Page 64 of Every Broken Thing

She was plastered to his front, hands hooked around the back of his neck, a loose grin on her face. Ben’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear the words. But he was leaning toward her, their heads so close to each other. His hands rose to grip her arms, and he offered her a sweet smile.

Alice grinned back, popped onto her toes, and pressed their lips together.

Unable to watch another second, I fought through the mass of bodies to get away. To get away from the truth I’d been trying to accept but was terrified of seeing confirmed. To get away from the boy who I was probably, most definitely falling for. To get away from the pain of my heart being crushed by a hydraulic press.

Except the pain followed me, and for the first time ever, I wanted to get blackout drunk.

Without much consideration, I snatched a bottle of tequila from the choir lesbians walking past me, ignoring their protests as I brought it to my lips and swallowed.

It burned the whole way down.

19

Take Me Home

The music pulsed throughme like a second heartbeat, thrumming through my blood as I moved to the rhythm. I was surrounded by people, but the familiar scent of Kim’s hair product grounded me in the moment. She pressed against my body, her back to my front, and we moved together to the music. Caroline was plastered to my back, making me the filling to a Kim-Caroline sandwich.

The thought made me laugh, and I threw my head back, releasing it into the ceiling. Kim peeked at me over her shoulder with a drunk, sexy smile, and I grinned back, feeling loose and free.

How long had we been dancing? When had I even gotten here? I couldn’t remember. But the bottle of tequila in my grasp was empty, and it made me irrationally sad. I didn’t even like tequila, but I wanted more, like, right now.

Kim’s ass ground against me, distracting me from my sudden desire for more alcohol, and I curled my arm around her waistto hold her tighter. We tangled together, a mass of limbs and heartbeats, and I fucking loved it. It was fun and intoxicating, being surrounded by hot, sweaty bodies as we moved like one giant organism to the beat of the music.

Time lost meaning as songs bled together. I blinked, and Caroline was in front of me, arms around my neck. I blinked, and Kim circled my waist from behind, her breasts pressed to my back. I blinked, and the room spun like a Tilt-A-Whirl.

I said, “Whoa.”

Kim said, “I need a drink.”

Caroline said, “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

“Ew,” I said, because vomit was gross.

We stumbled out of the mass of gyrating bodies, and I lost my empty tequila bottle. The room tilted. I wondered if Alice’s parents were aware that their foundation was crooked. It seemed like a serious safety hazard.

Jordan pushed a cup into my hand, mumbling around a smoldering joint, “Drink this.”

I drank it. It was water, and it tasted so good. I sat down on the floor to enjoy it.

Kim and Harris were making out on the couch, and when hadthathappened? Jordan was blowing smoke rings beside me, and Caroline was… not here. I didn’t know where she’d gone.

Where was Ben?

“Dunno,” Jordan said, and I gaped at him. Was he a mind reader? “No,” he answered, “you’re talking out loud.”

“Oh.”

I drank more water.

“Oh, there’s Ben,” Jordan said, pointing.

“I don’t even care,” I said. “He was all, ‘Come to the party, Silas. Stick together tonight, Silas. Save me from Alice, Silas.’ And then he sucks her face, anyway.” I snorted. “He’s a stupid boy, and I deserve a man.”

Jordan nodded. “You do deserve a man.”

“I do, don’t I? Thank you for validating my feelings,” I said, sincerely touched.

“No problem, man.”

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