~~PEYTON~~
“Arghhh.” I retch, doubling over. My throat is sore. My head is throbbing like a trapped drumbeat trying to escape my skull. And Axel is instantly here for me, holding my hair up and tucking it behind my ears as I wretch into a bucket.
Another wave comes again. It feels like my body is trying to expel every poor choice I made over the last six months, not just the cheap whiskey. I grip the edge of the bucket, shaking violently.
I’ve never felt this stupid for drinking. And Axel's presence is making it all worse.
He doesn't say a word. He holds me steady—a wall against my back. He doesn't flinch away from the noise or the smell. He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear with a gentle touch that makes the shame burn hotter.
Raphael would have lectured me, or worse, he wou
