through my heavy brain. I moaned and rolled over to muffle the sound, only to fall off the couch and land on the floor with a bang.
"Make it stop," I whined.
"It's your phone," a low and sleepy voice told me.
I grunted and lifted my head up as the sound got louder. I pried open my eyes to see Ryder was handing me the stupid thing.
"What?" I answered, not trying to hide my annoyance.
"Kallie Marie Adams! That is no way to answer the phone," my mother scolded.
"Sorry, Mom," I mumbled. I rolled to my back as Ryder sank into the recliner. "You woke me up."
"It's almost noon," she said, sounding confused. "Are you drunk?"
"No, Mother," I sighed. "That was last night. I'm hungover."
She laughed. She actually laughed at me, and I wasn't finding this funny. "What's funny?"
"Not something I thought I would hear from you," she admitted.
"Well, it's something I try to avoid," I whined.
"Drink Gatorade," she suggested. "I hear that's the best thing for it."
"Really? Thanks."
"I just called to check up on you. I can call you later."
I agreed and we hung up the phone. I stared at the screen after we disconnected. Sure enough, the caller ID said "Home". That woman was nothing like the mom I knew. I expected anger and lecturing. Although I was an adult, my parents still liked to have control and keep me in line. My line was pretty crooked right now.
I was still on the hard floor, so I sat up and leaned my back on the couch. Ryder held up a cup of coffee for me and I took it gratefully. "Do you have Gatorade? My mom said that helps with a hangover," I asked him.
"Your mom?"
"Yeah. Weird, right?"
He nodded. "I don't have any though. I can go get you some," he offered. I stared up at him surprised. I'm not surprised he would do it for me; I was surprised he said he would.
"No, it's okay," I shook my head. "Thank you." I sipped on my coffee in silence with Ryder until Chloe came barreling out of the bedroom.
"Shit! Shit. Shit," she said as she ran around the room in circles. Scarlett wandered out behind her with an amused look. "I am late. I have to be at my mom's in a few hours."
"Take off," I told her, crawling over to grab her purse from the ground and handing it up to her.
"You need a ride back to the hotel?" she asked me in a panic.
"No. Go," I waved her off.
"Okay," she bent down and gave me a hug. "I love you. Call me later. Sorry."
She waved and yelled her thanks to us as she ran out the door. Scarlett had her coffee and sat on a stool. "You coming to Mom's?" she asked Ryder.
"Nope," he said, like he always did. "I have to take Kallie to her hotel." He gave me a look, begging me not to disagree.
"Fine. You coming next weekend, Princess?"
"Yes," I said quietly, avoiding the look I was sure Ryder was throwing my way.
"Great. I'll let her know. Adam will be meeting me here tonight for dinner. You two will be here, right?"
"Maybe," Ryder told her in a tight voice. I finally met his gaze and saw the anger there.
"You better be," she warned her brother before going into her room.
We sat in silence as we listened to Scarlett shower and get ready. She finally emerged looking like she wasn't out drinking the night before. I wondered how she did it because I was sure I wasn't going to be able to pull it off today. When the door closed behind her, I braced myself.
"Seriously? My mom's?" Ryder growled at me.
I gulped. "She wanted to thank me for the wedding. What was I supposed to say? Ryder doesn't want me to meet you so go screw yourself? Even though he doesn't want to be with me, I, unreasonably, should do anything for him?"
He flinched. "Yes."
"Don't worry," I smiled at him. "I won't be nice to her."
He laughed and some of the tension in his body seemed to ease. "I don't think that's possible for you. I have a stop I need to make on the way, so let me know when you're ready to go."
Ryder left the room, and I finished my coffee. I got up and changed out of the
"Make it stop," I whined.
"It's your phone," a low and sleepy voice told me.
I grunted and lifted my head up as the sound got louder. I pried open my eyes to see Ryder was handing me the stupid thing.
"What?" I answered, not trying to hide my annoyance.
"Kallie Marie Adams! That is no way to answer the phone," my mother scolded.
"Sorry, Mom," I mumbled. I rolled to my back as Ryder sank into the recliner. "You woke me up."
"It's almost noon," she said, sounding confused. "Are you drunk?"
"No, Mother," I sighed. "That was last night. I'm hungover."
She laughed. She actually laughed at me, and I wasn't finding this funny. "What's funny?"
"Not something I thought I would hear from you," she admitted.
"Well, it's something I try to avoid," I whined.
"Drink Gatorade," she suggested. "I hear that's the best thing for it."
"Really? Thanks."
"I just called to check up on you. I can call you later."
I agreed and we hung up the phone. I stared at the screen after we disconnected. Sure enough, the caller ID said "Home". That woman was nothing like the mom I knew. I expected anger and lecturing. Although I was an adult, my parents still liked to have control and keep me in line. My line was pretty crooked right now.
I was still on the hard floor, so I sat up and leaned my back on the couch. Ryder held up a cup of coffee for me and I took it gratefully. "Do you have Gatorade? My mom said that helps with a hangover," I asked him.
"Your mom?"
"Yeah. Weird, right?"
He nodded. "I don't have any though. I can go get you some," he offered. I stared up at him surprised. I'm not surprised he would do it for me; I was surprised he said he would.
"No, it's okay," I shook my head. "Thank you." I sipped on my coffee in silence with Ryder until Chloe came barreling out of the bedroom.
"Shit! Shit. Shit," she said as she ran around the room in circles. Scarlett wandered out behind her with an amused look. "I am late. I have to be at my mom's in a few hours."
"Take off," I told her, crawling over to grab her purse from the ground and handing it up to her.
"You need a ride back to the hotel?" she asked me in a panic.
"No. Go," I waved her off.
"Okay," she bent down and gave me a hug. "I love you. Call me later. Sorry."
She waved and yelled her thanks to us as she ran out the door. Scarlett had her coffee and sat on a stool. "You coming to Mom's?" she asked Ryder.
"Nope," he said, like he always did. "I have to take Kallie to her hotel." He gave me a look, begging me not to disagree.
"Fine. You coming next weekend, Princess?"
"Yes," I said quietly, avoiding the look I was sure Ryder was throwing my way.
"Great. I'll let her know. Adam will be meeting me here tonight for dinner. You two will be here, right?"
"Maybe," Ryder told her in a tight voice. I finally met his gaze and saw the anger there.
"You better be," she warned her brother before going into her room.
We sat in silence as we listened to Scarlett shower and get ready. She finally emerged looking like she wasn't out drinking the night before. I wondered how she did it because I was sure I wasn't going to be able to pull it off today. When the door closed behind her, I braced myself.
"Seriously? My mom's?" Ryder growled at me.
I gulped. "She wanted to thank me for the wedding. What was I supposed to say? Ryder doesn't want me to meet you so go screw yourself? Even though he doesn't want to be with me, I, unreasonably, should do anything for him?"
He flinched. "Yes."
"Don't worry," I smiled at him. "I won't be nice to her."
He laughed and some of the tension in his body seemed to ease. "I don't think that's possible for you. I have a stop I need to make on the way, so let me know when you're ready to go."
Ryder left the room, and I finished my coffee. I got up and changed out of the
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