Read Ours for Free Online Page B

probably should have slowed her down or cut her off, but neither he nor
Jake wanted her to think they wanted to control what she drank. She was old
enough to know when to stop. Well, they thought she’d know.
    He watched as she stumbled against Jake’s arm, muttering,
“Crap, I drank too much, and it’s all you guys’ faults.”
    Zack went over to help hold up her other side as she’d
refused in the car to be carried. “How, Firebird?”
    Sandy
glared up at him. “Because
you two make me nervous. Last night was like a dream, and I got scared
of what would happen tonight, and that waitress and women kept looking at you
and they were all”—she made an elaborate gesture with her hands to
herself—“thinking what’s a chubby no one doing with hunks like you. I know I
have lots of competition because you two are so handsome and could have any
woman, and one with lots of experience. I was a virgin until you boys came
along. I don’t know much, and I don’t want to like you and then have my family
chase you away or you figure out I’m not worth the effort, but it’s too late
I’ve already fallen in…” She trailed off as she covered her mouth with her
hand, pushed away, ran to the flowerbed in front of her house, and vomited
everywhere.
    Jake took the keys out of her hands and opened the door,
while Zack held
Sandy
’s
hair and rubbed her back.
    “Oh, go away. This is so embarrassing.” She lamely pushed
him away.
    Once she’d finished, Zack picked her up over her protests
and carried her to the bathroom.
    She rinsed out her mouth and groaned. “Please just put me
to bed and leave me alone. Maybe if I don’t see you again, I won’t be reminded
of what a fool I’ve made of myself. I’m not a drinker.”
    “I can tell,” Zack muttered.
    She nodded and Zack picked her back up and carried her to
the bed before laying her gently down. Jake passed him water and some paracetamol .
    “Here, take these,” Zack said as he stroked her hair.
      She downed two
tablets with the water before curling into a ball and closing her eyes. They
slowly started to walk away when she muttered, “Will you both just hold me for
a while?”
    Zack looked at Jake who was already getting in behind her.
Without saying a word, Zack got in the opposite side, kissed her forehead, and
watched as her breathing slowed and she snuggled into them.
    “I could get used to this.”
    Zack barely caught her whisper before he closed his own
eyes.
    ****
    Zack awoke to a mobile ringing and Jake’s rough voice
growling “What’s up?”
    He watched his cousin go from barely awake to jackknifing
up and out of bed to gather his stuff.
    Ending the phone call, Jake looked over at him. “Stay with
her. I have to go. There’s been another murder.”
    Zack nodded, pulled
Sandy
closer to him, and watched Jake rush out of the room before he drifted back off
to sleep.
    The next time he woke an alarm clock was going off.
    Sandy
groaned into his chest. “No, it can’t be six
o’clock already. I don’t want to go to work. I hate early shifts.” She pushed
against his chest. “Where’s Jake?”
    Zack leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. “He got
called into work, so it’s just me. How about you get a shower and dressed, and
I’ll make coffee, or would you rather some tea with a piece of toast?” He
smiled at her shocked expression.
    “You know how to cook?”
    “Well, I wouldn’t call putting toast into a toaster
cooking, but yes, I can cook. I have to feed myself somehow.”
    She closed her eyes and snuggled into him for a moment. “A
coffee and toast with butter would be heaven. I like mine milky with one big
sugar.” She gave him a quick kiss, got out of bed, and walked straight to her
bathroom.
    Zack watched her walk away in a lace bra and undies . Adjusting himself, he knew he wouldn’t be getting
rid of his morning boner anytime soon. He moaned and got out of bed.
    Zack looked in almost every cupboard in the kitchen