Page 55 of Broken Princess

She opens her mouth to speak but closes it, as something on the other end of the room catches her attention. I turn and see Simon has his drink in one hand and a generous amount of ass in the other.

“You know, sometimes I think you’re the biggest hoe I’ve ever met, and then I remember your best friend Simon, is still walking the earth.” She sips her drink and says, “Hope you gave him some condoms before setting him loose in the wild.”

I didn’t because he carries his own, but the look on Tabby’s face says I probably shouldn’t mention it. We all used to be so close. I’m not sure when the two of them started hating each other, but I stopped trying to broker peace between them two years ago.

“I’m shocked Bella isn’t making you follow her around tonight.” I scan the crowd and spot Hal and Frankie over by the stairs. “Where is she, by the way?”

Tabby’s glare turns into a frown. “I don’t know.” Our eyes meet and a niggle of worry eats at me. If Tabitha doesn’t know, and Hal and Frankie aren’t with her, there’s no telling what she might be up to.

Jordanna

I wasn’t invited, but I let myself in the house anyway, dropping my coat in the closet across from the front door. Nobody pays me any attention as I walk through the house in search of the kitchen. The trail of bodies coming my way with drinks in their hands lets me know I’m heading in the right direction. I finally find it and mix myself a drink, having learned I draw less suspicion when I have a cup in my hand.

Logan will be wherever the action is. I go from room to room until I spot one of Frankie in a corner. He’s looking in my direction, and I’m sure he sees me, but doesn’t speak. It’s almost comical, the different levels of active dismal and outright ignoring I get whenever I walk into a space the BP’s are occupying. I’m spending time with four out of five, in one way or another, and yet they act like I don’t exist. I’m happy to keep up the pretense with Logan’s friends, but I need him to take a more public stance with us, which he’ll never do without the right motivation.

“Now aren’t you the hottest wall-flower I’ve ever seen.”

Looking to my right, I take in the guy standing next to me. I was so busy watching the first round of stupid party games that I didn’t hear anyone walking up to me. I’m not in the mood to entertain whoever he is. “Who says I’m a flower? Maybe I’m a creeping vine. Or a weed.” Instead of waiting for him to answer, I walk to the other end of the room, and climb the stairs to the loft area. There are games going on up here too. I head towards the corner, closest to the television, looking for a place to sit.

“Yeah. Like that.” Someone grunts, causing me to freeze in my tracks.

A hand grazes across the back of my neck, and soft lips tickle the shell of my ear as a deep voice says. “Now that’s not something you see every day.” I don’t know if he means the tramp stamp that looks like it was done by a two-year-old on the girl who just walked by, or the horrible dye job on the girl getting fingered up against the wall near the stairs.

“That, you don’t.” I agree, moving to my left to get a better look at the guy who just put his hands on me.

“Should you be up here?” He asks, but poses the question like he already knows the answer.

“Should you?”

He walks around to stand in front of me, blocking my view of the couple in the corner. His deep blue eyes take me in as he lifts his beer to his lips. A shock of hair falls in his face, just begging for a girl to brush it back. “Probably not, but then again, I’m used to all this. Something about the look on your face tells me you think you might’ve strayed too far.”

I nod, once, because he’s right. That doesn’t stop me from trying to look over his shoulder, to confront the question I’ve been wrestling with for weeks. “What if I want to go further?”

“How much further?” His eyes flick away from mine. He doesn’t have to say anything. I can tell by the tingle on the back of my neck and the charge in the air that someone else is at the top of the stairs, and I know that if I turn around, I’ll find Logan behind me.

“Am I interrupting?” Logan asks as he comes to stand beside me. The two enter a staring a contest, as if I’m not even here.

“Yes.” I say, drawing their attention to me. “Things were just about to get good.” It’s getting good for the pressed flesh crew too, their cries and moans are getting louder. The guy is still standing in my way, blocking my view, so my imagination fills in the blanks. I wipe the sweaty palm of my right hand against my jeans.

Logan steps closer, so my shoulder is pressed against his chest. When he speaks, his breath tickles the side of my face. “Are you talking about things with Simon, or with them?”

I keep my eyes trained on Simon, who’s clearly amused by Logan’s question. “Simon is it?” Sticking out my hand, I introduce myself. “Jordanna.”

He takes it, holding onto it, until Logan glares at him. Other people would run and try to avoid Logan’s wrath. Simon doesn’t. He lifts my hand to his mouth. The kiss he presses to the back of it has a little bite to it. Seriously. He nibbles on it and meets my gaze with an arched brow, as if he’s daring me to pull away. When I don’t, he steps closer, and my ex moves behind me, pulling me against his chest.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Jordanna.” Simon says, tipping my chin up to look at him. With that he walks off, clasping Logan on the shoulder as he goes, leaving me to face the guy who’s vibrating with anger behind me.

“Did you enjoy that?”

“What?”

“Watching with Simon.”

I couldn’t see anything with Simon standing in front of me, but my ears are attuned to the sounds and I smell sweat and sex in the air. Did I want to watch? I know Logan’s done it before, maybe… I turn in his arms, pressing my chest against him. “Why do you seem so upset about the idea?”

His eyes narrow on me. “Simon’s my best friend, and there’s not much we haven’t done together, but for the first time since I can remember, I wanted to punch him in the face for touching you and standing her with you while this shit is going on.”

“You didn’t seem to mind me standing around with Zathan, and watching you at The Rift.”

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