Page 4 of Fall Hard

“It’s also almost four in the morning.”

“Huh.”

I hobbled forward a few more steps and Bryn watched me, shadows partially obscuring whatever expression was on her face—not that I particularly cared what she thought anyway.

“Come on.” She turned so her back was to me and I waited for her to walk away, confused when she crouched a little. “Well? Are you coming?”

I stepped carefully across the small distance separating us and hopped onto her back, her arms coming up under my legs as I hooked mine around her neck.

“Donotthrow up on me.”

I giggled as we walked, a little confused about what we were doing and how we’d got there—didn’t Bryn live up by the mall?So why was she walking with me through the park?The odd swaying motion soothed me until my cheek was pressed against her hair and I jumped when she nudged me before sliding me off her back. I stumbled and her arms caught me under my elbows, our faces close enough in the dark that we could have kissed.

Her eyes were so blue that they stood out against the darkness, and I stepped closer as my eyes dropped to her mouth. I’d noticed that Bryn was beautiful before, you would have to be blind not to, but she seemed practically luminescent in the dark.

“Liv—”

My mouth brushed across hers, featherlight, reminding me of another kiss, another girl as I fought the haze descending on me, sighing as our mouths parted. “Jamie…”

Bryn slid away and I hadn’t realized how cold I was until her warmth left. She fumbled around in the dark, reaching under the matt for the spare key Jamie and I left there and unlocking the door.

“Come on,” she said quietly, guiding me inside and helping me into bed when I pointed to my room across the hall.

I shimmied my dress up and over my head and heard Bryn leave as I climbed into bed naked, not bothering to wash off my make-up.

“Here,” she said a second later, setting a glass of water down on my immaculately tidy bedside table and then straightening again to leave.

I caught her hand before she could go. “Stay.”

“Liv, I really don’t—”

“Please,” I mumbled as I snuggled down into my comforter and lifted the edge for her to join me. I relaxed once she slid off her shoes and settled next to me. “Stay.”

“Go to sleep, Olivia.”

“Bryn?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry I touched your boob.”

She chuckled quietly and the sound followed me into a dreamless sleep.

CHAPTERTWO

The wholedon’t dodrugsspiel suddenly made a lot more sense in light of the hangover from hell that I currently had. My body had naturally woken up around seven in the morning and I’d laid in bed in quiet agony as my head throbbed. Bryn had been curled up facing away from me and my arm had gone numb under her head. I’d made the executive decision right then that I was still not sober enough to deal with everything I could vaguely remember doing last night, or the very warm Bryn still in my bed. So I’d gone back to sleep and only woke up again when my bladder demanded that I get out of my covers.

By the time I made it out of the bathroom, figuring I might as well shower seeing as I was in there and the bottoms of my feet were filthy, Bryn had left and Jamie had only just got home. I’d somehow made it through the afternoon without puking and by the time we got toThe Boxin the evening I was regretting my decision to sign up for the new yoga class up by the mall. At least Bryn had opted not to come to the bar, that way I didn’t have to deal with my own shame as well as the usual jealousy that took root inside me whenever I spent time with Jamie and Ryan. They’d left fairly quickly after dropping the bomb that Jamie wasn’t going to be expelled and she had signed a preliminary record deal. All in the same day. If I didn’t love her so much, I might have hated her.

I’d snuck out of the bar not long after they did, hesitating between heading back to the apartment and running the risk of finding them there too, or going to yoga class like I’d ambitiously planned prior to experiencing the worst hangover of my life.

And yet, I would have rather thrown up doing the downward dog than potentially listened to Jamie and Ryan having sex next door. Of course, as soon as I actually arrived at the class I regretted that decision.

I stopped short in the doorway to the studio at the sight of a long pair of legs stretching idly. Crap.

I walked in slowly, knowing I couldn’t walk away now without looking conspicuous, and set my bag down near the edge of the room. I’d changed into some stretchy yoga pants and a sports bra in the restroom on my way in, knowing I couldn’t do anything in my jeans, but now felt slightly vulnerable as people continued to file in and the cool air brushed my bare arms.

Bryn hadn’t noticed me yet, or maybe she had and was just pretending not to see me after our encounter last night. I tried not to cringe as I remembered all the dumb stuff I’d said and done—but not all the memories were unpleasant. I’d had a good time, mostly. And for a while when I’d been dancing with Bryn, oblivious to who I’d had my arms around, it had felt like the most comfortable place in the world. I was never going to live it down.

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