"So, you banging Heidi now?" Austin asked.
I jerked up so hard that I winced and cradled my head. "I'm what?" I shouted.
Austin's eyes narrowed. "She was here last night. Saw her come out of your room when I got back around two thirty."
"She was here?"
"Bro, were you that fucked up that you don't remember fucking her? Because that would explain why she looked so upset," Austin said.
"You think I slept with her?" I asked, getting paler by the second.
"I mean, I don't know for sure, but why else would a hot chick be leaving your room at two thirty in the morning? Plus, with the shit going down with Miranda, I thought you'd wanted some fun at this reunion ."
"What stuff with Miranda?"
"Dunno, man. Can't be good if you're here without her."
"Wait, wait, wait," I said, my brain finally catching up. "Heidi was upset?"
Austin shrugged. "You really don't remember shit, do you?"
"Fuck. I'm screwed, aren't I?"
"As far as I see it." Austin pushed his Bloody Mary toward me. "I think you need this more than I do."
"Thanks, but I have to figure out what the fuck happened last night." I tried to shake out the cobwebs in my mind, but everything was just missing. I hadn't blacked out like this since college. Jesus, I had been an idiot.
I hauled ass back into the room I was staying in and dialed Heidi's number. It rang and rang and rang before her voice mail finally picked up.
"Hi, this is Heidi. You know I hate voice mails. If it's important, text me."
Beep.
I hung up before leaving a message she'd never listen to.
"Fuck, Heidi," I grumbled as I dialed her number again.
It didn't even go through all the rings before pushing to voice mail.
A minute later, Heidi sent me a text.
Let's just end this the way we did last night.
I stared at that text message with a growing sense of panic in my chest. What the hell happened last night? Where did we leave things?
I didn't want to call and be like, Hey, did we fuck last night? I was sure I would have remembered that if we had. I couldn't imagine having sex with Heidi being anything less than unforgettable.
I responded to her message.
Not good enough for me. Answer your phone.
I dialed her number again, and this time, at almost the last moment, Heidi answered. It was as if she hadn't been sure she was actually going to do it.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey. Thanks for answering."
"I'm not sure why I did."
"Because leaving me at two thirty in the morning, drunk off my ass, is not how you wanted to end things."
"Yeah. How are you feeling this morning?"
"Hungover and with a severe lack of memory of several hours of last night," I admitted.
"I see," she said.
"Care to fill me in on the details?"
"Nothing happened, if that's what you're asking," she said with bite in her voice. "I told you I wouldn't do anything with you while you were still with Miranda. Anyway, do you think I'd take advantage of someone as drunk as you were last night?"
"No, I didn't think you would. I just didn't know if I'd made a total fool of myself in front of you."
"If insinuating that I was going to fuck Brandon McCain because he'd flattered me with his obnoxious attention, getting so wasted that you were drinking beer straight from a pitcher, and blacking out as soon as I got you into bed make you a total fool, then yes."
I winced. Great.
That was all pretty shitty, but at least I hadn't had sex with her and somehow forgotten. That would have been way worse.
"Yeah. Sorry about all of that."
"It's fine, Landon. It's fine. I should just go. I don't think we should be talking anymore."
"Heidi, please. You said that we were going to talk."
"Yeah, and then you got wasted!"
"I know. Have brunch with me."
"You cannot ask me out!" she cried.
"It's just brunch, Heidi. You said we'd talk after the reunion . Can I call in that favor?"
"No."
"Heidi," I groaned. "Please."
She sighed heavily into the phone and left me waiting and wondering. "Fine. Brunch. Half hour enough time?"
"Yes, that's plenty of time. Thank you. Café J?"
"All right. I'll see you there, Landon."
I hung up the phone with a sigh. I could make this right. I hadn't done anything unforgivable. Heidi would come around. I might be in the process of leaving Miranda, but I didn't want to lose ever having a chance with Heidi.