Just One Scandal (The Kingston Family #2) -Carly Phillips Page 0,59

him inside. “Bedroom?” Tripp asked Chloe before she could speak.

She nodded, following an obviously drunk Beck as his brother led him to his room and unceremoniously dumped him on the bed.

Chloe frowned and rushed over, lifting his feet, allowing him to stretch out on the mattress. She pulled off his shoes and set them on the floor before turning to Tripp.

“What happened?”

He shrugged. “Drew and I split up. He went to the club and I hit up Club TEN29. I found him shit-faced and about to order another drink. You can see for yourself he’d have ended up on the floor.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Where’s the club?”

“Not far from here. We know the owners,” Tripp said, glancing at Beck, who was on his back and snoring.

She sighed. “I’ve never seen him drunk.”

“He doesn’t do it often. Or ever, really. A drink or two to relax and that’s it. He’s just working off his demons. He’ll be fine in the morning.” He pulled a cell from his pocket and handed it to her. “This is Beck’s. It was on the counter where he was sitting. I grabbed it on the way out.”

She nodded, accepting the phone. “I’ll make sure he gets it in the morning. Tripp, wait. How’s your father?” She asked both for herself and for Beck, who would want to know when he sobered up.

He slid his hands into his back pockets. “Dad’s tough. He’s doing everything the doctors and nurses tell him, and he’s determined to get out of there in a few days. They won’t know if he needs chemo until the biopsies come back, but we’re hopeful. So are the doctors. Not that my brother heard anything they said.” He gestured to Beck, jerking his thumb in his sibling’s direction.

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek. “He hasn’t gotten over it.”

“Whitney,” Tripp said, stiffening. “Yeah. I know. We all reacted differently, but Beck’s always been a caretaker and he took on that role with my twin. I couldn’t handle it but that’s my problem. But Beck?” He shook his head. “He needs to stop living based on the past and look to the future. I tried to tell him that tonight, but given his condition, I doubt he heard a damned thing I said.”

“I know,” she said sadly.

“Hey, are you sure you can take care of him? Otherwise I can stay,” he offered, but he clearly was hoping he didn’t have to. He had one foot out the door already.

She smiled. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I owe him.”

Tripp laughed at that. “Okay, if you need anything, give one of us a call. Got your phone?”

She nodded. “It’s in the family room. I’ll get it for you.”

He typed his number into her cell and left.

Chloe leaned against the door and sighed. She didn’t know what kind of night she had ahead of her, if Beck would just sleep it off or wake up in the middle of the night. The one thing she was sure of was he wouldn’t make a fool of himself the way she had the night of her non-wedding.

After setting the alarm, she headed back to the bedroom to take care of him.

Chapter Eleven

Beck’s head pounded like someone played the drums inside his skull. Groaning, he rolled over, immediately regretting the motion. What the fuck had he done last night?

He blinked and his bedroom came into focus. “Thank God.” He wasn’t in a stranger’s bed. Given how he felt this morning and how little he remembered about the evening before, he counted himself damned lucky.

As he lay there contemplating how he’d manage to get up for Advil and water, the events of yesterday came back to him, and he remembered his father’s surgery. He reached for the nightstand, where he always kept his phone, and the pounding in his head stopped him. “Shit.”

“You’re up?” Chloe’s familiar voice asked.

“Barely.” He couldn’t even open his eyes to face her, the throbbing was so bad.

“Here. I have Advil I found in your bathroom and a glass of orange juice. Think you can sit up and take them?”

“Yeah. I’ll manage.” He inched his head up and pushed himself up until he was leaning back against the headboard. He peeled his eyes open and met her worried gaze.

“You didn’t move once Tripp got you onto the bed,” she said, holding out the pills and glass. “Here.”

He realized he was still in his clothes from yesterday. A glance told him so was she. Accepting the medication, he swallowed both