Page 83 of Give Me Love

“Shawn.” I nod toward our table. “Yours?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he replies. But it does. It really does. My heart is pounding so hard. I want to slap him, but instead, I dig my nails into the palm of my hand.

“How long have you known this guy?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I throw his words back at him. He narrows his eyes, and tension grows in layers as he darts them down my body. I tense up. I know he likes my smart mouth, but I’m not doing it to please him.

“Umm, we should get back,” Claire says.

“Yes. We should. Jace, always so good to see you.”

“You, too, Harrison. Enjoy your birthday.”

“It’s your birthday?” Bryce asks with a hint of surprise.

“Yeah,” I reply. “Enjoy your date.”

I don’t look back at the guy I know is staring holes into me, and I’m hoping he can’t see how I feel on the inside.

“That went better than expected,” Claire says as we near our table. I look over at her with a blank expression.

She shrugs. “Drink your drink.”

I take my seat, and that’s the first thing I do. We make small talk throughout the rest of our dinner, and I down two more drinks.

I can see the bar clearly from here, and the more I drink the more I want to get up and go over there, but then they all four get up and Bryce doesn’t look back.

Everything after that doesn’t matter. My heart is grounded in my stomach, and I’m mad at myself for letting my guard down.

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Drinks flow, and the music is bumping. The place is lit blue, and people walk around with paint all over them. I dance and try with everything in me to get Bryce out of my mind. Shawn has his hands on me, but he has no idea whose hands I wish were there instead. Claire cuts in, and we jump up and down when an awesome song comes on.

My shoes are hooked to my fingers, and if I wasn’t drunk, I’d be worried about how nasty this cement floor is. We’re in an abandoned building outside of town. Far from Red and far from what’s his name.

Oh, the alcohol is working!

Where’s my date? I look around Claire and see him talking with Austin. He’s actually very cute, and I love that lip ring, especially when he places it in his mouth.

Maybe I want it in my mouth?

I want to kiss someone.

I haven’t in so long. A real kiss, I mean. Mark and I didn’t kiss anymore.

“I’ll be back,” I say to Claire.

She narrows her eyes. “Don’t walk off.”

“I’m not, overprotective. I’m gonna get my date.”

She smiles. “Oh.”

I wink back at her, which I feel cool doing, but I’m sure I look like a drunk idiot. Shawn and Austin turn to me when I walk up. “Hey,” I say, pointing my finger at the poor guy who has to deal with me tonight. “Let’s dance.”

He smiles. “Okay.” I grab his hand, and it’s amazing to not feel a damn thing when I do it. No crazy sensations, no weirdo letting go quickly because he’s afraid he may feel something for me if he does. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Just a girl holding a guy’s hand so they can dance together. I wrap my arms around his neck and we move back and forth to the slowest song of the night, which really isn’t that slow, but my date goes with it.

“You okay?” he asks me.

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