She turned me around quickly so I could get a better look at Nolan—who was now sitting on her knees in the middle of one of the pool tables, flirting with taking her shirt off, while those pig-headed ass**les stood around her hollering, and waiving dollar bills.

“Shit!” I said, quickly stepping away from Sarah and sprinting over to the poolroom. I pushed through the seven or eight guys who had gathered to watch Nolan’s little strip tease, and put my knee up on the table to reach for Nolan’s hand. She recoiled at my touch right away, though, whipping her hair back from her face and making eye contact with me enough to show the hate in her eyes.

“Fuck you, Reed. Don’t touch me,” she slurred.

Great. I wonder how many shots she’d downed when I wasn’t looking.

“Okay, Princess. Time to go,” I said, climbing completely onto the table now and lifting her high over my shoulder. She squirmed for a bit, kicking at the light that dangled above. “You wanna stop that now? I’m not letting you go, and you’re only causing a scene. And you’re about to bust a light bulb.”

She huffed, and finally went limp over my shoulder, as I stepped down from the pool table and walked past Jason, Dylan and Jenny. I paused for a moment and looked Jason right in the face. “You breathe a word of this to anyone, and I swear to God, Jason…I will f**king kill you,” I said, no hint of hesitation in my voice at all. I turned at that, and continued out the door, which Sarah, Becky and Sienna were now holding for me.

“Thanks,” I said as they followed me to the Jeep. I dumped Nolan in the passenger seat and forced her to buckle up, slamming the door on her while she sat there and pouted. “I’m taking her to my house. Her parents don’t need to see this. Can everyone fit in your car, Sarah?”

She just nodded and waved me on my way. I got in the driver’s side and peeled out a little, the energy from what I’d just witnessed still coursing through me. Nolan was staring out the window, her chin balanced awkwardly on her hand. I just sighed heavily and kept on driving.

“Don’t sigh at me,” she said. She was picking a fight now. I recognized this; we’d done this before. But not since we were kids. I thought it was better not to engage, but something told me she wouldn’t let that slide.

“Oh, more silent treatment, huh? Like when you didn’t call me for six weeks, and I locked myself in a room, and cried,” she spit the words out angrily, and I winced a little at them. She was so angry with me, and I couldn’t say I blamed her, knowing what I know now. I kept my lips sealed, though, knowing any words exchanged between us tonight didn’t count. Nolan just huffed again, and we drove the rest of the way in silence.

When I pulled in the driveway to my dad’s house, Nolan had nodded off and was snoring softly in the passenger’s seat. When I opened her door, I took her in for a moment. Her lips were crooked, half smirking, and I thought about kissing them for a second when she lurched forward and sprayed vomit down my leg.

“Damn it, Noles,” I said lunging back. She looked up at me and wiped her chin a little and started shaking. She was crying again. God, I felt like such an ass**le.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her hands making their way to her face so she could hide.

I shook my leg a little and reached over to unbuckle her. “It’s okay; I’ll shower,” I said softly, not wanting to wake anyone and not wanting to scare her. She was so fragile, and it was killing me to see her that way. “Come on, I got you.”

I lifted her in my arms, and her body went limp into me. I carried her up the stairs and into my bedroom. I’d sleep on the couch tonight. Nolan clearly needed to be near a bathroom. I knew I made the right decision when she rolled from my bed almost the instant I’d set her down and stumbled to my bathroom holding an arm across her mouth. She made it just in time for the entire evening’s booze to escape her body. I’d never seen anyone throw up so much in my life.

I was just rubbing her back, pulling her hair into a ponytail when she finally seemed to be done and slid her body to sit right next to the toilet, her arm and cheek resting on the lip of the bowl. I stood and leaned back into the wall, away from her, and waited as her sleepy eyes fought to stay open. I was exhausted from the entire evening, but I couldn’t take my eyes from her until I knew she was okay. And there was something in them, some sort of sadness that just wouldn’t go away. It both captivated and crushed me all at once.

She worked her gaze up my body, almost as if she lacked the strength, and then finally came to stop right on my eyes. We stared into each other for several seconds when her lip started to quiver a little and the tears, the same ones I’d seen in the kitchen, started to slide down her cheek again.