Page 107 of Every Broken Piece
What is wrong with me?
Why can’t I act like a normal person?
This is all so mortifying. I’m going to have to pack up and sneak out. Not that I unpacked. The first rule I ever learned as a foster kid was to never unpack because I wasn’t going to be there long.
I roll to my back and squint up at the ceiling. The curtains are open. The sun is shining. My head isn’t happy with any of it.
Need to get out of bed. Gather my things. Can I bring all ten blankets? Logistically how is that possible? Did Gabe save the boxes they came in? Because I really want to keep the blankets. All of them.
I toss an arm over my eyes and hit myself in the head with my wrist brace. “Ow.”
From somewhere near the door comes a male chuckle. I refuse to look. I refuse to multiply my embarrassment. If I ignore him, will he go away?
The bed dips causing me to roll into his hard thigh. A hand settles on my hip. I lay still, pretending I’m not here, that he doesn’t see me.
“I brought water, ibuprofen, and a blueberry muffin.”
“Bougie water?” I ask, still not removing my arm from my eyes.
“Bougie water.”
“And a muffin?”
“Blueberry.”
“I like blueberry.”
“I know.”
I lift my arm and peek at him from beneath it. “How do you know that?”
“You told Pax last night and he told me this morning.”
“Is he in trouble?” I don’t want to get Pax in trouble. I was drinking that very expensive whiskey just as much as he was.
“Yes.”
I lower my arm and squint up at Gabe. Big mistake.Bigmistake. He’s wearing a tight black t-shirt, his biceps stretching the boundaries of the stitching, and tan cargo pants.
Wait. Cargo pants? He doesn’t seem the cargo pants type of person.
Focus, Tess.
“Don’t be mad at Pax. Be mad at me. I drank your expensive bougie whiskey too.”
His lips twitch. “I don’t care about the cost of the bougie whiskey.” His hand curls around my hip. Everything this man does is comforting even when I know he’s disappointed in me. “Pax had no business getting you drunk.”
“MaybeIgothimdrunk.”
His grin breaks through. “Did you?”
“Yes.”
“You’re lying.”
I huff. “It was a mutual decision.”
“You asked him if he wanted to turn Go Fish into a drinking game?”
