I look like a damn mess, but nothing like a hot shower can't fix. The heartbreak churning inside me, on the other hand? Not even a thousand showers will be able to mend it.
But I don't want to think about that right now.
Avery is lying on my bed—which she already tidied up—when I get back to my room twenty minutes later. Her attention is focused on her phone so I walk past her as I towel off my hair, stepping into my walk-in closet to put on some clean clothes.
I'm combing my hair when I step back out, only to stop dead when I find my sister smirking at me. “Parker Holloway, huh?”
I press my lips into a thin line. I knew there was a reason why she's still here. Setting my hairbrush on the nightstand, I ask, “Did you open the door for him last night?”
She sits up and crosses her legs. “You should be thankful it was me and not Dad. You were passed out. You didn’t even move when he tucked you in your bed.”
Oh, I'm thankful. Dad wouldn’t have lectured about getting drunk, but he would have given me a disappointed look for sure. Which is worse.
“Thanks.” And I mean it.
“I know it’s smart to hook up with a guy hotter than your ex. But do you think it was a good idea to do it on the same night you broke up with Liam?”
I stiffen. “You know about that?”
She wasn’t even at the party. High school parties are beneath her now that she's in college.
“Of course I do. It’s all over my socials. Hell, even Reddit. Everyone’s talking about it.”
I grimace. But what did I expect? That everyone who was there would keep it a secret? If there's one thing teenagers love aside from sex and alcohol-fueled parties, it's hot gossip. Especially if it involves a popular jock and an equally popular cheerleader.
“I’d ask how you were holding up, but considering Parker took you home…” She trails off, her perfectly shaped brow arched.
“Nothing happened, okay?” I flop down on the bed. “We didn’t even kiss.”
“Nothing at all?” Avery looks disappointed. Did she actually want to hear that I hooked up with Parker?
“You said it wasn’t a good idea.”
“I never said I thought it was.”
I roll my eyes.
“So what did you two do last night if you didn’t hook up?”
“Nothing. We just drove to the beach and got drunk. Well, I got drunk. I don’t remember him touching the beer.”
“And he didn’t take advantage of you? What a gentleman.”
I give her an incredulous look. Why would he? “Do guys do that in uni?”
She shrugs carelessly. “Some of them.”
My eyes widen. “Were you—”
“Hell, no!”
I blow out a relieved breath. The possibility of my sister being taken advantage at some party makes me sick.
Avery and I don't have a very close relationship, but I love her just the same. Physically and personality-wise, we're polar opposites. While I took after Mom's Filipino features—black hair, black almond-shape eyes, olive skin, average height—Avery looks a lot like Dad. She stands at five-nine, has a fair complexion, and her hair is a dark blonde color. And like Dad, her eyes are medium-brown.
While I'm quiet and laid-back, she's just like Quinn—vibrant and full of life. Which is why when Avery was still in high school, they were always mistaken for being sisters. And people were surprised to know that I'm actually the one related to Avery.
“The trick is to not accept drinks from anyone but your trusted friends. And make sure you’re just tipsy and not flat-out drunk.” She gives me a disapproving look at the end of that sentence.
I’d like to think I got drunk carelessly because I trusted Parker. But I suspect I would've still done the same even if it was some other guy. I wanted to drown my sorrow with alcohol and that was what I did. Tried to do, anyway. Because the pain is still there. And I don’t think it's going to go away even if I guzzle down a whole keg.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say softly.
Avery stares at me, her features softening. “But how are you holding up? Seriously?”
I give a wry smile. “Like what you can expect from someone who’s been cheated on by her boyfriend with her best friend.”
“Peyton is such a bitch,” she sneers. “You know, I never really liked that girl. I’ve always wondered why. Well, now, I know. I say good riddance, sis.”
I sputter out a laugh. To be honest, it makes me feel a little better.
Avery smiles as she rises from the bed. “Come on. Get your pretty little hungover butt up. It’s time for lunch.” Reaching the doorway, she glances back. “By the way, Quinn called this morning, asking if you got home safely. She wanted you to call her back. That girl is so demanding.” There's fondness in her voice even as she rolls her eyes. Because unlike Peyton, she actually likes Quinn.
I guess that should have clued me in.
*******
The mouth-watering smell of kare-kare makes my stomach rumble as I step into the dining room, seeing Dad and Avery already seated at the table, with Duke looking hopeful for scraps at Dad’s feet.
Kare-kare had been one of Mom’s favorite dishes, so Dad makes it a point to cook it every once in a while.
And I always look forward to it. There's something about the aroma of this Filipino dish that takes me back to the days when Mom was still alive. It feels like she's still here with us.
“Everything okay, kid?” Dad inquires as he passes the bowl of kare-kare to me.
Avery and I exchange a look. I shake my head subtly.
He doesn’t have to know about what happened with Liam. At least not right now, anyway. I can tell him another day. Because I feel like I've already reached my limit
