Page 20 of Break Me
Five
I watchAva sleeping on my couch, her hands tucked under her cheek, the steady rise and fall of her chest under my shirt.
Her heels are beside her dress, which is folded up at the end of the black leather couch. She refused to sleep in my bed, even though I put her in it, last night, and told her I’d take the couch. She said her dad was going to be so mad, but nothing happened between us, so I think Pops will be fine. She was stubborn, though, so couch it was.
I gave her the white t-shirt after I carried her up from the taxi last night, after I watched Tyler and Riley go into her place, and heard the lock after they stumbled in. Before that, I’d watched Ava dance with a dozen dudes, her eyes occasionally finding mine, as if she wanted me to step in. To dance with her instead.
I never did.
I just watched.
I stopped drinking after one beer at the club, to keep myself in check. And I did. I watched random guys put their hands all over her, the thin fabric of her dress probably leaving little to their imagination as they felt her curves and pulled her into them. At one point, she and Riley danced together, Ava’s hands running up and down Riley’s body.
I just kept watching, wondering what Caden would think of it, but knowing better than to mention it to him. He knows we went out, but he didn’t need to know the girl I’m trying to sleep with had her hands all over Riley’s ass.
When I carried Ava from the taxi, she’d thrown her arms around my neck and buried her head in my chest. She’d mumbled something about wanting to kiss me, but even if she had tried, I wouldn’t have let her.
She was way too drunk for that. Maybe not for kissing, exactly, but for what I’d want after…yeah, no thanks.
Instead, I made sure she changed, and tucked her in on the couch.
And now, I’m watching her from the kitchen.
Ava Culwen, daughter of the mayor of Briar. Her mom has cancer, and I think that’s probably why she failed all of her classes last semester.
Probably also why she’s going to be pissed when she wakes up. At herself, for going too far again. I found pictures of her in local newspapers—tabloids, more like—from earlier in the year, sloppy drunk and spilling out of cabs, arms slung around different men that she didn’t seem to have an attachment to, judging by the fact she was never photographed with the same one twice.
This town is clearly full of bigots if all they’ve got to worry about is a 22-year-old woman’s drinking habits. Or maybe no one reads the local paper anyway.
I down the water from the glass in my hand, toss back a Xanax. Riley won’t make it to class today, and I know she won’t want to go anyhow, since Tyler is here. Tyler was shockingly friendly with me last night, but I’m pretty sure that’s because Caden flew him first class and he made use of the free drinks on the plane.
It’s ten in the morning, and I’ve already gone down to the gym for a workout, swam a few laps in the pool, and checked in with my men back in Toronto for any news on Rolland Virani.
Of which there’s none.
No news on Shade or any of my clients, so all is good.
For now.
But it rarely ever stays that way for long.
That’s what the Xanax is for. For that, and Bianca.
I hear Ava shift on the couch and cross my arms, leaning against the island of my kitchen which is identical to Riley’s.
Ava’s eyes flutter open and she frowns, looking confused. She feels the leather couch beneath her, picks at the t-shirt she’s wearing, and then sits up, whipping her head in my direction.
Her bleary eyes widen.
“What the fuck?” she asks, her voice groggy and full of sleep.
“Morning, Princess.”
She searches under the covers, peering over the arm of the chair at the side table. I know what she’s looking for. It’s what we’re all looking for when we wake up from a night of drinking way too damn much.
I slip her phone out of my pocket and hold it up, teasing her.
“Hey!” she shouts. She starts to fling back the blanket that’s over her legs, and then realizes she’s only wearing underwear. She glares at me, leaving the blanket on. “Give me that,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.
