Page 49 of Bad Wolf

I go to speak, but my tongue feels too fat for my mouth and my head suddenly feels too heavy to hold up. I. Am. Wasted.

Jason heaves the table I always assumed was bolted down due to its weight, further away from where I’m seated so he can lumber round to give me a hand up, which I do not need.

Except, when I go to stand, I sway so violently I need him to hold on to.

“Fucks sake.” He hefts me around until he’s in a good position to hold me upright and starts to move in the opposite direction to the way we came in.

Before I know it, I’m lying face down on the cold leather of the back seat of a car and then the next thing I register is him maneuvering me onto my side and the bed rolling while he gets in the other side.

“You don’t need to fuckin’ stay in my bed, Nerd,” I grumble.

“Whatever you just said made absolutely no sense. The trash can is right over the edge. Go to sleep.”

And sleep, I do.

* * *

The infernal shrill of a phone alarm jilts me out of a deep sleep. The motion causing a wave of nausea to cascade and crash against the walls of my stomach, churning my guts. I quickly swing my legs out and turn over the side of the bed to hurl for what feels like an hour.

My muscles cramp and my throat burns as I retch and heave, my brother appearing in the doorway once I’m done. He hands me some sheets of paper towel and a bottle of water which I gratefully take.

“If you don’t get a handle on this, I’m gonna have to make a decision.” He tips his head to the side, thick dark-rimmed glasses making him look more serious.

I’d say he looks like a blond Clark Kent, but I’m not in the mood to blow smoke up his ass. At this moment, he’s just my geeky younger brother lording over me while I get sick.

And what’s he got to deliberate on…unless…My fuddled brain starts to clear as his words penetrate through the haze.

“Oh, fuck no. Don’t you fucking dare,” I gasp through chugging the water.

He slowly nods and passes me a couple of aspirin.

“I’m going to have to tell Mama.”

What a dick.

I scoff and throw the now empty water bottle at him, narrowing my eyes,

“You wouldn’t.”

“You’re on the precipice of a slippery slope. You almost fucked a girl in the middle of a club. Not a hotel room or her place. Not even in a bathroom stall. Completely out in public. It’s been nearly three weeks of you starting your mornings like this. If you don’t get your head on right, I’m telling Mom and Dad. That is, unless Casey gets to them first.”

“Fuck him. And fuck you. Bunch of meddling fuckers. This is my life.”

“He’s texting me every minute of the day,” he shrugs, “Self-destruct does not look pretty on you, Knox.”

“You’re such an asshole.” I go to move towards him but think better of it. I don’t think my stomach has finished revolting yet.

“Yeah, an asshole with a helicopter Mom. We pull the pin on that smother grenade and your miserable life will be blown to shit. She’ll be sleeping in your bed while you crash on the couch. She’ll be here e-ver-y day, which is fine by me.”

Of course, it is.

“She’ll know your schedule. There’ll be no women, no booze, and…she’ll make you talk about your feelings.”

“Fuck!” I slam my hand against the bedside table.

“I want to help you. No one is against you here. I—”

I storm off into my bathroom, no longer willing to listen to him.

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