Swallow

Chapter 1.51:

I clomped down the stairs after drinking down a quarter-full bottle of whiskey that I found when I was cleaning up my newly decorated room. I sucked it down in a few gulps and tossed the empty bottle into the trash with the mangled blinds and broken poster frame. My mood and patience started leveling out somewhat after the destructive episode. Breaking things always helped me feel a little better.

Once the slight buzz kicked in, too, I felt like the calmer version of myself again.

At least until I saw Anna staring me down over the top of her e-reader.

"What are you looking at?" I scowled back.

"The picture-perfect embodiment of an asshole." She muttered, turning her head back down to what she was reading.

"You're fucking hilarious," I grumbled while looking around the living room for my girl.

"What's wrong with you? You're being weird." Anna asked, shifting her eyes back up to me.

"I am not. Where's Riley?" I tried to sound casual as I asked.

"She's still sleeping."

"How is she doing?" The question tumbled out of my mouth clumsily as I looked back up the stairs.

I was still borderline pissed off at her, but part of me was also worried she was still sick. The whole mixture of globbed-up emotions I felt for her were confusing me.

Anna's head snapped up in my direction and she gave me a puzzled look. She was already pondering my motives in her standard pinched-bitch glare. Her desire to always stick her nose into my business was grating against my moderately improved mood.

"I told you she is sleeping, Ezra. Why do you care?" Anna pulled her eyebrows together.

"I don't. She just looked sick earlier. Has anyone checked on her?" I asked.

"Riley will be fine. She always hibernates after she's had too much to drink." JD's head emerged from the kitchen. He was sluffing off Riley's condition like it wasn't a big deal. If he knew it was because she took that pill, maybe he would have been a little more sympathetic or concerned about her as much as I was.

"Let's go and get back before people start showing up." Mark marched out from the kitchen and motioned for JD to follow him.

"Mark and I are going to go on a supply run. Come with us. Anna is going to stay behind to keep an eye on Riley since Aiden and Brynn decided to lock themselves in his room all afternoon."

Anna gave JD that 'I'll burn your house down with a smile' typical girlfriend glower. She was obviously being forced to go along with the plan and wasn't thrilled about being left behind. JD wasn't ever even allowed to take a dump without her getting angry with him.

Luckily for her, I was such a nice guy today.

"I can stay and watch the house if Anna wants to go." I scratched my head and avoided looking JD in the eye as I offered.

"Just come with us. We won't be gone too long. If you behave, I'll buy you a candy bar at the liquor store." Mark added to attempt to convince me.

"I don't feel like going out and I need to take a shower. I fucking stink." I declined with the first explanation I could come up with. It wasn't too far off base. I had washed my body up quickly before coming down the stairs because I had Riley's scent all over me, but I really could stand to get an actual shower today.

"I smell too. We can be twinsies. The ladies will be beating the door down over our sexy man perfume. Tell him how hot the stench is, Anna." Mark grinned.