Page 80 of Hello Doctor

“You’re drunk,” I said.

“AND?”

I smiled to myself. She was so sassy. “And, I think you need to leave the mountain man alone.”

Suddenly, music played loudly over the phone. She must have left the bathroom and walked back into the bar.

“Oh, there he is. BENTLEYYYYY!”

“Put Bentley on the phone,” I ordered.

I heard her yell, “My BOSS wants to talk to you.”

After a second,Bentleycame on the phone. “Yeah?”

“Bentley, you don’t know me, but I’m a doctor. I know seventy-one ways to kill a man, forty-eight that could never be traced back to me, and I will use every fucking one of them on you if you lay a finger on that woman. Got it?”

He stumbled over his words before finally saying, “Sorry, I didn’t know she was taken.”

“She is. Now get the fuck out of there before I show up and handle you myself.” I heard the front door to my house open, and I said, “I’ll give you a head start.” Then I hung up and got out of bed, throwing on a pair of shoes and meeting Hayes in the living room.

“Watch Maya. I’ve got some business to handle.”

Hayes gave me a knowing look. “Liv?”

“Just stay here.”

39

Liv

I rolled over in bed, feeling like absolute dogshit.

What the fuck happened last night? I thought I was staying at Della’s?

But I was in my room at Fletcher’s house.

I looked up at the nightstand, seeing a bottle of Gatorade, a couple ibuprofens, and my phone. I took the drink and pills first, thanking god I didn’t feel nauseous. When the night went fuzzy, I’d had four shots... Maybe five...

I got my phone to check in with the girls, but when I got to my messages, I stared at the screen. Fletcher had been my last text.

I scrolled through the thread in abject horror.

What the fuck was wrong with me? Why hadn’t Della hidden my phone in my purse? I was theworstdrunk texter.

I looked at my phone calls, seeing two on my screen, and wracked my brain for what happened last night. I got fuzzy flashes that made me even more embarrassed.

Fletcher driving me home.

Hayes in the living room, watching as he walked me inside.

Asking Hayes to dance with me.

Hayes agreeing. Until Fletcher picked me up and put me over his shoulder to carry me to my room.

Dear lord.

I texted my friends group chat.