Page 14 of Fractured Rhythm

Chapter 4

Jamie:How do you put a sparkle in a singer’s eye? Shine a flashlight in his ear.

Cassie:I’m so telling Jax.

Jamie:You wouldn’t out your big brother like that. Loved hanging out with you in Seattle.

Cassie:Thanks for the tickets.

Jamie:Anytime. Miss you already, Cas.

Cassie:Miss you, too.

CASSIE

I would notturn around to see if he was following me. My heart raced as I pushed through the crowd, my only focus on finding Holly and escaping the bar. Yes, a part of me wanted to run into Bash, but that part of me had panicked as soon as we were face-to-face. My anger had spilled out, leaving me with no idea what to say to him. I refused to easily accept any apology he offered.

Did he have any idea what he’d done to me all those years ago? How destroyed I’d been seeing those pictures? And then he’d ended it.

He’d. Ended. It.

Yet my first instinct was to forgive him for everything.

And that was the biggest problem of all.

I was a mess, and I was right back to being the girl that wanted everything from him. I couldn’t be that girl again. She’d barely survived the last time.

“Cassie. Are you okay?”

Holly’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Umm. Yeah. I think I’m going to go. Too many drinks and I’m tired,” I said lamely.

Holly’s brow arched. “Want to try that again?”

“Sorry. I’m tired from this week. I’m going to Uber home.”

“You’re full of shit and obviously upset. Whose ass am I kicking?”

My laugh was watery, and I couldn’t stop myself from dropping my head to her shoulder when she linked her arm through mine.

“He’s here, and I can’t talk to him.”

“Holy shit. Really?” Holly craned her neck to try to spot him in the crowd.

Hopefully, he was still where I left him. A shudder rolled through me at the memory of his touch. It was familiar and painful and—fuck—I shouldn’t still crave it.

Stupid traitorous body.

“I have to get out of here.”

“I’m coming with you. I mean, unless you want me to find him and kick his ass? I don’t care about damaging that pretty face. I’ll do it,” Holly said, her eyes bright as she fired herself up.

I grinned at my friend. “You’re the best, you know that?”

“Pretty sure I tried to tell you that earlier. Let’s get out of here. Netflix and pizza are calling our names.”

“But what about Gray?” I asked half-heartedly, hating that I was ruining her night but really wanting to go home and stew in my misery.

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