Free Locked by Ella Col

and begins to snore. It’s a good sign. My dad, on the other hand, is not so happy.
    He plunges into his chair. “What happened?”
    Shrugging my shoulders, I answer. “It’s his twenty-first birthday. He took twenty-one shots. And I know he was pre-gaming before he got there.”
    “Jesus, Reece. What kind of friends let someone drink that much?” He’s really angry.
    The kind of friends that you don’t need. But who am I to judge?
    “Caydon and I are not exactly friends. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t care for me…which should make for a real interesting Thanksgiving tomorrow.” I laugh trying to find the humor in all of this.
    My dad smirks. He gets my dry humor. “What the hell am I going to tell his mom?”
    “The truth. Her son is an ass. He drank too much. His friends are douchebags. The end.” I might be taking it too far.
    “Reece.”
    “Dad.” I cock my head to the side.
    “She’s worried about him, Reece’s Pieces. His girlfriend strings him along every chance she gets. Caydon has some self- esteem issues. His dad left before he was born. I knew his dad from high school…real asshole,” he explains. “He was the quarterback for the football team. Annalisa was the head cheerleader. They dated off and on in high school. Caydon’s dad got a scholarship to play football. Annalisa stayed here. She got pregnant with Caydon when his dad was a sophomore in college. Needless to say, Caydon’s dad didn’t want anything to do with Annalisa after that.”
    ‘ He left me’.
    The picture my dad paints gives me a clearer picture of what I’m dealing with. “Annalisa doesn’t have to worry about Caydon’s girlfriend. She’s engaged to someone else.”
    My dad snickers. “Really?”
    “Yep. He was with another girl tonight. It definitely wasn’t Hannah.”
    “How did you get involved in all of this, Reece?”
    “I’ve seen someone who has been in distress from drinking too much. I couldn’t leave him there.”
    Yes, Caydon is cute. And when he doesn’t speak, I find myself thinking of him in ways my father wouldn’t approve. That is not why I chose to help him. Truthfully, I chose to help Caydon because I’ll be damned if another person I know dies for the sake of a good time. It’s a selfish way to die.
    “You’re a good kid, Reece.” Within seconds my dad’s arms are wrapped around me.
    “I’m not a kid anymore, Dad.”
    He releases me and lets out a sigh. “Yeah. I can see that.” He’s tired. The incident is too much for him. If he can’t fix it by using his fists, it can’t be fixed. “I have to call Annalisa. Do you mind looking after him while I make the call?”
    “Dad, when you are done get some rest. I’ll watch him.”
    “You sure?”
    “Yep. Go.”
    “Okay.” He gives me a hangover cocktail to give to Caydon when he wakes up. Then he prepares to go to the bedroom to inform Annalisa that her son is a drunken asshole.
    I place the concoction on the table. I jump to my feet and hug my dad. “Thanks, Dad.”
    He smiles and gives me a kiss on my forehead. The sweet gesture makes me feel like I’m a little girl again. The feeling I get from it is comforting and makes me feel safe.
    After my dad leaves to call Annalisa, I plop down in front of Caydon. It may seem creepy but I like watching him sleep. Besides, when will I get the chance again to enjoy his dark lashes and plump lips? However, it’s like I’ve done this before. Watched him.
    Gosh, his lashes are so dark and long it looks like he is wearing mascara. It’s unfair. Girls go through tubes and tubes of makeup just to get lashes like that.
    The rise and fall of his chest calms me. Hesitantly, I touch the inky black piece of hair that falls onto his forehead. My hands are not satisfied. As if they have a mind of their own, they gently touch the bottom of his lip. For a second, it looks as if my touch makes him smile in his sleep.
    “Why don’t you like me?” I whisper to myself. If I am being honest