Good to see you, Wes.” I give him a nod but he just gapes in return.

“You just… her… what?”

Swivelling his head between the two of us, Wes looks more dazed than Stella did when I put her back on the ground.

“He was just making sure I got home safely. Right, Ellsworth?” Stella’s lip gloss is all but gone, her toothy smile shining through every feature on her face.

“You got it, O’Brien.” I smile back at her when the bomb hits.

I kissed Maurice O’Brien’s younger sister.

Guilt floods my system, the damaging evidence blazingly obvious. I should have walked her home and left like an actual gentleman. Mo made me responsible for her protection and wellbeing, and yet her hair looks like someone manhandled her against a wall.

Oh God. I manhandled Mo’s baby sister against a wall.

And she really enjoyed it. So did you.

I push the devil voice aside and try my best to tune in to the conversation going on around me.

“… were going to grab some pizza and watch a movie if you’d like to join?”

All three of them are looking at me expectedly and it takes a few seconds for me to connect the dots.

Mo is going to kill me.

Panicked, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, “I, uh, actually have to get going. Early morning practice and all that.”

Wes shoots me a look at the blatant lie, but I am already heading for the door.

“I’ll catch you later, okay?” I steal one last glance at Stella who looks back with disappointment etched across her face.

All three of them stay silent as I push open the door and step into the bitter cold, the residence door swinging shut behind me. Ignoring the tug in my chest, I start trudging back to my car, wishing with each step that doing the right thing didn’t feel so wrong.

Chapter 9

Cody

He knows.

Maurice O’Brien knows I kissed his younger sister. That is the only reason I can think of why he’s calling me this early in the morning.

I stare at the name flashing across my phone and take a deep breath.

I knew I would have to own up to it at some point, I’m not the type of guy who sweeps things under the rug, but I thought I would have more than six hours to prepare myself. And, you know, clear the air with Stella before getting the shit kicked out of me by her older brother.

Fuck.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I press accept.

“Ellsworth! About damn time, since when does it take four rings for you to answer?” Mo’s booming voice fills my room, doing nothing to help the guilt clenching in my stomach.

Well, since I shoved my tongue down your sister’s throat last night and ravished her against a wall, I was a little nervous to take your call.

I wince against the thought, “Sorry man, I just woke up.”

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