Keeping You Away - Kennedy Fox Page 0,24

inebriated. I just hope I don’t say anything stupid, like the other day in the lobby when I told him I’d waited years for him. There was no denying the embarrassment I felt after.

The more hours that pass, the drunker we get, except for Tyler. He’s switched to drinking water and doesn’t join in on our conversation but rather just listens.

Everleigh is two shots away from reliving our early twenties, and I can’t stop laughing at everything she says. Katie has the giggles too, and I don’t even remember what was so funny when we order another round.

“And look how sexy they look in these new dresses,” Everleigh beams, swiping through her photos and showing Tyler the pictures.

“I mean, look at Gemma in that summer dress. She looks like she should be on the cover of Vogue, not modeling my clothes in small-town Alabama.”

I shake my head, not wanting the attention. Though she’s made Katie and me mini celebrities with her customers.

“And Katie. Jesus, girl, you’re a MILF if I ever saw one. Still don’t know why a man hasn’t made an honest woman out of her yet.” Everleigh talks loud when she’s drunk, and right now, the whole bar can hear her.

Tyler laughs as he shushes her. “Looks like you found the perfect people to guilt into helping you.”

This makes Katie and me snort.

“First comes guilt, second comes threats. It’s easier to just give in right away,” I admit.

“So, what you’re saying is, Everleigh hasn’t changed one bit since I left?”

“Are you kidding me? Not much has changed around here at all,” I say, smiling. “Everleigh’s the same smartass she’s always been.”

Tyler looks at me. “You have.”

My lips fall open, and it’s like everything around us disappears. “No, I haven’t.”

Then I replay what’s happened since he’s been gone, and I realize he’s right. I’m not the same naïve eighteen-year-old girl who thought he could rope the moon.

He arches a challenging brow. “Sure about that?”

Nervously, I shrug. “Well, maybe a little.”

Everleigh butts in. “We’re all more mature and doing pretty good in life. Katie has a son. I have a business. And Gemma has a fiancé.”

“And I have a record! Yay me!” Tyler adds with a sarcastic edge in his voice.

I’m relieved when more alcohol arrives, but I’m at the point where I can’t feel my lips. I stand to go to the restroom, and the room rocks sideways. Regardless, I continue forward, and that’s when it’s confirmed that I’m trashed. At least the edge is gone, though it’s starting to mess with my emotions and thoughts, which can’t be a good thing for me right now.

When I look in the mirror, I smile. My hair and makeup are perfect, and I look hot as hell. Confidence doesn’t strike me much because I’m often insecure about my weight. Over the years, people have made various comments about how thin I am, asked if I had an eating disorder, and have even suggested I need to eat a cheeseburger or two. I’ve heard it most of my life and still continue to struggle with body image so damn much even as an adult. I’ve tried to accept my petite size, but it’s hard for me to gain weight. But right now, none of that matters, because Everleigh put me in a dress that accentuates my waist and shows the perfect amount of cleavage for a quick peek. She could be a personal stylist for any body type, and it’s one of the reasons Ever After does so well.

When I go back to the table, I glance at my cell and wonder why Robert hasn’t texted me. He was totally okay with me canceling tonight because he’s exhausted. He must’ve gone straight to bed after work. I blink again and notice it’s nearly one in the morning. My eyes go wide because it feels like we just got here, but that seems to happen every time I hang out with the girls.

At nearly the same time, Katie notices how late it is too. “I should probably get going.” She yawns. The booze must’ve worn off because she stopped drinking hours ago. “I’ll need to get Owen from my parents after breakfast in the morning. He has a birthday party to go to, and I still have to wrap the gift.”

“You okay to drive?” Tyler asks, and she nods.

“I wouldn’t be if I tried to keep up with these two monsters,” she teases.

Everleigh leans over the table and gives me a high five,