Page 52 of Alive At Night

“I told you to take it easy with that stuff.”

“Well, I didn’t,” she snapped, abruptly pushing away from me. Ahh, there she was. There was that escape I’d been expecting.

It couldn’t happen, though. Before she could get very far, I circled her waist and pulled her down again. Her back collided with my chest. “Where do you think you’re going, Daisy?”

“Home.” The word squeaked out of her.

“How are you getting there?”

“I’ll go wake Gemma.” She squirmed, but my grip was firm. For her own good. “Or someone else.”

“Gemma probably thinks you went home last night,” I pointed out. “What’s your plan when she asks why you’re still here? Where you slept?”

Juniper relaxed with a heavy sigh, convincing me to let go. Put a little space between us. Some much-needed space.

“You’re right,” she said.

I perked up. “What was that?”

I couldfeelher scowl, and my lips twitched.

“Youcan give me a ride home, then.” She glanced back at me, and a teasing smile lit her face, illuminated further by the soft glow of dawn. “It seems to be one of your favorite things, after all.”

“I don’t know aboutthat,” I grumbled before rolling out of bed anyway. I’d take her home; God knows I couldn’t keep having this conversation while lying in bed with her.

“We can take Noah’s motorcycle,” she said, and hell, was that hopefulness in her eyes? I didn’t understand it. Didn’t know why the hell she thought that was a good idea after what had just happened. The idea of Juniper wrapping her arms around me from behind while we huddled together on Noah’s bike was a torturous one. And it wouldn’t be happening.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because that sounds loud, cold, and uncomfortable. I’m hungover and need at least two more hours of sleep. The last thing I want to do is get on that bike.”

It wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t precisely the truth, either. Parts of my body were aching, but I wasn’t convinced it was from alcohol.

Trying to ignore the urge to check Juniper’s reaction, I turned and focused on finding a shirt. Spotting an old football tee on the top shelf of my closet, I threw it on before facing Juni.

She was still awfully close. None of the rooms in this house were very big, and because I got my own room—not all of my sisters did—I also had the smallest room. Fair was fair, and I had no complaints. Except now.

Because even though I stood on the opposite side of the room from my bed, I was still within a few feet of Juniper St. James while she curled deeper into my bed, wearing nothing but her Halloween costume.

At least she’d pulled up the blanket now—the plaid comforter my mom bought for me in high school wrapped around Juni’s shoulders. But Christ, I needed to get her out of here. She didn’t belong here between my football trophies and the college textbooks I didn’t know what to do with. I’d spent a lot of energy over the years making sure she didn’t come anywhere close to where she was right this very second.

Never again. I would never make apple pie ever again. I’d find a new festive drink for next year’s party.

“Come on,” I said. “I’ll drive you home. In a car.”

She raised a brow. “You don’t think anyone will see?”

“Usually, I wake up to my mom grinding coffee. That hasn’t happened yet, so I bet she’s still asleep. And if Mom’s asleep, everyone’s asleep.”

“Hmm.” She made a purring noise in the back of her throat. “Sounds like you’ve done this before. I’m not the first girl you’ve snuck out in the morning, huh?”

Not the first, but it definitely wasn’t a common occurrence. I tried to keep girls very far away from this house, and for good reason; my family could be overbearing, and the walls were guaranteed to be thin—a problem when the women I brought home weren’t quiet.

“Juniper,” I growled, not wanting to have this conversation with her. “Let’s go.”

Whether it was the use of her full name or the tone of my voice, I couldn’t be sure, but she sprang right out of bed.

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