“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Harper asked.

Gemma shook her head. “No, I just need to go home.”

“If you’re fine, then you’re going to tell me what’s going on.” Harper crossed her arms over her chest.

“I was out swimming last night, and…” Gemma trailed off and stared at the sun rising over the bay, as if trying to remember exactly what had happened last night. “I went out to the cove, and Penn, Lexi, and Thea were … partying out there.”

“They were partying?” Harper asked, and now she was totally gobsmacked. “You partied with those girls last night?”

“Yeah,” Gemma answered uncertainly. “I mean, yes. I think.”

“You think?” Harper shook her head.

“Yeah, they invited me to join them, and I just had one drink. But it must’ve been really strong. It was only one drink, I swear.”

“You drank?” Harper’s eyes widened. “Gemma! You can get kicked off the swim team for that. And you have practice in an hour, which you clearly can’t handle today. What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t!” Gemma yelled. “I honestly don’t know what I was thinking! I have no idea how any of it happened last night. I remember having one drink, and then I woke up on the rocks. I don’t know what happened, and I’m sorry.”

“Get in the car,” Harper said through clenched teeth, too pissed off to even yell.

“I really am sorry,” Gemma repeated.

“Get in the car!” Harper shouted, and Daniel flinched.

“Thanks for … helping,” Gemma mumbled to Daniel and stared down at her feet.

“No problem,” he said. She tried to open the car door and almost fell over, so he went over and held it open for her. “Get some rest and drink plenty of fluids. Hangovers are a bitch, but you’ll survive.”

Gemma smiled thinly at him and climbed into the car. Once she was safely inside, he shut the door and turned his attention back to Harper. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she glared down at her sister in anger and disbelief, but when Daniel looked at her, she smiled sheepishly.

“I’m really sorry for dragging you out to help me pick up my drunk sister. I mean, thank you. I appreciate it, but I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“No, it was no bother.” Daniel grinned. “I was just thinking to myself how tedious it is sleeping in until after the sun comes up.”

“Sorry,” Harper said again. “I should probably let you go back to sleep.”

“All right.” Daniel nodded and took a step back from the car. “But take it easy on her, okay? She’s just a kid. They screw up sometimes.”

“I didn’t.” Harper walked around the front of the car to the driver’s side.

“Really?” He stopped to arch an eyebrow at her. “You never screwed up?”

“Not like that.” She gestured to the car, where Gemma had her forehead resting against the glass. “I never stayed out all night or got drunk. I maybe overslept for school once.”