“Tomorrow then,” he muttered.
“Fine, we’ll have brunch in your room and see about getting started on it.”
“Bring your electric drums.”
“I’d planned on it.”
“Tequila is not my friend.”
“It’s not mine either,” I replied. “And we will be using that as a line.”
Rebel’s words were nearly impossible to make out when he spoke next. “Couldn’t say no.”
“Why not? You said no for me when he tried to push me to join you guys."
“Not then. Meeting him. Splitting the bottle. Couldn’t say no. People were watching.”
“So?”
“Got a rep to maintain,” he muttered. “Always the band’s party boy.”
“You might need to think about revamping your image,” I replied, drawing anAmenfrom Sully from the front seat.
When Rebel didn’t reply, I realized that he’d slumped down lower in the seat, having finally passed out. At least he’d done it in the car on the way back to the hotel, rather than in the bar where he’d probably have wound up under the table. Sully pulled the SUV up to the side entrance of the hotel and got out.
“I’ll get him,” Sully said as he carefully opened the door and sat Rebel up while I unbuckled his seatbelt.
“I probably should have said something to him sooner about stopping,” I mused as Sully carried him in.
“You’re not responsible for his choices,” Sully said.
This time of night, no one was around to witness our trek to the elevator, which was already on the ground floor, which meant no waiting either. A short ride later we reached our floor, and I followed Sully to the door of Rebel’s hotel room and fished Rebel’s wallet out of his pocket to retrieve his room key since he was deadweight in Sully’s arms.
“Peel those blankets back,” Sully said when we reached theside of the bed.
I did as I was told, drawing them as far down as I could without pulling them completely off the bed.
“I’ve got it from here,” I told Sully as he laid Rebel down.
“Alright, I’ll be outside the door if you need anything.”
"Thanks, Sully.”
“It’s what I do," Sully said before leaving the room.
Rebel didn’t so much as twitch as I wrestled off his boots, socks, jeans, and t-shirt before pulling the blankets up over him. Like he’d done for me, I placed the garbage can beside the bed, but there was no water in his fridge, just pop and lemonade, so I grabbed one of those and set it on the nightstand, then tried to hunt up some Tylenol. While it wasn’t a mess in there, I had no clue where he kept it, so I turned out the lights and started to leave when I heard him mutter my name.
“Why are you awake?” I asked when I returned to his bedside.
"Sayin’ sorry.”
“For what?”
“Knightly being a prick.”
“That’s on him, not you.”
“Still sorry.”