More images came to her mind. Jace driving her home and bringing her tea and crackers. And… Had she… Had the two of them sat on the couch and kissed?
That couldn’t be right. It didn’t make sense. Jace had a girlfriend. He wouldn’t have kissed her. She must’ve dreamed the part about the two of them because Olivia had said that someone should break Jace and Jennifer up. It was part of being drunk—hallucinating events.
Delancey had been the one taking care of her last night. After Riley threw up, her roommate gave her a glass of water and put toothpaste on her toothbrush. Riley had memories of that.
She tossed off the covers and noticed she wore only a slip. Another blurred memory came back to her. Peeling off her clothes without any shyness while Jace was in the kitchen.
Please let everything about him have been a dream.
She stumbled out of bed, wrapped a throw around herself, and went down the hallway. Delancey stood in the kitchen making eggs. “You’re up?” she asked. “How are you feeling?”
Riley staggered over to the counter and put her hand to her throat. “Did I dream this, or did Jace Clark bring me home last night?”
Delancey stirred the eggs casually as though her answer wasn’t going to be the difference between respectability and mortification. “He’s the blond guy with the glasses, right? Yes, he was here when I got home.”
Oh no.
What had she done?
What had Jace done?
Delancey kept stirring the eggs. “I can’t believe you were running around in your slip while he was here.” She madetuttingsounds. “You’re probably right to stay away from alcohol.”
Riley trudged to the table, sank down on a chair, and laid her head on the tabletop. It was all true. All of her memories were true.
Rileywasright to stay away from alcohol because apparently after two drinks, she did horrible things like kiss a guy who had a girlfriend.
Delancey divided the eggs onto two plates and brought one to Riley. “Protein is good for hangovers.”
The eggs smelled wrong. This was probably the smell of regret. She stared at them bleakly.
“Eat something,” Delancey insisted. “You’ll feel better.”
“I won’t feel better,” Riley moaned. “I kissed Jace. I’ve hated Winter for months for making Lucas cheat on me, and I just did the same thing.” Riley wasn’t getting up from this table. She was going to stay here forever, wallowing in guilt.
Delancey’s eyes widened. “You kissed Jace?”
“A lot.”
Delancey shook her head and laughed. “I guess you have a type.”
Riley moaned again. “It isn’t funny. I’m the other woman now.”
Delancey patted her back and sat down beside her. “It isn’t the same as what happened with Winter at all. You didn’t call Jace multiple times so that you could cry on his shoulder and break down his defenses. You just got drunk. And not even on purpose. Jace is the one who shouldn’t have kissed you. He took advantage of your vulnerable state. I think that makes it ninety percent his fault.”
Riley lifted her head from the table. “Do I need to call Jennifer and apologize? Is that how this works? I’ve never been the other woman before. I don’t know the rules of trying to fix things.”
“I wouldn’t call her.” Delancey seemed aghast at the idea. “For all you know, Jace broke up with her last night, and telling her about it would be rubbing salt into her wounds. Or, maybe for him, last night was testing the waters to see whether he wanted to break up or settle down, and he’s decided now that he does want to settle down.” Delancey started in on her eggs. “If anything, you should talk to Jace.”
Riley had talked to Jace last night. She still vaguely remembered telling him that when she looked at him, she wouldalways see Lucas. He’d been kind not to laugh at that statement. Yeah, everyone saw Lucas when they looked at Jace.
But Delancey was right. Riley should have another conversation with Jace. He’d said they should talk later.
It was officially later.
Not long afterward,Riley was dressed in a coat and hat, braving the cold morning air to stand on Mr. and Mrs. Clark’s doorstep. The house was a white two-story with a front porch optimistically filled with items meant for warmer times: wooden chairs, fake potted plants, and aFriends are Always Welcomesign. All were dusted with snow now.
Riley had come to the Clarks’ house before, always with Lucas. Being here to see Jace felt wrong in so many ways.