Always Remember (Memories #2)(6)
Author: Emma Hart

“Never again.” Saph shakes her head, and dumps the glass on the bar. “Jesus Christ.”

“I think she’s a wimp.” I turn to Bing, and he’s there, right there.

Like, “hey I’m so close I can smell the vanilla shampoo you used before you left” right there. And I don’t mind. In fact, any chance of getting a little closer? Shimmy on down. Maybe. I giggle.

“I think that’s Jen done for the night.” He tugs on a lock of my hair.

“I’m not Rapunzel.” I shake my head. “Tugging my hair isn’t gonna get me down from my tower, not tonight, so I hate to break it to ya, Prince Charming, but you’ll have to get f**king climbing.”

I laugh at myself, and prop my chin up on the bar.

“Drunk, Jennifer?” Bing whispers the question seductively, and puts a hand on my back.

“You know, my boyfriend would have kittens if…” I trail off. I don’t have a boyfriend. He has permission to touch. Maybe not from the relationship or break up gods but really, who cares what they think anyway?

“If what?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I shake my head and take my phone from my bag. “It’s one a.m. I want to go home, please.”

“I’ll call us a taxi.” Bing gives me his arm, and I hold onto it tight – less for support and more for the want of his skin against mine.

Okay, so it’s not the sexy little dreams I’ve been having, but I guess it’ll do.

Chapter Three

JEN

My head is in the middle of a bad marching band practice, and my mouth has apparently taken up refuge in a bag of cotton wool.

“Oh my god,” I groan, and roll over in bed, placing a gentle hand on my forehead. “Who the f**k let me drink so much last night?”

“As far as I remember, you insisted on downing a Triple O by Joe.”

My head snaps round too fast. The throbbing turns to a pound, my ears ring, and the room spins a little. “What in goddamn hell is a Triple O by Joe?”

“You probably don’t want me to answer that question.” Bing grins.

“That bad, huh? Then you’re probably right… Can I also ask why you’re walking around my flat like you own the place, minus a t-shirt and plus pyjama bottoms I’m pretty sure you weren’t wearing last night?”

“You passed out the second I got you in the taxi. I figured you’d prefer to wake up here so I told him to go via my house so I could grab some clothes.” He walks into the room, and I slowly sit up, my hand outstretched for the glass of water he’s carrying.

While I try not to ogle the poster pretty washboard abs right in front of my face.

The cool water slips down my throat, like aloe vera on a burn.

Bing holds his other hand out and produces two tablets. “I figured you’d want these.”

“Thank you,” I croak out and take them, downing the rest of the water.

“You’re welcome, gorgeous.” He smiles and his eyes light up. Does he have to do that? Does he not understand that my head is already full of fuzzy mushy stuff without his sexy presence?

BING

Jen smiles up at me from her relaxed position on the bed, and boy… What I’d do to be in there with her.

The second I put her in the taxi yesterday she passed out on my shoulder. I had my arm around her the whole way back, just holding her close to me. Something protective surged inside me at seeing her so vulnerable. Whatever happened in Devon must have been kinda bad ‘cause not even Jen gets that out of control on a weekend.

“How are you feeling? You seemed a little devil may care last night.” I lean against the wall, knowing if I get closer to her again I will get in that bed.

“Aren’t I always?” She gives me a cheeky grin, catching her tongue between her teeth. I want that tongue between my teeth, damn it. “Yeah… No, I’m okay. I just needed to let go last night, I think. I’m as dandy as cotton candy now.”

I smile at her choice of words. “Are you planning on getting out of bed any time soon?”

“Probably not.” She closes her eyes.

“Then you won’t mind if I join you.” I wink roguishly at her, and she opens her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I must have distracted you from your usual shag fest this weekend.” The hardness in her voice is unmistakable – and did I imagine that flinch?

“Not at all.” I stand up straight, and move to the door, speaking softer. “I dunno when you’re gonna realise I’m not who I was two years ago, Jen.”

Her blue eyes meet mine, and there’s a sadness in them, threatening to swallow her up. I want to hold her again. I don’t do holding, I do sex, but for Jen I’d make an exception.

Hell, for this girl, I’d make an exception for anything.

“Whatever, Sam. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

“No, but a bird can always renew its feathers.” I open her door again, and walk through it. “If you need anything, you have my number.”

~

JEN

I’m a bitch.

It’s something I’ve been told plenty of times over the years, but I laughed it off ‘cause, really, who gives a shit what people think of you? I don’t. I am who I am – and that’s no-one’s issue but my own.

Besides, I wouldn’t say I was a bitch. I’m just brutally honest, and there is a difference.

So it’s a thin line, but it’s there.

But Bing’s eyes haunt me, and I know I am the biggest bitch today. He looked after me last night, brought me home, and even stayed the night to make sure I was okay today. What do I do? I throw his past back in him.

Yeah, woo! Give the stupid speak-before-you-think blonde a gold f**king medal for the mantel.

The worst thing is that I can’t even blame it on my hormones or my hangover. Nope, it’s because I’m jealous of all the girls who’ve been there, and that’s a whole lot of damn jealousy.

I don’t even know why I’m jealous. He has that many notches on his bedpost that the bedpost probably doesn’t even exist anymore.

But I am not one of them, and when he walks in my bedroom with nothing on that fine ass chest of his I get mad. And waking up with a shirtless Bing is also starting to become a habit – one I could get too easily accustomed to.

My phone makes an annoying little pingy dingy f**k off sound next to me, and I grab it, if only to shut it up. Lexy’s name appears on the screen.

Bing says you got drunk last night. Be safe crazy girl. Love you x