He Said He’d Never Let Me Drink, Then Pushed the Glass to My Lips for Her, Chapter 02
When I woke up, I was already in a hospital bed at Presbyterian General.
A nurse entered to check my vitals, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around my arm.
“Sienna Shaw,” she said, frowning at the chart. “You’re aware you have a severe alcohol allergy, correct?”
I nodded.
She shot me a look that was far from friendly.
“Then why did you drink?”
Her tone sharpened. “When you were brought in, your blood pressure had bottomed out. Ten more minutes, and you’d be dead.”
I hesitated, then asked the question I couldn’t let go.
“Who… who brought me here?”
The nurse gave me a look reserved for the profoundly stupid.
“The ambulance, obviously. You were found alone in the private dining room, completely unconscious. They called 911.”
It made sense. Nathan hosted the party. Most guests were his friends.
If he didn’t care enough to stay, no one else would either.
She continued, her tone shifting to a scold.
“Remember this—you can never consume alcohol again.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she stays away from it.”
I froze. That low, steady voice wasn’t mine.
I turned toward the doorway.
Nathan stood there. Behind him, Lila.
She wore a hoodie with a tiny embroidered logo.
It matched Nathan’s.
Those were the matching North Face jackets I’d custom-ordered for his birthday. We’d promised to wear them on our trip together.
Back then, Nathan had called them “childish” and refused to wear his.
Yet here he was—wearing it, and letting her wear the women’s version.
Nathan noticed my gaze and tugged at the hem of his jacket, clearly uncomfortable.
“Last night was chaos. A glass spilled and soaked Lila’s dress. It was thin—completely see-through. So I took her home to change.”
His voice was calm, matter-of-fact.
“By the time I got back, the paramedics had already taken you.”
That was when it hit me.
While I was fighting for my life here, Nathan had taken the very person who’d pressured me to drink…
…into our home.
Nausea surged in my empty stomach. I wanted to vomit, but there was nothing left to give.
Lila stood behind him, head bowed, playing the timid rabbit again.
“Sienna, I’m so sorry about last night,” she whispered.
“First thing this morning, I told Nathan I needed to come apologize in person.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes stayed fixed on her clothes.
Coldly, I said one word,
“Take it off.”
Lila flinched.
Nathan immediately stepped in front of her.
“Sienna, what the hell is wrong with you? She came here to apologize, and you’re telling her to strip?”
I gripped the bedsheet, jaw tight, staring at the collar.
“I said—take. It. Off.”
Tears welled in Lila’s eyes. She glanced at Nathan, then slowly pulled the zipper down.
Underneath was a Vintage Silk Robe.
My mother had sewn it that winter after her cancer diagnosis.
Chemo had left her hands shaking constantly, yet she’d lie propped up in bed, squinting through thick reading glasses as she stitched every seam by hand.
She meant for me to wear it as my wedding toast dress.
“I won’t live to see your wedding day,” she’d whispered. “But if you wear this, it’ll be like I’m standing right beside you.”
Back then, Nathan knelt at her bedside and swore,
“Auntie, if I ever fail Sienna, may I be struck by lightning.”
Mom had only sighed.
After she passed, I held that robe and cried until I couldn’t breathe.
At least, I thought, I still had Nathan.
Now, seeing Lila in it, I realized his vow meant nothing.
Following my gaze, Nathan’s expression shifted.
“Why are you wearing this?” he asked sharply.
Lila’s tears trembled on her lashes. She bit her lip.
“You said I could pick anything from the closet… I thought this one looked the oldest, so it must be the cheapest…”
She reached up with shaking hands to unfasten the Hand-sewn Jade Button.
“I’ll take it off right now and give it back to Sienna.”
Rip.
The button tore free. The shoulder seam split open with a harsh rip, the silk fraying where my mother’s stitches had been.