Page 65 of Beautiful Lies
I texted her back.
CONNOR:And beauty and magic and light.
AVA:That, too. I just thought you should know… I believe in you. Goodnight, Connor
CONNOR:Goodnight, Ava Blue
I stepped away from the bar, leaving my drink untouched, and walked down a dimly lit hallway that smelled like jock straps and stale beer. I sidestepped a couple making out against the wall and ducked into the men’s room to take a piss before my walk home.
While I washed my hands, I studied my face in the mirror.You almost fucked up. Alcohol inevitably led me to make stupid decisions. Like trying to find someone in this club who could give me what I really wanted.
I exited the men’s room as a drunk guy stumbled in.
“Jake,” a girl purred. “We should go back to my place.”
I glanced at the couple who’d been making out earlier. The guy’s arms caged a petite blonde who was looking up at him with big doe eyes. He turned his head, and I caught a glimpse of his face in profile.
No fucking way. I froze in my tracks. “Jake Masters.”
He looked at me over his shoulder, his eyes squinted, trying to figure out how he knew me. Recognition dawned on him. “If it isn’t ‘The Kill’s’ little brother.”
“Not so little anymore,” the girl said with a giggle.
“If it isn’t the asshole who messed with my girl,” I widened my stance, my hands curling into fists.
He smirked at me. “Ava was fun.”
“Fun,” I ground out. I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. My fist connected with his face. The girl screamed, her shrill voice in my ear. I ignored it and rammed my fist into his face again.
He spit on the ground and headbutted me, driving me against the opposite wall.
“She was gagging for it. My cock was so deep down her throat—”
I lunged for him, bringing him down to the ground.
“She wouldn’t get anywhere near you.”
“Ask her what happened behind the school.”
I roared and locked his legs under me, my fists pummelling his face and chest. He got me in a chokehold and flipped me over. We wrestled and grappled, rolling on the ground, taking punches at each other. A bottle hit the back of my head.Fuck. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder at the blonde. Jake’s fist slammed into my face and my head snapped back.
“Break it up,” a male voice yelled as my fist smashed into Jake’s face.
Beefy hands fisted my hoodie and hauled me to my feet. Jake scrambled into a sitting position, holding his hands over his face and moaning.
“The cops are on the way. You’re going to pay for this,” the petite blonde said, her eyes narrowed on me.
“You called the cops?” the bouncer asked. “We don’t need to involve them.”
That was for damn sure.
The blonde knelt next to Jake. “Baby, are you okay?”
“He broke my fucking nose.”
I laughed harshly. “That’s nothing compared to what you did to Ava, you fucking douchebag.”
The bouncer shoved me up the stairs and pushed me out the front door on to the sidewalk. He shoved me against the outside wall and held me in place with his arm. It wasn’t necessary. My fight wasn’t with him. Jake and the blonde exited the club, escorted by another bouncer.
