Intoxicated

Chapter 9

*DYLAN’S POV*

  The ride back to the hotel was awkward and I wished I could have disowned myself. As the silence filled up the cab, I racked my brain for some logical reason for doing what I did, but I couldn’t even get past the look Simone had given me. We have fought in the past but not like this. Then thinking about Mo got me thinking about Ryan’s tough guy stance as if he was trying to protect her or something.

  Ha ha, trying to protect her from what? And almost simultaneously my mind whispered back at me, protect her from you ya moron.

*KENZIE’S POV*

  The ride back to the hotel was nice enough, but there was a worried anxious feeling growing inside my chest. I could feel my mannerisms becoming sloppy and inside the coziness of the car everything I did seemed way too loud. For the first time probably in my life I regretted having so much to drink.

  “Kenzie? Kenzie are you alright?” We were stopped at a red light and Niall was staring at me with concern stricken eyes. I tried to remember what he had asked or what we had been talking about and of course came up empty handed. My body already felt like a furnace as the liquor searched for an exit, and my embarrassment only added coals to the point where my fingers were colored red in a feverish blush.

  “Um yeah, fine. I’m fine I mean. Sorry I just zoned out. What were you saying?” I shoved my hands under my thighs willing the blush to dissipate and begging my brain to let me finish this night off nicely.

  “Oh, no problem. I was just sayin it’s crazy we haven’t really gotten ta know each otha till now.” His sweet smile was back as the car lurched forward, but I could tell that he was still worried from the way his eyes kept nervously shifting to glance at me.

  I collected my thoughts, worked my jaw a bit, and counted to ten before trying to answer in the most coherent way possible. “I know, crazy, just crazy.” I internally face palmed myself because it wasn’t much of a response, but I didn’t trust myself to say much more. He didn’t say anything for a while and I could feel the noose tightening around the little relationship we had made. Shit, I would have done anything for a drink.

  The sights outside started to become the slightest bit familiar meaning we were nearly back to our new home. And thank God for that because the awkwardness was suffocating till the blonde next to me cleared his throat.

  “But dere was dat one time when I tried ta get ta know ya.” He chuckled afterwards, and I whipped my head to look at him, unsure if I had heard him correctly.

  “Wait when? I don’t remember.” I stuck to keeping my answers short as my misty brain attempted to recall the event he was speaking of. His eyebrows pulled down and a muscle jumped in his jaw, and I knew me not remembering had hurt him.

  Way to go Kenzie. Strike one.

  “Well it was at Daniel’s party and you were in a green crop top tat really um…brought out da color in your eyes. So I walked up ta ya and formally introduced myself.” Niall’s voice trailed off, hoping that I would fill in the blanks now that he had set the scene.

  But I had instantly been thrown back to that night the second he had mentioned my top. That was during my bad boy phase and I had my sights set firmly on Stephen Garrow, and I had made it my mission to get him that night.

  “I had worn that because Stephen said he loved the way-” I cut myself off as soon as my dreamy voice reached my own ears, meaning I had actually said it. I snapped my mouth shut and out of the corner of my eye gauged Niall’s reaction. His grip on the steering wheel had become deathly tight since even in the dark I could tell his knuckles were white.