"Where is she?" I asked when Nia and Tasha opened the door. Nia looked like hell, but Tasha didn't look that bad.

Nia put her hands over her ears. "Oh, your voice it's so loud."

"Sorry," I apologized. Tasha held the door opened for me to come in. Stepping inside, I could definitely tell they had a party, or their version of one. Every snack that Maya had was laid on her coffee table, pillows littered the floor. Lavender laid on the couch with a blanket over her face.

"They're light weights," Tasha said coming up next to me. She looked fine, happy even. "What's in the bag?"

"Breakfast," I said handing it to her. "And here's some Gatorades." I looked over at Lavender's miserable form laying on the couch. "You look like you could use it."

Nia immediately took the bag and went to Lavender with it. Pulling out a bottle she began to gulp down the red liquid. Light weights, indeed.

"Where's Maya?" I asked again, since no one answered me the first time.

"I think she's throwing up in the bathroom," said Tasha digging in the greasy bag.

"Please don't say throw up," Lavender groaned.

She rolled her eyes, "She's been in there all morning."

"Great, thanks," I said not standing by to make anymore conversation. I pushed the bathroom door open to find Maya's small body curled up on the floor and her head resting on the side of the bathtub. She wore a pair of small shorts, and her favorite sleeping t-shirt. The bathroom did heavily smell like vomit.

I walked in silently closing the door. Her bathroom was tiny, much like the rest of the apartment, so there was barely enough room for the two of us in there. "Maya, baby, wake up," I said softly trying to wake her. I sat next to her leaning against the bathtub. Gently I moved her so she sat in my lap with her head against my chest.

"Nick," she said looking up at me through squinted eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"You called me remember?" I'll never forget that phone call for as long as I live, I wish I had recorded it.

She shook her head. "No, what did I say?"

"Lots of things."

"Embarrassing things?"

I hesitated. Just that you loved me a hundred times. "I thought they were very sweet."

She closed her eyes, letting out a groan. "They were embarrassing."

"I like that you think I'm the most beautiful boy in the world." I held her close running my hand up and her back.

"Oh my God," she said into my chest. "No."

"Don't worry about it right now," I told her. But I would be coming to collect my kisses later.

"I can't believe you're here after the things I said," she said quietly, her eyes still closed. "You should never want to speak to me again."

"No," I said. "I shouldn't have sprung that on you so soon."

"Don't apologize," she said. "Don't apologize for saying that you....for saying what you said. I should apologize for yelling at you about it. I'm sorry."

I kissed her forehead, that was slightly sweaty. "I forgive you."

I held her close as she rested against me. "My brain feels like it's going to explode," she complained. "Alcohol is the devil."

I laughed. "I'm glad you've realized that. Next time slow down on the peach vodka, okay."

"There will be no next time, because I'm never drinking that stuff again," she swore. "I've thrown up too many times."

Poor thing. I've been there too many times. I rested my head on top of hers. "I'm glad you called me, even if you were completely trashed."

"I wish I could remember that. I don't even know where my phone is," she admitted. "Will you tell me what I said?"

"All of it?" If she thought what I said earlier was embarrassing I can't imagine me telling her that she told me she loved me over and over again is going to make her feel better.

She moved to look at me. Blinking her bloodshot eyes at me, she said simply, "Yes."

I smirked. "Okay."

In her ear, I whispered all the things that she said to me. It still made me incredibly happy that she thought those things about me.

"I can't believe I told you that I cried," she said when I was done.

"I can't believe it either."

"Well, that does it, I'm never drinking again," Maya swore. "I obviously can't be trusted with a phone when I'm under the influence."

"Does that mean that you didn't mean the things you said?" I asked not sure I wanted to know the answer.

"No," she breathed, "I wish I wouldn't have said them that way." She placed her hand to my face running her fingers over my now hairless jaw. "I didn't want the first time I said those things to you on a drunk phone call."

"Nothing that we do goes according to plan."

"I guess not."

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened.

Tasha poked her head in. "I just wanted to let you know we're leaving."

"Bye," Maya grunted, closing her eyes against the bright sunlight flooding in through the door.

"I'll text you" she said.

"If she can find her phone," I said.

"She lost it?" she asked in disbelief. "Wow, that peach vodka really did a number on her. She drunk it straight from the bottle, can you believe that? I personally prefer to mix my clear liquor with something, but she was a wild woman. You should have--"

"Get out," Maya groaned loudly.

"Okay, okay, just call me when you can," she said closing the door again.

"Would you like for me to leave too?" I asked her. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone when she was like this, but if she wanted me to leave I would respect her wishes.

"No," she said wrapping her arms around my neck, holding me tight. "You have to stay."

I kissed the soft skin of her neck. "Anything for you." I propped her into my arms and stood up.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she protested. She put a hand to her forehead.

"I'm taking you to your room."

"You can't carry me I'm too heavy."

I scoffed, "You are not too heavy." I don't lift weights in the gym for nothing.

"Put me down, I can walk," she insisted.

"But your room is right across the hall. I'm fine carrying you, I want too." I said this all while taking small steps to the door. "What's the big deal?"

"Because I'm hungover not deathly ill," she argued. "I can walk to my room with no problem. Now put me down."

"Mm, I don't think I can do that," I said.

"Nick, I mean it." She was getting so annoyed, but it was cute. Besides we had already made it to her room now.

"Okay, if you insist." I laid her on the bed, and the look of shock on her face was priceless.

"You tricked me," she glared at me.

"Nope, just distracted you." Charlie laid on top of a quilt at the end of the bed, and when he saw me he wasted no time prancing over to me. I scooped him up into my arms and allowed him to rub his face against mine. I've missed him. I've missed Maya and her apartment too.

"He's been ignoring me," she said watching us. "He's only been tolerating me for food and treats. He scratched me."

"Really," I said scooping him up. "I can't believe he would do something like that."Charlie licked my face. He's usually an angel.

"I give him food and shelter and this is how I get repaid," Maya said looking at him. "He only brings you toys! You can't eat toys!"

Charlie was not paying her any attention. He was solely focused on me scratching between his ears.

I sat on the bed next to her, she immediately rest her head on my shoulder. "I've missed you so much."

I kissed her forehead. "I missed you too. Do you want to take a nap?"

She looked wore out, and I know that hangover headache had to be killing her. "Maybe later, but I'm hungry."

"I brought breakfast sandwiches from that diner you like," I told her.

"You did," she gasped.

"I did, and I got Gatorade."

Unexpectedly, she kissed me, hard. Thank God, she brushed her teeth or else I might have gotten sick myself. I held her face. "I love you," she said breathless. "Nick, I love you so much."

I brushed my lips against hers. "I love you too." Hearing her say that will never get old. I could hear it a million times and it will still be as glorious as the first time.

She kissed me again deeper than the last time. "I thought you said you were hungry," I said against her skin. Our bodies were entwined with each other, being with her was the easiest thing in the world to me.

"It can wait," she said into my ear. Her hands moved up my chest, slowly beginning to pull my shirt up.

I lifted my sweatshirt the rest of the way, and tossed it somewhere on the ground.

I've thought about this very moment so many times. And I had a vivid picture of how it would go, but now that it's here, I'm unprepared. "I don't have anything."

Maya reached over into her bedside table and pulled out a small foil wrapper. "Better safe than sorry."

"Right," I said taking it from her. "Better safe than sorry."