Deep in You (Phoenix #1) Read Online Free Page B

“Okay.”
    “We could try drinking water to flush our systems, but honestly, it probably just has to run its course.” I wanted to believe that the water would help, but I really wasn’t sure. It at least sounded good.
    She didn’t say anything, so I took that as agreement and helped her up. “Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll get you some water and see if I can find some clean clothes that might fit you.”
    “What’s wrong with my clothes?” she asked, still dazed. “I don’t think I can drink anything.”
    “If you can’t, you can’t. This room smells like vomit. Let’s go out there.”
    I assisted her into the living room and helped her get settled on the couch. I gathered the empty bottle of wine and glasses from the coffee table and threw them in the trash, just in case.
    From the fridge I grabbed a couple of bottles of Smart Water, the only kind I ever bought. Maybe the electrolytes it advertised would help flush the shit from our systems. Reluctant at first, Lily took a sip. She didn’t bring it back up right away. I took that as a good sign.
    “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get some clean clothes. I’ll see what I can find for you, too, if you’d like.” I climbed the stairs, ignoring the protests from my ankle. I grabbed a pair of sweat pants out of my dresser and tugged them on, commando. For Lily, I found a small T-shirt and a pair of shorts I hadn’t worn since high school. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. As an afterthought, I added the toothbrush and toothpaste to the pile of stuff.
    Lily hadn’t moved. She stared glassy-eyed at the doors to my private gym, chin resting on knees pressed to her chest. I passed her the items I’d brought down for her.
    “Closest I could come up with that might fit.”
    “Thank you,” she said sullenly, without looking at me.
    “You’ll want to put those on.”
    “Okay.” She still didn’t move.
    “Sam will be here any minute.”
    That did it. She stiffened in surprise, but straightened up to look at me. “Who?”
    “My coach. Get dressed.”
    She jerked the shirt over her head. “You called him?”
    “Of course.”
    “So much for needing me to keep an eye on you.”
    I sighed and grabbed the nearest water bottle. “Look. We can trust him. More importantly for me, though, is that he’ll test us. If word gets out that I took drugs, intentionally or not, I could be ruined. I need to know what we’re dealing with.”
    On the plus side, my head was clearing by the moment. I actually felt almost normal.
    “Xander, I changed my mind. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”
    “Why? I thought we agreed that was a bad idea.”
    “I want to get tested.”
    “I told you Sam will test us. We’ll have the results back just as fast and a lot more discreetly.”
    She cocked her head. “Why don’t you want me to see a doctor? I don’t know this Sam. How can I trust him to be honest? How can I know he isn’t covering something up?”
    I crossed my arms, quiet fury building up inside. The tension around us was palpable. Had anyone else walked in right then, they would have been able to feel the force of my rage. “Explain what you’re implying, exactly. What would Sam not be honest about?”
    “How did I not see it earlier? You said, ‘let’s assume for the sake of argument that it’s the martini,’ and I accepted that. But why should I accept it? It makes just as much sense for it to have been the wine. Plus, you’ve been encouraging me to not go to the hospital this entire time. You want your friend to clean up your mess. Admit it!”
    “I’m not going to admit it, because there is nothing to admit. That bottle was sealed. This is asinine.” My hands clenched into fists. How dare she?
    “I don’t know you any more than I knew that guy. Unlike you–a self-absorbed jock who just wanted to get into my pants–he was at least a gentleman.”
    “So the theory you’ve decided to run with involves me bringing you into my