Fraternizing with the Enemy

29 // Cha-ching! I Found Bras!

"OKAY, tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"I see, um," I hummed, squinting my eyes. "One asshole. I count one asshole."

Reese dropped his hand and shot me a deadpan look, clearly unimpressed as he crouched in front of me. I merely threw him a cheeky grin in response.

The moment we'd stepped out of the car, Reese had grabbed a hold of my wrist and dragged me over to his porch. He'd pushed me down, ignoring every word of protest I had (which were many and graphic). While Savannah and Tyler stood watching intently behind Reese, he'd been interrogating me bad-cop style for the past ten minutes, skeptical of my answer that I was most definitely totally okay and that he was being ridiculous and goddamn just let it go, Reese.

Admittedly, there was a bump gradually growing to goose-egg status on my temple, a nice compliment to my bruising chin, but it was barely anything compared to the poison ivy fiasco I'd endured before. This was child's play.And while the dull throbbing continued, I didn't think Reese's overbearing panic was warranted, especially considering he was acting as if he had personally pulled me from the brink of death.

I was pretty sure the waiter was more irritated with the turn of events that I had been, honestly.

In all, I really just wanted a shower. I still hadn't decided if the beer or wine was worse, but being drowned in beverages was not something I liked in general, I'd decided. Would probably like to not do that in the future.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Savannah asked, peeking out from behind Reese's shoulder. "You don't want me to stay over?" Her brows pinched in worry.

I waved off her concern, as I had for the umpteenth time since the restuarant, shaking my head. "No, seriously, guys I'm fine. Reese is crazy. I'll go to sleep, wake up, be fine. It's nothing."

"Sleep?" Reese balked at my words, as if I'd personally admitted to murdering thousands of puppies a day. "You are not going to sleep, Stella. What do you think this is?"

I sighed. "A free country?" Reese's stern face looked less than impressed with this answer.

Tyler poked out his head from the right, a sheepish smile on his face. "I think Reese's right," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I know you feel fine, but you might have a concussion. I think you should stay up, just in case. Better safe than sorry, and all that."

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are being so overdramatic."

"Would it be overdramatic if you died?" Reese's patronizing stare was unrelenting.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I scoffed. "You guys are seriously siding with this guy?"

Savannah was chewing her lip, crystalline eyes searching mine and an unsure expression written across her face. "Stells, seriously, I can stay with you. It's no problem."

I waved her off again, not even bothering to entertain the idea. "You've got to get up early tomorrow to go to your aunt's, don't you? It's fine, seriously, it's like you guys are forgetting that this is me. I've seriously gone through so much worse."

She nodded her head, although her face betrayed that she still wasn't entirely convinced. Regardless, as everyone's eyes continued to bore into me, analyzing my every moment, I felt a flicker of irritation inside. I knew that they all meant well, but I still felt that their constant gazes were making me uneasy, feeling like an ant underneath their magnifying glasses. Especially Reese, who I would have figured would be taking the largest of pisses at my misfortune, was watching me with the aura of a mother bear.