Page 95 of Breaking the Habit

“I didn’t,” she said, swinging to face the mirrored back of the bar again. “Youfound me.”

“Riley, you texted me.”

She scoffed. “I wouldn’t text you. Not after what you did.” And then she tossed back all of whatever was in her glass.

Levi clenched his jaw as she flagged down the bartender and tried to order another drink.

“Actually, I’ll close out her tab,” Levi interjected. “We need to leave.”

“I amnotleaving with him,” Riley hissed to the bartender.

“This is my girlfriend,” Levi said, trepidation making hot steps through his body. This would not end well. He looked like an out-of-control asshole. Face busted, recent stitches. His face screamed domestic abuse.

A sarcastic laugh erupted from Riley, but for some reason, she didn’t dispute him. She turned in her seat and stood up.

“So we’re leaving?” he asked her.

“Pay!”

He hurried to extract his credit card from his wallet. He kept an eye on her as she stumbled toward the bathroom. His heart sank. He’d never seen her like this. Not even once, not even close.

The bartender closed out her tab, and Levi was waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom.

“God, you’re still here?” she sneered.

“Yeah, I’m here to take you home. You’re drunk as fuck. Let’s go.”

“Don’t you want to celebrate?” She got some sort of crazed, sarcastic look on her face. “You know, that awesome tie you pulled off.”

He ground his teeth. Of all the people to goad him about the tie, he didn’t expect Riley to shove it in his face like that.

“I’m not drinking tonight. We’re having a talk. Let’s go.”

“But I thought you needed to go get into some trouble,” she went on, her voice getting more and more patronizing. “You know, to feel like a twenty-something.”

“Riley.”

She wobbled, and he caught her, slinging his arm around her shoulder.

“Let’s go to my car,” he said. “I want to fly under the radar so we can leave without any hassle.”

“Pffff. Fly under the radar. Funny joke.”

She might not believe him, but she didn’t have to. She’d see—either now or when she was lucid—that Levi’s goal wasn’t unbridled fame whoring anymore. The only goal was to make it to her house, where she could sleep it off, and then they could have a rational, adult conversation in the morning.

As soon as they hit the sidewalk outside, Riley started acting weird.

Really weird.

“Levi, don’t put your hands on me!” she shouted, twisting away from him. “What about Titi?”

Levi clenched his jaw. Photogs lined the sidewalk about five feet away. Now he knew what she was doing. What she was gunning for. But it didn’t make any damn sense.

“Riley,” he said in a low voice.

“I really amnotinterested in your very small penis!” she shouted, storming ahead. Levi narrowed his eyes. Low blow, but maybe one he deserved.

“This way, Ri,” he hissed, grabbing her elbow.

---