Page 71 of After the Storm

“Ares, please don’t say that,” I beg, running a few steps to catch him. He whips around to me, face ice cold and jaw tight. I regret chasing after him as soon as I see the look in his eye.

“God, you make it so impossible to be your friend sometimes.” He groans. Time stops, my heart stops, everything fucking stops. I’ve known pain, I’ve known heartbreak. Nothing holds a flame to this, though. Not knowing if he’ll speak to me again. Knowing the thing I’ve been most worried about being confirmed for me. It’s not in my head. I do make myself hard to love. The last person in the world who I thought would say it to me. There isn’t enough oxygen in the world to fill the pit that just opened up in my chest. I don’t respond. I don’t say a word. Instead, I do the most pathetic thing possible, and I drop to the ground. Crying on the blacktop of the street in a party dress. I’m too stunned to say a word.

Heels click on the ground behind me, getting louder until Katrina passes me, catching up with Ares. Shimmering silver stays in my eyeline until they both get in her car. I half hoped that she would make him come over and talk to me. I turn to face Ravyn, but she isn’t there. She must have left with them. My heart breaks a little more when I see she’s gone, too.

“Come on, pretty girl. Let’s get you home,” Roman says, reaching a hand down to help me up. I push up off the ground with my free hand, and little rocks and sand stick to my palm. I rub it off on the side of my dress.

“He hates me.” I turn and sob into his chest. He rubs a gentle hand over the back of my head.

“He doesn’t hate you. Everyone’s drunk; this shouldn’t have happened when everyone was drunk. We’ll figure it all out after some sleep and water, okay?” All I can respond with is a nod because I can’t argue with what he’s said. On the other hand, though, it isn’t okay, and I can’t find it in myself to say that it is. None of this feels okay.

“Beck is going to pick us up and take us to my place,” he says, wrapping my hand securely in his as we walk down the street.

“I don’t know if I should be going to your house.”

“Everyone knows, Auds. Might as well.” I nod along because he isn’t wrong. I’m not sure it can get worse than it is right now. So sure, I’ll cry in the comfort of Roman’s arms in his bed instead of alone at my own house. Soon after we reach the end of the street, Beck’s truck pulls up, and Roman helps me in. The drive is eerily quiet, and I hate that almost every time Beck has seen me, it’s begun or ended in tears. I’m sure he thinks I’m an absolute wreck. Maybe he’d be right about that, though.

I flop myself on Roman’s bed, probably leaving black flecks of glitter all over his sheets and pillows. I lay there and take some deep breaths, trying to calm down, but it’s kind of hard when the entire room is spinning.And spinning. And spinning.

Roman kneels at the edge of the bed and unstraps each heel before pulling each of them from my feet. Carefully, he pulls a pair of sweatpants up my legs.

“T-shirt next,” he says, putting a hand out to help me up. I grab his hand, and he pulls me upright.Holy shit, I’m so dizzy.He pulls my dress over my head and unsnaps my bra, letting it fall to the ground, then pulls one of his t-shirts over my head.

“Take me to the bathroom, please. Everything is spinning,” I groan, tucking my head in my hands. I’m sure it’s a mix of beer, nerves, and how little I ate today, but I’m certain I’m going to be sick.

Chapter30

Roman

An absolute fucking mess.That’s the only way I can think to describe last night. I’m getting really sick of people giving my girl reasons to come cry in my bed. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never be sick of her being curled up in my bed or finding comfort in me. But if I have to watch this beautiful girl fall apart one more time, I might combust. At least for once, there is something I can do about it because this time, it’s my idiot little brother.

I walk back into my bedroom with a bottle of ibuprofen in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. I sit on the bed next to her, setting both down on the nightstand to her left. I know she’s going to wake up with a hangover from hell. Worst of all, she’s likely going to have to face my brother with the hangover from hell.

“Baby, I brought you some medicine and juice,” I whisper close to her ear, giving her a slight nudge. She groans and pulls the plush comforter over her head. Can’t say I expect anything else. “There’s breakfast downstairs.” She peeks an eye out of the blanket.

“Who cooked?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.

“My mom.” She throws the blanket off of herself. The sweatpants and t-shirt I gave her are wrinkled and wrapped up in her body from all the tossing and turning she did last night. She pops herself up on her elbows and reaches for the juice and ibuprofen bottle, swallowing two capsules with a gulp of the juice. She groans, dragging fingers painted in chipped nail polish down her face.

“Fuckkkk. I’m so hungover,” she sighs, dropping her head into her hands. Then suddenly, she snaps it back up, looking at me with wide eyes. “Shit. Ares. I have to talk to Ares. God, he has to forgive me… Right?” The look in her eye can’t be mistaken for anything but desperation. So, without a second thought, I nod, assuring her that hehasto forgive her. I’m certain at that moment I’ll force him to if I have to. I’ll make him understand why she waited.

“Ready to go down to breakfast and face everyone?” I ask, putting a hand out to help her off the bed. She just nods and takes my hand, standing from the bed. If it wasn’t for obvious circumstances, I would be filled to the brim with happiness and maybe even a little pride, walking downstairs where everyone finally knows we’re together and her in my clothes. It doesn’t feel that way, though. Everything is soured by Ares’ reaction, and there’s no one to blame for that but ourselves.

We walk down the stairs and into the dining room, where everyone sits with breakfast at the center of the table for everyone to pick from. Just like mom has always done for us and our friends. All eyes are on us, and I wonder if Audra is going to shatter under the pressure, but instead, she takes a deep breath and walks to the table anyway.That’s my girl.

I don’t like one bit the way Ares looks her up and down, then rolls his eyes. I’m happy she didn’t notice the look, but I did. He looks at me, and I give him thelook. The one your mom gives you in the grocery store when you’re ten years old and messing around too much. The cut-it-the-fuck-out look. He just gives me the finger and snaps his head away from me.

Getting the finger is almost a comfort because at least it feels like a normal level of anger. It no longer feels like he might never speak to us again. I don’t know what the fuck his deal is anyway. It’s not like he ever had feelings for her.

Mom looks between Ares and Audra, then back to me. As soon as her lips part to speak, I know this is going to end horribly. One thing about my mom is she doesn’t hold back at all. Blessing and a curse, but I am certain it’s quickly going to turn into a curse at this table right now.

“So, cat’s out of the bag, huh?” she asks, looking between all of us.Yep. A fucking curse. I love my mom beyond measure, but holy shit, does she not know how to read a room. Ares irritated face burns to a full-on rage, and his eyes snap to Audra.

“Mom fucking knew?” he spits. Audra’s eyes go wide. I’m not sure if she’s going to meet him where he’s at with the anger or if we are going to go back to pouring down tears. She just nods, but to my surprise, tears don’t come. She holds her chin high, and I know it’s hard for her. I know she wants to cry.

“Did you know?” Ares asks, snapping his head to Ravyn. Oh yeah, we are in for the tantrum of a lifetime out of my brother.

“Barely. Like… only a day before you did.” She shrugs. That’s what I like about Ravyn. Completely unfazed by Ares shit. Audra, not so much. She might be able to hold her brave face here, but I know when I get her alone, she’ll be all tears. My girl has the softest heart, and I love that I’m the one who gets to see it.

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