“Okay,” he replied slowly. “You’re welcome…”
I let go and he dropped his arms. “I mean it. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“It’s okay. We all need a little help sometimes, right?”
I needed more than a little help.
“Yeah, I guess.”
He shrugged. “You know if you’re feeling really grateful I can think of a couple of ways you can say thank you.”
Rolling my eyes, I replied. “I’m sure you can.”
“Hey,” he said, holding his hands up. “If that’s how you want to pay me back it’s fine.”
“You have such a dirty mind.”
He laughed in disbelief. “Hello pot…”
Turning on my heel, I walked off with my drink, smiling to myself.
Halfway through the night I slipped off to Holly’s room to reapply some make-up. It was hot in the house and I was sure I’d look like a panda by the end of the evening if I didn’t sort it out.
I was about to apologise to someone sitting on Holly’s bed when I realised it was Kai. He looked up and half-smiled.
“What’s up?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothin’, just needed to get away for a bit, it’s boiling down there.” I couldn’t tell if he was being honest or not but I decided to believe him because if something was up and he wanted me to know he’d tell me.
“I know, my face is melting,” I said, turning to look in the mirror. The damage wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. I ran my finger under my eyes.
“What’re you doing?” he asked.
“Trying to improve this,” I replied, pointing to my face. “It’s not going well but I can’t expect miracles.”
He frowned deeply in the mirror and his dark eyes looked almost black. I wasn’t sure how much he’d had to drink but he was definitely on the edge of drunk.
“You have no idea, do you?”
“Sorry?”
“You’re like that song.”
Oh, much clearer.
“Just the Way You Are. It was playing at work the other day and all I could think about was you. Stop trying to change and stop beating yourself up because you’re not perfect because I know. I know what it’s like. I know how hard you’re struggling, but you’re still getting up and doing it. You’re amazing and you certainly don’t need crap on your face to make yourself look pretty.”
I gulped. For a moment I was stunned. Kai was a sweetheart with a bit of a dirty mouth but I never imagined him to say that or to think it.
Moving across the room, I sat beside him. “You’re too sweet, you know.”
He lifted and dropped one shoulder. “I just say it how it is.”
“Also, I never thought you’d be a Bruno Mars fan.”
Leaning forwards, he rested his elbows on his knees and twisted his head to look up at me. “Well, I like that one.”
I liked it, too. Liked the lyrics and loved that someone could think that about someone else. I just never thought anyone would think much of me anymore. The fact that Kai thought I didn’t need to change made me feel a little better about myself and I skipped reapplying anything in favour of getting Kai to do a couple shots with me.
It didn’t take too long after the rest of my idiot friends joined the shot bandwagon for me to get drunk.
I was roasting hot. Wiping my forehead, I squinted my eyes to try to pick Kai out from the crowd. God, did Holly have the heating on? I felt faint and only just made it to the front door as my head started to get really clouded.
Breathing in, I leant back against the wall and closed my eyes. The cool air cleared the lightheaded feeling and I was sure I wouldn’t pass out now. The next thing I felt was a warm palm press against my head. My eyes fluttered open and what looked like two pools of melted dark chocolate looked back.
Kai. Thank God.
“Shit, Tegan, come on,” he said, scooping me up in his arms. “Do you feel sick?” I nodded against his shoulder. I was definitely feeling sick, especially after he lifted me up. He took me upstairs and sat me on the floor of the bathroom, locking the door behind us. “It’s okay, princess.”
No, it wasn’t. My stomach did all sorts of somersaults and I felt the all too familiar feeling creeping up my throat. Flopping forward, I hugged the toilet. Kai was just in time to pull my hair back and tie it up before I threw up about a bottle of vodka.
“I’m sorry,” I slurred.
“It’s okay,” he said, rubbing my back. With unwelcome tears stinging my eyes, I was sick a bit more. “Are you okay? You finished now?”
I nodded and stood up, with a little help from Kai, and rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash and water. “Ugh, I feel like crap,” I said.
“Follow me, I’m taking you to the spare room so you can sleep it off.” I wasn’t going to argue with that. I needed to curl up in bed and let sleep work its magic.
Kai pointed to the double bed. “Sit on there but don’t lay down.”
No, I wanted sleep. “I’m not gonna choke to death on my own tongue if I lay down, Kai.”
His jaw clenched. “Just humour me. Please.”