Page 48 of Always. Forever.

“Cash,” I say, pulling my hands away from James’s. It was totally innocent, but I remember the way Cash glared at us when I had my hand on his knee at the wake. Now this. Even I can admit it doesn’t look great. Adding to the list, Cash, for some reason, despises James.This isn’t good.

James scoots his chair back and stands up, glancing at Cash and then at me, eyes wide as if he got caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

“I, uh, best, erm, go.” He points behind him at the front door. “Rain check on the coffee?” he says.

“Yeah, okay.” The way James is acting, isn’t helping matters. I don’t tell him we will rearrange. That will just add fuel to the fire for Cash, and I cannot deal with the moody asshole right now.

James walks out, having to bypass Cash. His jaw clenched and nostrils flared. James picks up his pace and, to be honest, I can’t blame him. Cash has always had this aura about him, letting you know he has another side to him you don’t want to unleash.

The apartment door closes, and Cash turns his anger toward me. “What was he doing here?” he spits.

My eyebrows raise at the fucking audacity he has to question who I have in my apartment.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me!”

“Firstly”—I point to the floor—“this ismyapartment. I will have whoever I want in here. And secondly, don’t you dare question me as if I’m guilty of something.”

Cash raises his eyebrow as if to say,Well, are you?and I let out a slight chuckle.

“Fuck off, Cash. Seriously.” I don’t have to pussyfoot around him now. Jace isn’t here. I always respected him for Jace and put up with his shit. Not anymore. I thought at the hospital he may have turned a new leaf but clearly not. If anyone wanted to know what Jekyll and Hyde acted like, he’s standing right in front of me.

His nostrils flare like he wants to tell me exactly what is on his mind. He stares me down, but I don’t look away. He has another thing coming if he thinks I’m backing down from him.

“Go grab whatever it is you needed and get the fuck out of my apartment, Cash.” I grab my bottle of water off the kitchen counter, brushing past him as I walk back into the living room and pressing playing from where I was before James turned up.

Cash doesn’t say a word, he enters Jace’s office and slams the door behind him. Tears well in my eyes once again. This time, it doesn’t feel like grief, it’s anger. Anger that I have to deal with such a prick. I hope once he gets what he needs, he fucks off, and doesn’t come back. I would be happy never seeing Cash Stiles again, that’s for sure.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I’mmakingmyselfchickenstir fry, still raging from earlier.How dare he!The more time goes on, the angrier I get. I fell asleep while watchingTwilight. When I woke up hours later, there was a blanket over me with the TV turned off and a fresh bottle of water sitting on the table. The fucking audacity. He wants to come into my apartment, accuse me of God knows what, speak down to me like I’m his fucking child, and then covers me with a blanket while I sleep. If this is his way of apologizing, he needs a reality check. I’m seething, and the annoying thing is, I would never normally get this annoyed over something so small. I’m blaming it on my emotions being all over the place.

I finish cooking my stir fry and sit down at the island, playing around with the food, not feeling all that hungry. I have eaten little over the last two weeks, and I can feel it in my clothes. Not that I’m complaining, but I normally have a great appetite, and as of late, it’s nonexistent. I sigh, placing down my fork. I know what I need. A good drink, it’s been a while and there is one person always down to drink, without question. I jump up off the stool, heading to the living room to grab my phone. I bring up Toni’s number, and she picks up on the second ring. This girl never leaves me hanging.

“What are you doing?” I say without even saying hello.

“Sitting in my pj’s perving over Vin Diesel inPitch Black. Want to join?” she says with hope in her voice.

“I’ll join you, but I need alcohol involved.”

“Now you’re talking, but I’ll do you one better. We get ready and go out drinking, not indoors.”

I groan because I knew she would try this, but I don’t want to be around people, especially if I bump into someone I know. They will ask me the obvious question, and I don’t need that when I’m drunk. I just want a night of forgetting. I don’t want to remember anything; I want one normal night with my girl.

“Do we have to? I just want a night to forget, Ton.”

“I know you do, but sitting in drinking is not going to do that, Ry. Going out, music, dancing, shots. That will make you forget, I’ll help you forget. Trust me?”

“Okay.” I sigh. I will always trust this girl with my life, and if she says she will make me forget, she will.

Toni squeals down the phone, nearly bursting an eardrum, rattling off that she is chucking on a tracksuit and heading over. I hang up the phone feeling somewhat lighter, I know this night out is just what I need, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to spend it with.

After spending three hours, yes, three fucking hours, getting ready, we finally arrive at Lockdown. This is one of the best clubs in Baltimore, it’s also huge, so the chances of bumping into someone I know are slim. Toni is dressed in a strappy tight and very short silver sequin dress with her ash blonde hair cascading down her back in light soft curls. She looks like an absolute vision, and every guy she is walking past is literally wiping the drool away. She spent probably two of the three hours getting ready on our makeup alone. She has given us smokey eyes and has gone very heavy on the makeup. I love makeup but I’m useless at it. Whenever we go out, she always gives me a huge confidence boost with how she does my makeup.

She picked out a dress for me, telling me I needed to go with a mini dress like hers. I always settle for a midi dress as I love when they hit the knees and somewhat hide my chunky thighs, but Toni was not having it tonight. I am in spaghetti-strap bright-red dress with a cutout back. I felt a bit shameful when I checked myself in the mirror.

From the outside, it would look like we’re two girls out on the prowl tonight, but that is far from the truth. I couldn’t imagine touching another man like that again! I just want a normal night tonight and to feel happy with myself. If dressing up is what it takes, then I’ll take it. I need a lift me up and this is it.

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