Free Thorn: Carter Kids #2 by Chloe Walsh Page B

of her hoodie – the same hoodie she had been wearing since Wednesday.
    “Well then it’s a good thing I do,” I countered. “Come on,” I told her. “Clean your ass up and we’ll hit the shops.”
    “I do need ink cartridges,” she offered, slightly optimistic at the thought of our shopping spree. “And some sharpies too.”
    “Yes.” I nodded, as I shoved her towards the bathroom. “We can get all of those and more. Just clean yourself up first.”
    “Hey Teegs?”
    “Yep?” I looked back at my distraught looking roommate.
    “Thanks for taking care of me,” she muttered sheepishly, as she poked her head around the bathroom door. The steam rising behind her assured me she was indeed going to clean herself.
    “It works both ways, Hope.” I told her.
     

     
    WE SHOPPED UNTIL WE DROPPED, and when we were fed and watered, we made it back to the flat to get dolled up for a night out on the town with our friends.
    We ended up staying in Reilly’s bar, our usual hangout, for karaoke night.
    It was going really smoothly, right up until Hope put her hand up for a song.
    Liam, noticing me grimace, turned to me and asked, “Is she a terrible singer or something?”
    “No.” I closed my eyes and braced myself. “She can sing, but she gets a little…weepy after alcohol.”
    Hope took the microphone and when the background music of Pink’s Who Knew blasted around me, I knew this was bad.
    “You took my hand…” she sobbed into the microphone. “…You promised me you’d be around…”
    I flinched, feeling her pain right down in my bones. Sometimes I wished I could erase Jordan Porter altogether. It killed me watching Hope live this half-life of an existence.
    I hoped his conscience kept him up at night.
    Bastard.
    In many ways it was worse for Hope. With Noah, I knew I was playing with fire. He was like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. But Jordan wasn’t like Noah. He and Hope had been together their entire lives and the guy had let her down worse than anyone I’d known. I’d never seen heartbreak quite like that.
    I was living my life, miserable as it may be, whereas Hope’s life seemed to be on a complete standby. She was on pause and it infuriated me.
    I had fair warning with Noah.
    Hope never stood a chance with Jordan.
     

     
    BY THE TIME LIAM had managed to wrestle the microphone out of Hope’s hands and get her back to the apartment I was completely wiped out.
    “Happy Valentine’s Day to us, buddy,” I whispered when I had finished undressing Hope and had gotten her into bed.
    Closing her bedroom door behind me, I went back to lounge to where Liam was standing. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I gave him a drunken hug. “Thank you for tonight,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t have been able to get her home without you.”
    “Whatever you need, Teagan,” he replied warmly, enveloping me in his arms. “Always.”
    “You can stay here tonight,” I said against his chest.
    “I can?”
    “Sure.” I nodded, breaking out of his hold. “You’ll never get a taxi at this hour. I’ll go grab you a blanket for the couch.”
    “You looked beautiful tonight,” Liam told me when I returned with his blanket.
    “Thanks,” I replied, embarrassed.
    Reaching out, he tucked a loose tendril of hair behind my ear and smiled. “You’re welcome.”
    “So…do you want to watch some telly?” I offered, desperate to change the weird clammy atmosphere that had settled between us. “I have the first three episodes of the new season of The Walking Dead recorded?”
    Liam stared at me for a long moment, almost imploring me with his eyes, until finally he shook his head and sighed. “Sure, Teegs, it’s your call,” he told me, sinking down on the couch.
    Grabbing the remote, I flicked on the television before settling down on the far side of the couch. “Rick Grimes it is,” I replied nervously.

 

     
    “MERRY CHRISTMAS, DUDE.” Tommy Moyet slid the packet of