Page 5 of Always. Forever.

We dance more and get more drinks. Our group is mingling now, and Toni will not stop looking at me with the biggest smile on her face, and I have to say, I can’t help but return it. I feel so happy, it’s probably the alcohol, but I don’t even care. I’m having the best night.

The DJ comes over the speaker, giving us our warning for last drinks before closing. Toni comes up to me and says it’s best we leave now, otherwise it will be a nightmare getting a taxi if we leave when everyone else does.

When we get outside, the air hits me and I feel like I have downed five drinks at once. My vision is distorted, and I try my best to act normal. I already told the girls I was going back to Jace’s, to which they screamed the club down, so they know I will jump in a taxi with him. Toni made me turn my location on and share it with her via WhatsApp and even took Jace’s ID so she could get his address. She is good like that, she is wild, but she is also the protective momma bear that every girl needs.

Jace waves down a taxi, and I turn to the girls and give them all a kiss goodbye. I’m trying too hard to walk in a straight line, but I stumble slightly as we approach the taxi. Jace catches me and guides me into the car, and James slides in after him. I’m trying too hard to concentrate on keeping myself composed to be worried as to why he got in the taxi with us.

“You okay, Rylee, you’re a bit pale?” I turn to the right, and James is leaning forward so he can see past Jace.

“Mm,” I mumble, because honestly, I feel so spaced out and sick, I can’t dare to open my mouth.

They’re talking but it’s like I’m far away from them. I lean my head back against the seat, hoping if I just close my eyes, I will feel better once I open them.

“Rylee, Rylee . . .”

I peel my eyes open, everything is blurry, so I close them again, and my head is killing me.

“Rylee, babe, can you open your eyes for me?”

“Mm, I can’t,” I murmur. “My head hurts too much.”

I lay my head back against what I can only assume is the headrest before I let the blackness take me.

My head hurts so much as I flicker my eyes open but instantly close them again.God, I feel like death. How much did I drink last night? My mouth feels like cotton, I need some water.I sit up without even opening my eyes, and then freeze. My eyes snap open, the loudest gasp leaves my body.

“Where the fuck am I?” I look down. I’m in a man’s shirt at least five sizes too big for me that covers my thighs.

I sit there, squeezing my eyes closed, trying to think over the thumping in my head.Fuck . . . Jace.I look around at the modern spacious white room. It doesn’t seem like a man’s room, nor a woman’s room, it’s very neutral. I really hope this is Jace’s room.

Faint whistling comes from outside the room as I comb my fingers through my hair. There’s clumps of hair stuck together.What the fuck is that from?There isn’t a mirror, so God knows how awful I look, but I need to know what happened last night. I head out of the room and follow the whistling. I pass multiple doors before I come to an open-plan kitchen. A shiver runs through my body as my eyes land on a topless Jace cooking and whistling with the stereo on at a low volume. I don’t make myself known, instead I admire how amazing his body is.

He’s ripped with the sexiest V and beautiful abs. My eyes glide down to the line of hair that disappears into the waistband of his gray joggers, which has my thighs clenching together.

I’m interrupted from admiring him when he clears his throat. I glance up at him, the smile he has on his face is like nothing I have seen before. He's like he was made from God himself and then passed down for the angels to complete him. His smile has my stomach swarming with butterflies and my pussy throbbing.

“Morning, babe, you feeling okay?” he says while walking over to me with a cup in his hand. He passes me the cup, and I haven’t answered him because I’m trying to pick my jaw up off the floor. Being this close to him, he is good enough to fucking eat on the spot.

It then dawns on me that he’s asking if I feel okay because of the state I was in last night. I remember getting into the taxi and nothing after that. My cheeks are burning as I drop my gaze to the floor and whisper, “I’m sorry.” I’m so mortified I could cry. He doesn’t need silly girls who don’t know how to handle their alcohol, he could get any girl he wanted. I want to get out of here and never have to face him again, even though the thought of that sends a punch to my gut.

I mumble another quick apology and head back to his room. Hopefully he will be happy I’m walking away and will leave me to grab my stuff and go. I’m looking around his room when he enters abruptly. He paces over to me, his eyes drawn together.

“Hey, what’s wrong, you don’t need to be sorry.”

“Do you know where my clothes are?” I rush out. “I will get changed and head home, I don’t remember what happened last night, but all I can say is I’m sorry and you don’t need to worry about seeing me again. If you can just get me my clothes, I’ll be on my way.”

“Your clothes are in the dryer. I put them in the wash last night and then put them in the dryer this morning,” Jace says, his features softening. As I’m wondering why the hell he is washing my clothes, he reaches out, placing a hand gently on my shoulder.

“You are not going anywhere until you have something to eat, which is nearly ready, and drink some water. I want to make sure you’re okay, Rylee,” he says with a softer tone. I give him a small smile, but I’m confused as to why he’s being so nice. I’m a random girl he met on a night out and now he’s washing my clothes.Wait . . .

“Why are you washing my clothes, did I fall over or something?” I ask.

He brings his hand to the back of his neck and rubs it, casting his eyes around the room.

“You were a little sick when we got inside, you couldn’t walk from the taxi and wouldn’t keep your eyes open, so I carried you in and laid you down in my bed. You then sat up and got sick down yourself and on me a little bit. I had to undress you, but I swear nothing else happened, I wouldn’t touch you in an inappropriate way while you were like that,” he rushes out, without taking a breath.

I gasp and bring my hand to my mouth. “Jace,” I say into my hand. I don’t even know what to say right now.How can he even have me in his house right now?

“Jace, I’m totally mortified, I’m so, so sorry. I will pay for whatever dry cleaning you need to do. I feel awful.” Jace laughs and brushes it off.

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