Chapter Four

Willow

I'm on my third Mai Tai of the night.

I freaking made an ass out of myself with Shawn! Maybe the drinks will help me forget. Ugh. I lied. He caught me. Now he knows I was taking a picture of him because I think he's all sexy and hot and stuff. Talk about awkward!

How long will it last? Will he and I both think of it every time we see each other? I mean, we'll be kind of family but it's not like we'll do joint holidays and stuff. Not until Chloe and Braydon have kids probably. Surely the awkwardness will have worn off by then!

I hope so.

Hey, was it just me or did he totally Daddy me back there? And you should've seen the look in his eyes! I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd taken hold of my elbow and escorted me to his room or something for a trip over his knee.

Or is that just my imagination? Am I seeing that because I want to see it?

Who knows? All I know is this drink is going a long way in helping me get over my humiliation.

I polish it off and grab a fourth.

People are dancing now. The sun is completely down and the huge patio really does look magical with those lights strung up overhead, crisscrossing the space. I wish I was dancing. With Shawn.

It's probably best that I'm not, though. I'm tipsy. Okay, I'm beyond tipsy. I'm not falling down drunk yet, but I am stumbling around drunk.

Apparently, folks are noticing.

"Honey, are you okay?" my dad asks.

"I'm fine," I say. My words are a little slurred. My movements are awkward and clumsy when I try to wave him off.

He smiles. "You've had too much to drink. Come on. Why don't you give me this?" He takes the Mai Tai from my hand. It's all good. It was already just about gone anyway.

"Dad, really," I say.

But as I step away, I almost fall for the second time tonight. Only this time, there isn't a toy truck on the ground.

Nope.

Just three and a half Mai Tais.

"I think you need to get back to the room to sleep it off," he says.

He's probably right. If I don't get out of here soon, I might say something I regret. I started drinking earlier to forget about Shawn. But now, nearly four in, I might have enough liquid courage coursing through me to say something to him.

Yikes!

That would be awful.

"Is she okay?" Mom says, hurrying toward us. "Honey, are you sick?"

"Not sick. Drunk," Dad says with a chuckle.

"Oh, honey!" Mom says, her eyes going wide in horror.

"Don't worry," I say. "I'm not that drunk."

But maybe I am. The world is spinning. I can't stop giggling, either. It isn't all fun and games, though.

My face is hot. Like super hot! I can feel it pulsating with a ravaging heat. I feel a little sick to my stomach, too.

"I, uh…am going to…"

I might say pass out. Or I might just hit the ground first, unable to finish the sentence. Who knows?

Either way, it's lights out for Willow.