She Fears Love

One | Designated Driver

"Give me my phone back!"

"Can you pretty please bring me a slushee?" Nathan took his chance to beg before the phone got snatched away from him. "You're a dick." I heard him grumble as Ryan took control over the call again.

"You know where we are, right?" Ryan asked me.

I nodded, though he couldn't see me. "Yeah, man. Jake's house right?"

"That's the one."

"I'll be there in ten," I informed. "You want anything from the liquor store? I'm going to grab Nathan's slushee anyway."

"Nah, man, I'm good. Thanks, though."

"All right. See you."

"Byeee!"

I threw my phone on the bed and dragged my hands down my face. This was the regular. They'd invite me to a party, or to a club, or wherever there was alcohol, and I'd always decline. But I still ended up going to pick their drunk asses up. I didn't know why I thought this time would be any different.

After safely tucking my phone into my jean pocket, I grabbed a jacket and my keys, locked the door behind me, and drove to the nearest liquor store to grab Nathan's slushee. I also grabbed three water bottles and a pack of gummy worms along with it.

I finished the gummy worms on my way to the party, my attempt at using sugar to wake up—I wasn't really a fan of coffee.

When I arrived in front of Jake's house, I groaned in annoyance when I didn't find any available parking spots nearby.

Not wanting to walk with—not one, but two—drunk and fully grown men, I parked in front of the house and turned on my hazard lights. A quick text made the guys surface from inside the house with a girl by their side.

I raised a confused brow. They weren't the type of guys who had meaningless hookups. And the last time I checked, neither one of them had a girlfriend.

The girl was gorgeous as hell, though. She barely reached Nathan's nose, and he was the shortest one of the group, measuring 5'11".

Her and Nathan waited by the sidewalk as Ryan knocked on my passenger window. A bit hesitant and confused, I rolled it down.

"Hey, baby," he slurred, batting his eyelashes. "Are you interested in a fun night?"

An amused grin parted my lips and I shook my head at my drunk-off-his-mind best friend. But I decided to go along with it, just for shits and giggles.

"How much for an hour?"

He pushed his imaginary hair behind his shoulder, admiring his nails for a second before shifting his gaze back on me. "Well, I usually charge fifty an hour," he started, "but you're cute, so free for you, baby."

I let out a genuine laugh. Every time it was something new with him. Last time he chased after an opossum, claiming it was his lost dog. He never even owned a dog.

"Get in, you doofus," I ordered with a chuckle.

He winked, seeming pleased with himself. "'Kay, daddy. Whatever you say."

He climbed into the backseat and I signaled for Nathan to approach my car with a quick head nod.

Obliging, he neared my car and bent down to stick his head in through the window. "Can we pretty please give her a ride? Her name is Aleah, and she's my sister's babysitter. She came in her own car, but she doesn't want to drive drunk."

My eyes snapped over to her, and she bit down on her lip nervously as she looked back at me.

"I don't mind driving her home." I said, my eyes still on her. "Let's go, though. It's cold out and she looks like she's freezing... which is why I have no idea why you wanted this," I added as I handed him his melting slushee.