The Right Kind Of Wrong

Chapter 4

Justin Little (Step Brother)

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When I woke up I kept my eyes closed knowing the tiniest bit of light would burn them. The bed doesn't feel like mine and I'm still fully clothed, but I'm too tired and hungover to care. I stretch my body, still lying in bed, to work out the kinks and my hand lightly brushes against something furry. I recoil my arm and roll out of the bed, hitting the ground with a thud.

I hear a grunt and the bed moves before it goes still again. I lie completely still on the cold floor. Looking around the room I start to realize where I am. I get up on my hands and look at the figure lying in the bed.

Liam.

I duck back down when he starts to stir. I silently curse myself thinking of what could have happened last night. I must have fallen over drunk and either found my way into his room or he led me, in my drunken state, into his bed. I get back up on my hands and knees to see if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Maybe it wasn't Liam. Anyone would be better but no one would be great. Or it would mean I was going crazy and seeing things.

Liam's eyes start to flutter open and I jump to action. I grab my shoes that are so conveniently sitting by the bed and run to the door. He quickly asks where I'm going but I'm already out the door. I run as far as my car before the contents of my stomach decide to make an appearance.

I walk out of the bushes and get into my car, heels in hand. At least I won't have to do the walk-of-shame, I think to myself as I pull off.

I spend the remainder of my day in my private bath, bent over the toilet. I should be in school but I'm sure no one's there. Almost the entire school was at that party and they were worse off than me.

I wanted to sleep off the blinding headache I had but my brain just wouldn't allow it. Whenever I closed my eyes, my mind would wander to what could have happened after I had gotten completely drunk last night. And if not that, I think about that boy on the roof. Who was he? Have I ever talked to him before? Do I know him? Then my bogus mind puts Liam's face on the shadowy figure, and my stomach rumbles again. These thoughts mixed with a hangover are hell on my throat and empty stomach.

I'm in the middle of one of my episodes when there's a knock at the bathroom door. "Who is it?" I ask groggy as I lift my head out of the toilet.

"Justin. Could I come in?" I reply with a gruff yes and he comes into the room holding a clear plastic cup. He comes toward me a small empathetic smile on his face and hands me the cup. I sniff it before asking what it is. "The best hangover remedy. One cup of this and you should be good to go in about an hour."

I was still weary about drinking the strange substance but he said it would help with the hangover. And it smelled really good. Besides if he wanted to kill me I doubt he'd be dumb enough to do it in my bathroom.

I took a small leisurely sip and rolled it on my tongue awhile. "It doesn't taste poison.," I said not hiding the surprise in my voice. "It actually tastes really good." I take another huge gulp of the liquid and let it run down my throat.

"Why would I poison my baby sis?" He smirks and I punch him in his arm.

"What's in here anyway?" I gulp down some more of the liquid and let it run down my throat. I feel it working as my headache starts to fade and the nonexistent contents of my stomach no longer want to come up.

"It's just coconut water with a little bit of pineapple, mango, and guava juice." He sits down and leans against the bathroom wall with his hand resting on his raised knee.

"All of that helps with a hangover," I asked bewildered.

"Nah, just the coconut water, everything else just makes it takes better."

I take another big gulp when I realize something and my face scrunches up. "We don't own coconut water."

He ducks his head but not fast enough for me not to see the blush that invade his cheeks. "Now you do."

"Aww," I place the empty cup down and put my hands on my heart. "You went to the store and bought coconut water just for me?" I crawl next to him and engulf him in a hug, my arms wound tightly around his neck. "Your the bwest bwig bwother evor." I said, picking fun at the fact he called me his "baby sis" earlier.

He laughs and pushes me off of him. "Enough PDA." I slide back and sit against the toilet, one leg outstretched and the other pulled in toward me.

He studies me for a moment before speaking again."Did you have fun at Kylie's party last night?"

I narrow my eyes at him, "How did you know I was at that party?"

"Cause you just told me," he says smirking. He laughs as a heat spreads throughout my cheeks. I find myself loving the way he laughs and not wanting him to stop. My neck becomes hot as I shake the thought from my head. "But really. I was there too, I saw you."

"You were there?!" I exclaim. He nods his head. "Why?" I asked confused.

"Because it would have been rude not to, it was my party."

My face registers a look of confusion before realization sets in. My eyes widen as my jaw drops. "You're the new guy everyone's been screaming about?!" I asked bewildered.

He raises his hands in surrender and bows his head. "Guilty as charged."

"Is that why you never came to help with the wedding before, you were helping with the move?" I said putting the story together. He nodded his head in response.

Justin and his father lived two towns over in Placid Hills, an ironic name considering it was anything and everything but. It was about an hours commute. Justin was still in school and a high school senior at that. Switching schools during your senior year must be hard. You have to make sure all of your collage credits, classes, grades, and everything transfers over. Then you have to make sure your address is updated so if you're expecting any collage rejection/acceptance letters they get sent to the right place.

"I wanted to come but there was just so much to do." I shake my head and lean forward to place my hand on his knee.

"No, it's okay, I understand." I sit back and guiltily scratch my head. "I just wish I would have known that before I told my best friend some...compromising things about you," I said letting out a nervous laugh.

He laughs and I instantly feel a little better. "It's fine. I would have done the same thing. My soon to be step mother is going out of her way to introduce us and I don't even show."

I gawk at him then smile. "You took the words right out of my mouth."