Count On Me - Sequel (Laughing into Love)

Chapter 38: Hungover High

Melanie mumbles a few incoherent words while they wait for the Uber. When they get to his hotel, he manages to understand her asking why they aren't at her motel, "mines closer" he simply explains, not wanting to get into the entire reason.

He gets her straight to his room without much worry from others around him and lays her down on the bed. He quickly moves to the small kitchenette and grabs her a water, "I'm so sleeeeepy" she whispers out as he starts to help her sit up against the headboard and some pillows.

"I know, that's why I'm here to help you. Drink this." He unscrews the lid and helps her drink some of it.

After a few sips she turns her head away and the water falls down her front, she says, "uh-uh, makes me feel sick."

"You feel sick? Do you wanna sit in the bathroom?" He inquires, already moving to stand. She nods up and down slowly and Brian can see her face turn more pale.

He helps her to the bathroom and the moment her knees touch the cold tile, she's throwing up into the toilet. Brian adjusts himself over her and does his best to hold back her hair. She stays in the bathroom moaning and complaining for half an hour before Brian helps her back to the bed. Once in bed, he helps her get under the covers and sits at the edge waiting for her to drift off to sleep. Melanie can't really figure out what happened as she's so groggy and confused but she confesses anyway, "Brian, why do I feel this sick? I only drank a bit."

"Did you take anything tonight?" He asks, turning to look at her. She looks frail and sickly with the covers covering her the way they are. He moves them up again as she slightly shakes her head. He tells her, "maybe your friends slipped something into your drink."

"Why would they do that?" She asks, tears starting to fall down.

"I don't wanna think about why. Just rest, ok?" He puts a hand on her lower leg over the blanket.

She turns her head into the pillow more to hide her tears and nods. Brian goes to stand up but she quickly whispers, "will you stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere, just gonna turn off the light." He assures her.

He switched the light off and comes back to sit on the bottom of the bed. He hears her whisper lowly, "I love you, Brian."

He smiles while looking down at the floor but doesn't say it back. Of course he still loves her, and part of him is happy to hear her say it again, but he can't get his hopes up. She's barely conscious and he knows he can't hold her to anything she's saying. An hour goes by and Melanie continues to sleep in his bed. Brian finally moves to get himself ready to sleep and makes his way quietly into the bathroom. After brushing his teeth, he heads back out to go to sleep but he sees Melanie sitting up at the side of the bed with her head between her knees, "do you feel sick again?" She tries to nod her head up and down but can't due to how nauseas she actually feels. Brian helps her to the bathroom again and after waiting a few minutes, she starts to throw up again. This time her hair is already pulled back so Brian just sits on the edge of the bathtub and rubs her back, "it's alright, you're alright." But Melanie can't make it back to bed and throws up on and off for the next few hours. anytime she drinks any water she can't keep it down. As the sun starts to rise Brian helps her back to bed, her vomiting finally stopping for half an hour. As she lays down she says to him, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" He asks, helping her get settled.

"Because I don't know why I'm here." She admits to him.

"You don't remember?" He questions back, squinting with concern. She shakes her head no and wipes a tear from her eyes, "Brian, the last thing I remember is arriving at the club. Everything else is gone. Not even a fuzzy memory."

He rubs her back and tries to comfort her, "it's alright. You're alright. You're here because you were blacked out. I didn't trust your friends, I'm sorry if you do but I just didn't so I intercepted them trying to leave with you and brought you here."

She tries to take a deep breath but her stomach churns and she sits up straighter and moves a leg off the bed. She pauses though, and just waits a few moments before her back folds over and her head drops back down, "I must've taken something. I'm sorry, you shouldn't be the one here doing this."

"You never have to be sorry to me, Melanie. I'm always gonna care about you and want you to be ok." Brian tells her. He decides to refrain from telling her about the comment she made earlier about only having a few drinks while out. She's still not recovered, he can inform her later that at least in her words before, she didn't take anything. "Go ahead and lay down, you need to rest. I left some water on the side of the bed for you, but I'll be right next you if you need me. If that's alright." He asks.

"of course it's alright." She lowly lowers herself down the bed and pulls the blanket up to her neck, "I can't thank you enough for taking care of me. Even after being the biggest bitch to you." She turns her butt inward and faces outside.

Melanie falls asleep quickly and Brian lays next to her on his back, looking up at the ceiling. The rage he's been pushing down since hearing and seeing those so called friends drag her out of the bar begins to resurface. He tries not to let it consume him, and bites his lower lip while squeezing his eyes shut to will the hatred away. Eventually, he falls asleep next to her, his fingers ever so gently touching the nape of her back.