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cooler.”
    I really started
to loath that word. And the drink even more so.
    “Look, as long
as you keep hydrated today, you’ll be fine.”
    I winced, not
believing him one second. “It feels like someone installed a construction site
in my head.”
    “Oh yeah, I know
the feeling. If you give me a minute to shower, I’ll drive you home.”
    “No!” Ah hell, panicky
shouting wasn’t a good idea. I grimaced, pressing my temples until the
throbbing eased. “No thanks,” I tried again in a calmer tone, just wanting out
of this house. “I’ll be happy to take the walk and sober up before meeting my
parents. My mom will freak out.”
    “Suit yourself.”
He walked me to the front door. “Want my sunglasses?”
    “Why would I
want your sunglasses?” The moment I pulled open the door I knew why. Like a
vampire, I flinched back into the shade.
    And right into
his firm chest. Which was still naked. And damn enticing.
    He reached around,
holding out his shades to me which he had fetched from where I didn’t know. The
scent of pure Hunter enveloped me. For a millisecond, the screaming in my
aching head stopped, and I was about to faint for a different reason.
    “I know you so
want it.” I could hear the mocking smile in his voice when he said it into my
ear. I swallowed hard, only then realizing he meant his sunglasses.
    Putting on the
shades, I pushed away from him and trudged outside, down the steps.
    “Matthews,” Ryan
called after me, and I turned. “We’ll start your training tomorrow morning. Be
up and ready at five. I’ll pick you up.”
    My jaw hit my
chest as he said it and shut the door.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER
    6
     
     
    BY HALF PAST
ten, I slipped through the door of our house. Mom stood in the threshold to the
kitchen, with her cell phone in her hand. She looked up, and a relieved smile
curved her lips. “Hi, sweetie. Why didn’t you take your phone with you? I was
just about to call Tony to check if everything was okay.”
    Praise the Lord
for the many nights I crashed at Tony’s in the past ten years. Mom was so used
to it, she would never expect anything bad when I didn’t come home after being
out with him. I resisted the urge to cross myself and forced a smile.
    “How was the
party?” she asked in her innocent, motherly way.
    “Good.”
    “When was it
over?”
    “Little after
three?”
    Great, sound
anymore guilty, and she’ll tie you to the kitchen chair and start a nasty
inquisition. Luckily, her frown eased after a second, and she asked me if I
wanted anything to eat. Ham and eggs, my favorite breakfast.
    The churning of
my stomach rebelled like the worst traitor through the room. Please, no food. I
couldn’t help but gag and wrinkle my face. “No thanks, Mom.”
    “What’s it?
Don’t you feel well?” She was in front of me before I could escape to the
stairs.
    I pulled off
Hunter’s shades and pinched the spot between my eyes. “Nah, all’s fine.”
    “What’s with
your eyes, honey?”
    Shit. I quickly
hooded my eyes and stared at the floor.
    Too late. She
gasped. “They’re totally red. Liza Isadora Matthews—”
    Oh great, the
full name. This was going downward.
    “Have you been
drinking alcohol?”
    In contrast to
her roar, my voice dropped to a mumble. “Only a little bit. And I didn’t know
there was alcohol in the soda, I swear.”
    From there she
pulled off the full parental orchestra of scolding. She shouted, she grunted,
she called me irresponsible for drinking. But the worst thing, she grounded me.
    The only time
where I would see daylight was soccer training Tuesday and Thursday, and she
only gave in to that because I begged on my knees. After all, I couldn’t not show up for the first week of training when it had been so hard to get onto the
team.
    Then she brought
me a glass of water, hugged me, and said she was happy I didn’t get hurt. Duh,
she didn’t know about my hammering head yet.
    Back in my room,
I slumped on my bed and made plans for a week