Page 60 of A Love That Broke Us
“Ow! Fuck!”
Matt… God, are they kidding right now?
Jensen and Kevin’s laughter carries down the hallway.
“Help me, Kev,” Matt groans. “Fucking walk, man. Move your legs.”
More laughter, then a deep groan.
“Keep it down, you guys,” Jeff mutters, his voice sharp and serious. More shushing follows.
“Do we just leave him out here? Alley’s going to kill us if we bring him to her like this.”
Matt again.
“Come on, man, get up.” Jeff’s voice is quieter, more serious. “Matt, knock it off and help me with him.”
Cue me.Awesome.
I slip out of bed and pull on the sweats from the floor, making my way to the end of the hall.
Jeff and I lock eyes as I cross my arms, taking in the scene. Jensen’s sitting on the couch, leaning back with a lazy grin, laughing at something Matt says.
A little knot tightens in my stomach, but I push it aside, watching as Jeff reaches for Jensen’s arm, trying to pull him to his feet.
“Alright, bud, time to go to bed,” Jeff mutters, clearly struggling to keep Jensen steady once he’s standing.
“Noooo, wanna see my girl,” Jensen slurs, grinning wide and sloppy, his eyes glassy.
My stomach twists as the words leave his mouth. He’s not just tipsy—he’s completely gone.
Jeff glances at me, offering a helpless shrug as he starts hauling Jensen toward the hall. “Sorry, Al. I’ll help get him to your room.”
“Whoooa, heeey, there she is,” Jensen adds when he sees me, his words drawn out, like his brain can’t quite keep up.
What the hell happened? Why is he this wasted?
I nod to Jeff, pressing my lips together, trying to shove down the mess of feelings swirling inside me.
When we reach the doorway, Jeff pauses. “You good, buddy?”
Jensen nods, lazily swiping Jeff off. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good, bro.”
Jeff blows out a breath, running a hand through his hair, looking to me. “Good luck.”
Jensen stumbles forward, crashing into the doorframe before I manage to catch him.
His arms snake around me, too heavy, his breath hot against my neck. “Babe… you’re so hot… mmm… love you.”
I stiffen, my stomach twisting, throat tight. God, he smells like he bathed in a tub of whiskey.
“Hey, let’s get you to bed, okay?” I whisper, trying to stay calm,even as my pulse races and a creeping sense of déjà vu settles over me—familiar and too close to home.
He groans against me, mumbling nonsense as I steer him toward the bed, each step harder than the last.
Behind me, Jeff lingers. “He’ll be fine, Alley. Just overdid it a little. He’ll sleep it off.”
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah… yeah, sure.”
