Page 104 of Every Broken Piece
They’re both sittingon top ofmy very expensive dining room table, a deck of cards, and a bottle of my best whiskey between them.
“Gabe!” Tess smiles at me. “You’re home!” She slides off the table. Her knees collapse and I lunge for her before she falls. She clutches my forearms and grins up at me with glassy eyes and whiskey breath.
I glare at Pax. “You got her drunk?”
I eye the bottle of whiskey, pretty sure it was almost full the last time I looked. Now it’s three quarters empty. What the hell? It’s been a long time since I’ve had to hide my alcohol from him.
“She’s a terrible Go Fish player.” He sways and grins, his eyes just as glassy and unfocused as hers.
“Am not!” She reaches across me to slap Pax’s arm.
“Are too.” He jerks back to avoid her very weak slap and falls off the table, rattling the pictures on the wall when he lands.
Tess gasps and, hands on her knees, bends down to look at him under the table. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” He rolls to his back and stares at the ceiling.
I don’t know whether to laugh or yell at him.
“You made a drinking game out of a kids’ card game?” I’m not sure who I’m asking. I’m not sure of anything anymore. Jack was worried that Tess’s presence would hurt Pax. I think Pax’s presence might hurt Tess instead. Or maybe I should be happy they get along so well?
I don’t know what the hell’s going on right now.
“Right?” Tess leans into to me, staring up at me with wide, unfocused eyes. “Who knew?”
Certainly not me.
Her smile widens and for the first time ever I think I see joy in her eyes. “Hi.”
Something inside me melts. “Hi, Spitfire.”
I could throttle my son, but part of me isn’t mad that she’s lost the tight control she keeps herself under. It’s good to unwind and I don’t know if Tess has ever fully relaxed.
“Should you be drinking with your head injury?” I ask.
Her eyes widen and she touches the side of her head. “Oh. I don’t know. Should I?”
I press my lips together to keep from grinning, even though this isn’t the least bit funny.
Not really.
Okay.
It’s kind of funny.
Tess is a cute drunk.
Pax, not so much.
He’s already snoring under the table.
Tess leans into me, resting her chin on my sternum to look up at me with those irresistible doe eyes. Automatically my hands curl around her hips, drawing her into the curve of my body. “Thank you for the blankets. That was really nice.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And the toothpaste. Bubble gum is my favorite flavor ever.”
I raise my brows. “Is it?”
