Chapter 4 Drunk Allison

Kaden

"She acts tough, but she's not."

"Make sure she eats actual food."

"If she starts spiraling, call me."

"And don't let her drink."

Those were the words Bryan hammered in my ears before boarding the plane few hours ago.

It had been a hassle getting Bryan through security without him trying to give me another ten-minute speech about "looking after Al" as if I possessed some magical ability to stop Allison Smith from doing exactly what she wanted.

I understood his reason for worrying. His younger sister was unpredictable and rebellious as hell.

This was the same girl who had gone to a party her brother had specifically asked her not to just to get back at someone.

Bryan didn't seem to understand I could only look after her sister, I couldn't entirely babysit an adult. But I didn't interrupt him because he could very well turn around and call the whole trip off. So I'd simply nodded until his flight was boarding.

Then I'd made two stops on the way home. A late meeting with one of my freelance clients and a grocery run because the apartment was somehow out of coffee.

Now all I wanted was a hot shower and eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.

It was when I stepped inside that I realized how much I already miss Bryan. Someone I considered too noisy.

The apartment was quiet, too quiet.

Bryan had only left this morning, yet the place already felt... different.

I reached for the switch and the lights flickered on.

"The fuck!"

Allison lay sprawled across the couch like she'd been dramatically defeated by life itself.

One leg dangled over the armrest, her shoes had somehow ended up on opposite sides of the living room.

Her hair covered half her face.

The transparent flask Bryan thought he was so clever at hiding was clutched tightly against her chest

I tried to grab it from her, but surprisingly, her grip was too tight on it. But I did notice that it was empty.

I let out a deep sigh. "Fantastic,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

“Allison!” I called. “Allison!”

She didn't move.

I yanked the flask from her fingers. "Your alcohol tolerance is embarrassing."

She made a sleepy noise. "I heard that..."

"No, you didn't."

"I did."

"You were unconscious."

"I'm... unghhhh…multitasking."

I stared at her and despite myself, I almost smiled.

Almost.

"You make absolutely no sense."

She frowned without opening her eyes.

"You have to go home, it’s late."

"...ridiculously hot.” She kept mumbling total jargons and for a second, I considered leaving her there.

She'd probably wake up tomorrow with a stiff neck and an impressive headache.

That should serve her right for getting drunk. She was indeed like her brother. They both had low tolerance for alcohol.

Then I imagined Bryan somehow finding out.

"You left my baby sister on the couch?"

I'd never hear the end of it. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I'd just have to take her to her apartment.

I bent slightly. "Allison."

"Mmm?"

"What's the code to your apartment?" Better to ask her now that she could still speak.

"Read how…...Chocolate,” she giggled as though she had just said the funniest thing ever.

I really just needed to sleep. I couldn’t deal with this.

"Allison, that’s not a code."

"It should be."

I tried again. "It’s four digits."

She thought about it with exaggerated concentration and then she smiled again. "I forgot."

"Of course you did."

She giggled. "I forget lots of things."

"I can see."

I straightened. Bryan was somewhere above the Atlantic by now, I couldn’t call him.

I dialed Sophia’s number and it took me straight to voicemail.

Well, shit!

I glanced at her again. She had settled into an even more weird sleeping position that I was sure would make her body ache by morning.

I let out a deep sigh and then slipped one arm beneath her knees and another behind her back.

She weighed less than I'd expected.

The moment I lifted her, she instinctively curled closer, her forehead bumping lightly against my shoulder.

I froze.

She smelled faintly of vanilla and vodka. She murmured something that sounded like ‘warm’ and I ignored that, taking her straight to Bryan's room.

For someone who'd been unconscious five seconds ago, she certainly had plenty to say.

"My career's over."

I looked down. Her eyes remained closed even as her voice broke. "I haven't even... started. I worked so hard…” She sniffled. "So hard."

I kept walking.

"You know,” there was a long pause. "I was supposed to go to Nationals."

Her words slurred together.

"I kept imagining it,” a weak laughter escaped her lips. "I even picked what I'd wear after winning."

My grip tightened almost instinctively.

"I was gonna call Bryan first,” she laughed again."Then I’d call,” she let out what sounded more like a sob than a laugh. “…Sean."

His name came out as though it physically hurt.

"I was gonna call him second."

I didn’t speak. I really didn’t even know what to say.

"I was stupid."

"No," I muttered finally. "You didn’t know."

She sighed.

"I didn't even lose because she was better,” she tightened her hold around me. "I lost because I couldn't stop seeing them."

Bryan had mentioned it to me. That she'd caught Sean cheating. He hadn't shared details and honestly, I didn’t care. I never liked the guy in the first place anyways. He's just always had this wrong vibe around him.

"They were kissing,” her voice became barely audible.

"He told her the same things he told me. Same words. Same lie. Same… everything. I wasn't enough for him." She sounded like she was trying to hold back tears.

My chest squeezed in a way. I just couldn't bear the hurt in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” I said as I stepped into the room.

I flipped the lights on and lowered her on the mattress. I was about to leave when she clung to my shirt tightly.

“Don't leave me.” She muttered under her breath. “I'm so tired of everyone leaving me.”

A tear fell from her closed eyes then. I found myself at a crossroad. I could remove her grip from my shirt and leave, but for some reasons, I found myself doing the exact opposite.

I sat down on the bed and gently stroke her hair. The texture was soft in my hand and I couldn't stop myself from running my fingers through her hair. She seem to enjoy the movement and snuggled closer to me.

She looked so exhausted in her sleep and so different from the bubbly girl who had looked her brother in the eyes hours ago and said,

“I'm perfectly fine.”

She'd said so with a convincing smile as well even though it was a lie.

No, Allison wasn't fine at all.

And for some reasons, I found myself caring more than I should.