Page 69 of Shattered Rhythm

“I don’t go out to get drunk.”

“Everybody gets drunk, given the right occasion, and if getting your heart broken by four men at the same time isn’t such an occasion, I don’t know what is,” she tells me with wide eyes, and I chuckle.

“Sure, fuck it, let’s do it,” I tell her when we get into the studio “When are we getting drunk?” She laughs.

“Oh, it’s not only about getting drunk, girl. We dress up, go to the club, dance, and let your sexy ass buy us drinks for the whole night,” she says, but I shudder.

“I don’t think I want to go back to Jail.”

“Good, because we’re going to the new club near the beach, called Diamonds. A friend of mine is the owner, and I can get us some VIP passes,” she says with a smile.

“Ok, sounds good,” I say. “When do you want to go?”

“Since it’s Friday tomorrow and you have no classes, why not tonight?” she suggests, and I grin. I thought I would drown myself in ice cream tonight, but that sounds a lot more appealing.

“Deal.”

Chris squeals and hugs me.

“You two are going drinking on a Thursday night?” Jaxon asks from behind the reception desk.

I didn’t even see him there, damn it.

“None of your business, Jax!” Chris shouts over her shoulder.

“It is when you girls are being dumb. How will you get there and home again?” he asks.

Chris turns with her hands on her hips. “There’s this little thing called a car service. Ever heard of it?”

“No,” he just says. “You are not going out drinking and then getting into a car with a stranger. Not happening.”

“What, would you prefer we walk home in the dark?” Chris asks, rolling her eyes.

“I’m going to drive you, keep an eye on you so you can drink and be dumb, then drive you back home later,” he states. Chris frowns, while I just stand there behind her and avoid looking anywhere other than my fingernails.

“Uh-uh, Jax, not going to happen. We need a girls’ night out to drink and dance without you hovering and telling us how to behave,” she says.

“You can still do that. I won’t intervene, just stay relatively close and make sure you’re safe.”

“You want to come with us and watch her get drunk when you’re the reason she needs to drink?” she asks sharply.

“Chris!” I hiss at her.

Jaxon steps around the reception desk and in front of me, I feel his gaze boring into the top of my head. When I can’t stand it anymore, I look up into his eyes.

“Yes, even if I’m the reason she is hurting,” he says, his gaze intent on mine. “That’s what you do when you care about someone—you make sure they’re safe, even when they’re acting dumb.”

My hackles start rising.I’m the one acting dumb?

I turn to Chris and pull her in a hug.

“Text me the details,” I tell her, and without one more word, I walk out of the studio.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX

Jaxon

My phone rings, and I glance at the screen to see Chris calling me. It’s only thirty minutes until I have to pick her up, so I wonder what she wants.

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