Ruined

8

Gemma looks at me quickly before she frantically searches the crowd and finds Asher storming through. She freezes and walks coolly towards Asher.
"Asher, calm down, you're drunk," she says as he stops in front of her looking like smoke could blow from his ears.
"No. I'm not going to calm down. This bastard didn't get my blessing to ask you to marry him," Asher booms.
"Asher, I am 22 years old, I don't need you to give him a blessing!" Gemma yells back. Everyone is already inside and the music is going. It's only me, Max, Ryan, Gemma, and Asher.
"Dad isn't here to give you his blessing! I'm supposed to protect you from arrogant ass looking playboy motherfuckers like him!"
"You barely know him Asher!" Gemma screams, tears threatening to spill over her eyelids.
"Yeah, that's the fucking problem Gemma! I don't know him, and you've never attempted to let me meet him! The only way I know of him is he used to go over to our drug-head of a cousin's house to get shit faced drunk and stoned!" Asher counters.
"He's not like that anymore Asher! He's changed!" She sobs. The tears have been released.
"Yeah, he's changed," he looks to Ryan raising an eyebrow and smirking.
"Asher. Don't," Ryan says with pleading eyes after his face flashes with a look of realization.
"You know what, I won't tell her, I'll let you tell her about your little slip up Ryan," Asher sneers and walks toward me, "Move out of my way," he seethes.
I'm in front of the door. He's being really rude, like the other day. And this alcohol is making me confident all of a sudden. "Ask nicely please," I say.
"No, what is wrong with you?" he asks looking at me like I'm stupid.
"I said ask nicely. You're being rude to me and I haven't done anything to you." I see my friends gawking at how I'm talking to Asher in his mad, drunken state. Then again, the alcohol is really getting to me.
"I'm not going to ask you nicely. Now move, before I move you," he lowers his eyebrows. I'm not going to argue with him.
"What is your problem? What happened to good manners? Stop being a prick and say excuse me nicely or you will not get through this door tonight," I almost giggle when I watch his face change from angry to confused and frustrated.
"Fine, please move out of my way," he says stiffly.
I shift to the side. He starts towards the door knob. I cough loudly at him raising my eyebrows.
"What?" He sneers.
"Say thank you."
He studies my face for a moment before he frowns defeatively.
"Thank you," he spits.
"You're welcome Ash," I say politely. He opens the door stepping inside and slamming the door. I smile to myself and reach for the drink in Max's hand.
"Woah young lady I think that you've had enough," Max slurs out, dragging out the "u" in the word "you". She pulls the drink out my reach.
"But Max, I wanna let loose. Remember? That's why I'm here, right? Loosey Goosey," I say. My fingers feel nice and warm and tingly. I feel like I could run a marathon.
"No," Max lets out slowly,"you'll be too loose." We giggle drunkly, holding each other up do we don't fall over. Then, before we know it, Gemma and Ryan are arguing. We stop giggling.
"Why would you go there?! You told me you wouldn't do that anymore. You promised me!" Gemma cries.
"It was the night you broke up with me Gemma. I was messed up really bad. You have to understand. Nothing happened. I didn't touch any girls or any drugs. I just had a little too much to drink and someone slipped me something," Ryan sobs dropping down to his knees and putting his head in his hands laying forward. His body starts shaking with crying as Gemma watches quietly, letting her own tears go. She looks at the ring on her finger for a couple of seconds, then, she drops down to her knees and hugs Ryan.
"Hey, it's ok. We won't let one little slip up hurt us," she explains,"Whether you believe it or not, tonight has been the best night of my life. I love you Ryan."
Ryan finally gets his arms around her waist and pulls her into the crook of his neck. "I love you too."
Max and I retreat to the inside, giving them their private time. The music is loud and I feel great. Max and I join the crowd and dance.
•••
"Max... I can't believe you let her drink that much," I heard a hushed whisper then a giggle.
"I'm going to take a picture Gemma," said the voice I believed belonged to Max. I was wondering if I were dreaming. Something is keeping me warm. I like this bed.
"I can't believe she fell asleep on top of him," Gemma whispers.
What? Who fell asleep on top of who? I hear a camera shutter. Oh crap. My eyes shoot open to find two pairs of eyes staring at me. Max covers her mouth trying to hold in a laugh. I yawn and start to stretch my arms. Wait. What the heck?! I scream as loud as I can and attempt to get off the couch and person I'm laying on. He shoots up too.
"Asher?" I ask breathing hard from being scared to death at the thought of laying with a stranger. Gemma and Max are dying with laughter. Asher's eyes are confused and tired.
"What the hell?" he yells, "Why did you scream? And why are you sitting on me?"
I realize I am in fact still on him, so I scramble off quickly ending up on the floor in a heap. "I-I'm sorry. I di-didn't mean t-too," I spluttered out. I'm flustered right now, I'm sure. Asher is still confused as to what's going on. Gemma sobers up her laughing and turns to us.
"I really don't know how it happened Asher. I just woke up and you were under me and they," I gesture to Max and Gemma," were standing over me," I try to explain.
"She got drunk last night, she's never drank before," Gemma tells Asher, "She laid down on the first thing she found last night, which was you," she says and starts laughing again.
"Look at this," she shows Asher something on his phone and I think I catch a flit of what looks like a smile from him, but it was probably just a twitch. I'm sure, because he frowns then he snorts. Max shows me the phone. I'm asleep on top of Asher with my hair all over his chest. My mouth is open and I see a sliver of slobber coming out of my mouth. Asher is shirtless and his mouth is slightly open. His toned arm is wrapped around my waist. He looks good. Oh my God.
I can't believe I just thought that. Max pulls away the phone. "I guess you guys are pretty cozy now, huh?" Gemma asks giggling. "I never took you for a cuddler Asher, and you're my brother." She laughs lightly as Asher glares at her and leaves the room along with Max trailing behind her dying of laughter. I'm still on the floor sitting. I look at the floor playing with my fingers, blushing to death. Asher coughs a little. I look up at him quickly and notice he's throwing his light blue button up shirt back on. It's wrinkled,  but he probably doesn't care.
"You going to sit there all morning or get up?" He asks me raising an eyebrow, "There's shit to clean up."
I nod tentatively, and look around for my phone. What the heck? I'm not in my dress. I finger the white T-shirt on my body and the black sweatpants I have no idea about where they came from. I look up to see Asher walking out of the living room and Gemma entering. She notices my confused face.
"You threw up last night on your dress, so me and Max gave you a bath after everyone left. You're a hard person to convince the bathtub isn't a hovercraft when you're drunk," she laughs under her breath and continues, "I had those sweatpants in my trunk, and I pulled the T-shirt off Asher. I couldn't find any underclothes that would fit you. You have more curves than I do."
I don't have a bra on. Holy crap. My face has to be blazing red. My hands instinctively cross over my breasts. "Thank you, I-I guess," I mumble as I stand up, groaning as my head pounds.
So this is a hangover. Thanks Max. I grab a trash bag and start picking up garbage.
•••
"Where is Ryan?" I ask as we wipe down the bars, finishing up the kitchen.
"Outside with Asher, cleaning up the yard. I sent them out there to bond," Gemma sighs.
Max snorts, "They're probably bonding with their fists."
Oh gosh. "Gemma, how do you like the ring?" I ask trying to get on a better subject.
She smiles, then holds out her hand.
"I love it."
Ryan walks in at about the same time she answers me.
"You love what?" He asks beaming.
"You," she welcomes his embrace as he walks over to greet her. "Ugh! You're all sweaty!" He hugs her tighter. Max and I just watch as he tortures her with his sweaty shirt.
Asher walks into the kitchen with a garbage bag full of red solo cups. I automatically turn away and act like I'm wiping something off the island bar. I hate feeling so exposed, especially the kind of exposed where I have no bra on. Especially when there's two guys in the room, and one is a complete butt. My face feels hot and I don't listen to the conversation spoken behind me. It's not until I feel warm breath fan across my neck that I turn around. Asher is reaching around me to open a cabinet. I look at the floor, and try to move out of the way, only to bump into his arm. I shiver.
"You're in my way. Get out of my way," he says, his icy grey eyes bore into my blue ones as I look up.
"Say please," I say breathing out a nervous laugh. I hear Max laugh at me. She remembers last night. So do I. His eyes harden and he turns away leaves the kitchen.
"Woah, someone's sensitive," Max teases, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, I don't know why he always has to act like an ass," Gemma says thoughtfully as she breaks away from Ryan.