Page 16 of Stephan

Jade would never accept a new phone from me,especially if the one she had was working. Hearing the shower stillgoing, I dropped the phone and stood on it, smiling, when I heardit crack. Picking up the broken phone, I smiled. Placing the moneyand phone in my pocket I went to my bedside drawers and I got outmy own phone and wallet.

I heard the shower turn off. I went and gotsocks and shoes, coming out in time to see Jade walking out of thebathroom. She wore my shirt tied in a knot with the tight skirtbelow it. She gazed at me and I watched as her guard slammed backin place. I braced myself for what she would say.

“I need to go. This was all a big drunkenmistake. I’m just happy we didn’t have sex. Um…thanks for lookingafter me though. I’ve got to go now. If you could just point me inthe direction to exit I’ll be on my way.”

Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath tocalm myself. I knew she was going to close up again. I pulled herphone out of my pocket. “I’ll give you a ride home. You can getchanged and I’ll take you to the shops. I’m sorry but I stepped onyour phone. Let me buy you a new one to make up for this one.”

Her eyes widened and she came to me lookingdown at her smashed phone. “Great, just my luck.” She looked up atme and guilt assaulted me as I saw tears glisten in her eyes. “Youdon’t have to buy me a new phone. It’s my fault for leaving itsomewhere you could break it.”

Shit.“Ah, you didn’t leave itsomewhere it could get stomped on. It was on the bedside table andI accidently knocked it off and when I got up I stepped on it. Itwas my fault. So you have to let me replace it.”

She groaned and I could see the war going on.“I don’t know.”

I grabbed her hand and walked her toward thedoor. “Come on. I can afford to replace your phone. It won’t evenput a dent in my bank account.”

She stumbled along following me. “I won’t bein debt to you?”

I hid my gin before I glanced at her. “No. Ipromise.”

“Okay. Before we go can I borrow your phoneto call Cassie and tell her I’m okay? I also need to get my thingsfrom her house.”

I pulled my phone out and gave it to her.“Cassie knew you were with me. I can take you to her house to getyour things.”

She nodded and stepped away from me anddialed the number. We stood in the hall and I listened as shetalked to Cassie. When she was done I walked to the kitchen. Ididn’t bother turning I knew she followed.

“Everything is clean. You’d never even knowyou had a party here.”

“The cleaners have been here. The catererswould have cleaned up after themselves too.” Jade looked around andhe could see the awe on her face. I took her through the kitchenexit to the garage. Punching in the code to unlock the door Iopened it and pushed her in shutting the door. Jade stood still infront of me staring at the garage.

“It’s huge. Who needs this many cars?”

“Most of them belong to my parents. Theydon’t ‘need’ them, but they are fun.”

I went to the cabinet, put my code in, andtook the keys to my jeep. Jade still hadn’t moved. I walked back toher and took her hand guiding her to my car. I opened the passengerdoor and Jade sat and did her seatbelt. Shutting her door, I wentaround to the driver’s side and got in, did my seatbelt and put thekeys in the ignition and turned on the car. I reached into theglove box and pressed the remote and the doors opened.

I could see a bunch of cars still parked. Iwasn’t worried, I knew they would come back for their cars whenthey woke and sobered up. I drove to Cassie’s house first.

*****

Jade

Cassie had been grinning like a loon when Isaw her. The bitch hadn’t felt any guilt for leaving me toStephan’s mercy at the party. I was angry with Cassie. I’d grabbedmy backpack and changed clothes. I didn’t want to go home tograndpa, and especially didn’t want Stephan to wait while I gotdressed at my house.

We hadn’t stayed at Cassie’s house for long.I was happy because I didn’t like the questions in Cassie’sparents' eyes when I came in with Stephan. We were now drivingtoward the highway. “Where are you going?”

“Sydney to one of the big shoppingcenters.”

“What? Why? All we are doing is getting me areplacement phone. We don’t need to drive an hour to do that. Thereis a shopping center in Reed Creek.”

“They don’t have much of a choice there.”

“I don’t need a choice, I’ll just have thecheapest they have.”

“No you won’t. I’m going to get you a goodone.”

“I can’t afford one that isn’t prepaid. Thenew ones all seem to be on plans. The one you broke was a cheapthirty dollar one. That’s all I need again.”

“No way am I getting you another piece ofshit phone.”

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