She shifted, her brows pinching as she whimpered softly.

I was by her side before I even realized I’d moved. “Syd?”

No response from her, and I could tell she wasn’t comfortable. Straightening, I bit back a curse. I couldn’t leave her like this. And what if she got sick? Grabbing a pillow from the head of the bed, I slipped a hand under her head and placed the pillow underneath. She didn’t wake, but flopped onto her back.

I grinned and wondered if she even knew she had lain down the wrong way on the bed. I was going to go with a no. Moving to the head of the bed, I sat down and gently tugged off her boots. They were some kind of fake sheepskin or something and came up to her knees. The wedge soles were damp from the snow.

Placing them near the chair in the room, I turned in time to see her trying to sit up. “Syd?”

She mumbled something and the only thing I made out was the word, “Hot,” and then she started tugging at the hoodie I’d made her put on. Within seconds, she got it stuck around her head.

I laughed as her arms dropped to her sides.

Her voice was muffled but it did not sound friendly. Then she bent over, trying to pull it off that way. Good God, she was going to suffocate herself.

“Hold on,” I said, sitting beside her. “Let me get this off.”

She smacked at my hands, but I got her head free and she went for her sweater underneath.

Sighing, I grabbed her wrists. “Syd, let me get this for you.”

Her eyes were completely glazed over, and I doubted she had any idea what was going on, but she settled down enough that I was able to get her sweater off, leaving her in her tank and jeans.

“I need…” she mumbled, leaning forward and resting her forehead against my shoulder. “I need to get undressed.”

I chuckled as I wrapped an arm around her back, holding her up. “Baby, you just took off two sweaters.”

“Pants.” She wiggled up into my lap, so her legs were on either side of mine and sighed.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Turning so she didn’t slip out of my lap and hit the floor, I smiled against the top of her bent head. “You’re going to sleep just like this?”

“Uh-huh.”

I laughed again. “You can’t sleep in my lap.”

She burrowed closer, curling up in a little ball. Goosebumps spread across her arms. “Why not?” she grumbled pitifully.

“It’s not going to be very comfortable.” I brushed her hair off her cheek as I leaned back, my gaze searching her face. Eleven freckles. That was how many are sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. Thick lashes fanned her cheeks. Was she asleep? “Syd?”

“Mmm… pants.”

My brows rose. “You want your jeans off?”

She pressed her cheek against my chest and tapped my leg once. I guessed that was drunk Morse code for yes. Swearing under my breath, I knew what I was going to have to do. Something I never thought I’d ever do with her.

Laying Syd down on her back, I watched her lashes flutter up. The color of her eyes were like the clearest blue skies of summer. “You’re so… pretty.”

“Come again?” I said, choking on my laugh. “Did you just call me pretty?”

She started to roll onto her side again, but I stopped her. “Pants,” she repeated, reaching down, her fingers fumbling on the button of her jeans. “Off.”

I froze for a second, not sure if I should laugh at her one-syllable responses or dive-bomb out the nearest window. Undressing Syd was not something I ever thought I’d be doing, especially when she was drunk. But I didn’t want her to wake up and in a drunken stupor, crack her head open trying to get undressed. With Syd, anything was possible.

Shit.

I could do this. I could do this and it wouldn’t be weird and I wouldn’t be turned on by it, because it was Syd and she was drunk and it wasn’t a big deal. We’d grown up together. I was pretty sure that I’d pissed in front of her on more than one occasion. Hell, I think I did that about a month ago after a night of drinking moonshine. I could take off her pants and not feel like a total fucking pervert.

I should’ve drunk more tonight.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly unbuttoned her jeans and undid her zipper. The striped panties peeked out as the material parted. Double shit. I closed my eyes as I tugged them down her hips. She wasn’t helping. Not a single bit. She was out cold. I got a hand under her back and lifted her up far enough to get the jeans past her ass. I kept my eyes shut as I pulled them down her thighs. My knuckles brushed her legs, and I really didn’t think about how soft her skin was, because that was really inappropriate and then some.

Triple shit.

It felt like freaking forever before I got those damn jeans off, and only then did I realize she was lying the wrong way again. Cursing under my breath, I went over to the chair and grabbed the blanket off the back. I spread it out over her, tucking it along her sides and then I got the pillow back under her head.

Picking up her jeans, I felt her cell phone. The whole backside of her jeans was wet. I pulled the cell out and tapped on the screen. Nothing. Hell.

I headed downstairs, trying to get her cell to turn on as I checked the front door and made sure it was locked. Turned up the heat and made my way to the kitchen. The phone still wouldn’t turn on. Recalling something Tanner had said about rice, I found a tiny screwdriver and took the back off the phone. I placed both pieces in the rice and hoped it worked out. If not, I had a few extra cells at home she could use.

Needing to check on Syd, I returned to the bedroom she was in. The moment I saw her, I was rooted to the floor. All I could do was stare at her. My heart was beating pretty fast and for no apparent reason.

Finally, I sat beside her and pulled the blanket up her bare shoulder. I didn’t want her getting cold. I started to get up, but what if she got sick or needed something in the middle of the night? Syd never drank like this. God only knows what was going to happen.

There was a good chance I was overreacting, but I stretched out beside her. Maybe a second passed, and in her sleep, she rolled onto her side, wiggled her way over toward me, so that her head was nestled against my chest, and folded her hands under her chin. Damn. I could’ve gotten up and gone into my own room. I could’ve set the alarm and checked in on her in a few hours. I could’ve put a trashcan by the bed.

But I didn’t.

I stayed.

Sydney

My head was pounding like my brain was holding its own personal rock concert somewhere near my temples. My mouth and throat felt like sandpaper. And I was freezing. I didn’t want to open my eyes, but there was this strange noise—a soft humming. It took me a couple of seconds to recognize the song.

Dave Matthews’ “Tripping Billies.”

Kyler.

Forcing my eyes open, I found myself staring at the ceiling…from the foot of the bed. Odd. And the room was dark, like it was still night outside. Even more strange was the fact I was in my tank top and panties. Nothing else.

Oh God…

I didn’t even remember getting in bed or taking off my clothes. Entire sections of last night were nothing more than a blur. What I did remember I prayed to God was just a weird dream.

“Look who decided to grace the world with her presence.”

At the sound of his voice, I turned my head. Kyler was sitting beside me, facing the large windows. He was wearing a long-sleeved sweater and he looked a hell of a lot better than I felt.

“Hey,” I croaked.

Turning toward the head of the bed, he grabbed something off the nightstand. He handed me a glass of water and two aspirins. “Take these and drink up. You’re going to need them.”

Shoving the blanket down, I took them and shivered. “Why is it so cold in here?”

Kyler leaned onto his elbow, watching me. “I have bad news, badder news, and baddest news.”