Page 181 of Steeling Her
Now we’ve moved onto poker.
“How come Ted never came to the announcement?” Jason wonders, piquing my interest. I flick my eyes up to Chris and see he’s already examining me with a frown.
Slowly, his eyes meet Jason’s so he could reply, “He was working.” TJ rolls his eyes at the reasoning.
So he’s a workaholic?
“That dude is always working.” Jason joins him with the eye roll. I’m starting to wonder if these guys like Carter’s boyfriend at all. Thinking about it makes me smile a little, but TJ and Chris catch onto me. “Like, is he working or is he ‘working?’ ” Jason uses air quotes and Chris’ eyes dart back to him in fury.
Chris brings his eyes to stare at me deep in mine and replies to Jason, “Don’t even start, Jay.” He slowly brings his dilated pupils back to the game, and I almost get whiplash from him going back and forth. He quoted me, and I knew there was more to that laugh.
Letting it slide, again, I click my phone on to see the time.
It’s way past midnight. We could hear the door swing open in at the front, causing us to stop our game for a moment. Cards were put face down on the table as we waited. Chris has gone into a protection mode in an instant with the little girl sleeping upstairs.
A few giggles later, and I could hear Danielle say, “Come on Carter, stand up for me!” I immediately perk up. Chris settles his expression as we hear them walking in. When they turn through the kitchen, Chris was in the middle of drinking of his water bottle as he twists his neck around to see the three of them. He nearly spits it out and I stand to my feet in an instant. Carter’s head is hanging loosely from her shoulders with Danielle and Haley desperately trying to hold her up.
She’s wasted.
“What the fuck happened?” Chris rushes over to them and takes Carter into his arms while TJ makes his way to a giggling Haley. I haven’t taken my eyes off Carter, her arms motionless and her whole body like a rag doll. She has lost control. I’ve never seen her like this before.
“She drank too much; it only hit her in the taxi home,” Danielle slurs and rests her hand on her head. All of them look drunk, but Carter is on another level.
“Don’t tell Ted . . .” Haley rolls her eyes. I couldn’t help but notice the way people in this group say his name. Do people like him or not? I don’t get it.
“Carter?” Chris shakes her, trying to get her to wake up. He repeats himself but she just mumbles incoherently.
“I’m going upstairs to check on Taylor.” Danielle drunkenly decides and makes her move out of the kitchen. None of them are thinking straight right now, that’s for sure.
“Ugh, fuck! Danielle don’t wake her up. Danielle!” Chris scolds her quietly, debating whether to go after her or not. He looks at his younger sister and then the counter. “Fuck! Danielle, get back here! Jason, will you get her a water bottle?” Jason nods in amusement and follows his order, making his way over to the refrigerator while TJ and Haley are talking amongst themselves.
Chris has placed Carter up against the cabinets for support, her head drooping and her hair curtaining her beautiful face. While I gawp at her, I could see her frame beginning to tilt. Her body slides down the cabinets to get to the counter, and I rush over to help her stay up. Her head jolts back and her eyes open. The faint recognition on her face takes me back a little.
“Nick?” Carter mumbles. I nod, holding on to both her arms, making sure she’s sitting upright. Her head slams against my chest and both her arms raise up. Not knowing what she’s doing, she wraps them around my neck and draws me closer to her.
Subconsciously, I take her hips in my hand and she sighs in a slightly loud volume. It feels like old times. I’m not allowed or supposed to have her in my arms, and yet here she is. “You still smell the same,” she mumbles on my neck.
I forget how to use my limbs. Her warm breath fanning my skin is setting it alight. I’m on fire.
She’s drunk, wishing she wasn’t, mumbling nothing and everything, and doesn’t know what she’s doing. As much as I’d like to tell myself that this is what she wants, I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s still at the bar they went to. Therefore, making her judgment invalid.
“Here’s the water.” Jason pulls me out of my reverie and hands me the chilled bottle that he had just opened.
“Thanks.” I nod in appreciation while taking it from him.
She needs to sleep this off. She’ll have one hell of a hangover in the morning, I know that much.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
He Might Trust Me, But I Don’t Trust Myself
Nick
“We need to get her up to bed. Where’s Chris?” TJ wonders, looking around for the girl on my shoulder’s brother who had disappeared to find his girlfriend and to stop her from waking up their daughter. Tonight was fun, but now it’s turned into such a mess.
I can feel Carter’s breath on my neck as she inhales deeply and releases it once more. I haven’t forgotten what she said. I know she realizes it’s me she’s holding onto, but I don’t think it fully clicked that she probably shouldn’t be close to me.
“Gone to find Danielle.” Haley waves it off and focuses on kissing my best friend again. I scrunch up my nose in disgust at the sight. After almost six years of being together, I’m still not used to it. TJ grabs her ass in both hands; she squeals on his lips and giggles flirtatiously back at her fiancé who thinks he can do that in front of his future brother-in-law.
