Page 21 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

But then on the other hand, after what I just went through at the house of horror, I kind of felt desperate for a little normalcy. It really was a no win situation.

A surge of despair shot through me. Would I ever know what it was like to have a normal relationship? To have what Mia had with Jace? I sighed. I was beginning to think not.

Steeling myself with a deep breath, I walked inside.

Mia spotted me the second I stepped in the door. She lit up so brightly I had no choice but to laugh. My shoulders instantly relaxed. God I loved her ability to do that.

She pulled me into a big bear hug, her soft giggles making it obvious she’d had quite a few drinks already. “I thought you weren’t going to make it! Do you want something to drink?”

I pulled back to give her an exhaustive look. “God, yes!”

She grinned at me knowingly, then dragged me to the kitchen, where Ryan was pour

ing a few shots. Amber was front and center, overseeing his efforts. She looked up at me when I leant closer. “Shots?” she said, mischief ripe in her eyes.

I pushed the voice of reason to the back of my mind. I’d never had a shot before, but I sure as shit wanted to try some tonight. “Sure.”

Mia gave me a worried glance. “Are you sure? You’re not really a seasoned drinker, babe.”

Ryan grinned like an idiot, pushing a few of the tiny glasses in front of me. “I am tonight,” I said, determined to blast my mind into an oblivion.

Mia didn’t say anything, but she bit her lip. That was speech enough. She didn’t approve. Oh well.

Without waiting a second longer, I picked up one of the shots and threw it down my throat, just like I’d seen Mitch do only an hour ago. It burned the whole way down. Tequila. Gross.

The thought of Mitch made me think of Ken, and the anger inside me reared its ugly head again. I picked up another one and slammed it down too. My anger roared triumphantly.

Amber smirked at me and pushed a third one closer to me, holding one of her own up like a toast. Picking it up, I clicked our little glasses together and downed it too.

Mia frowned at me, still biting her lip. I knew she was worried, but I really needed to wipe my mind. Picking up one more, I tipped it back and shrugged. I didn’t care anymore.

The burning liquid quickly reached my stomach and all of a sudden I just wanted to dance. Looking at Mia, I smiled widely. “Let’s dance.”

She looked back at Jace, who was eyeing me cautiously. When he gave her a slight nod, she smiled and stretched up to kiss him before grabbing my hand.

We half walked, half skipped back to the lounge room where a crowd was jumping maniacal to the beat of a fast techno song.

I caught Jace and Aiden standing off to the side, watching, their gazes intent. I knew they were only concerned about Mia. She hadn’t had an anxiety attack in a while, but the last one wasn’t so long ago it was forgotten yet.

About six tracks later, my head was starting to feel fluffy. My body felt loose and relaxed, and everything seemed funny. I was on my own planet, doing what felt good to me, and I didn’t care one single bit what anyone else thought about it.

Mia laughed with me the whole time, easing my troubles – even if it was only for one night. Every so often, Jace would appear with a fresh drink for each of us. Sometimes it was water, sometimes it was a cup of some sweet tasting orange juice, but each time we would hold our cups up and toast to some bazaar wish for my future.

A few tracks later, when Jace took our empty cups away, he reappeared beside us and took Mia in his arms for a dance of his own. I didn’t see Corey until he was right in front of me.

“Hey!” I said, immediately wondering why I was so excited to see him. Then I quickly realized I’d forgotten all about him. Whoops. I giggled.

Corey cocked a lopsided grin at me. It was kind of cute, really. I giggled again.

“Wanna dance?” he asked, sliding a little closer to me.

I bit my lip, trying to repress the urge to flat out laugh. What was wrong with me? If I didn’t rein it in, I’d be in complete hysterics soon. He took my non answer as a yes, and taking a full step forward, put his hands on my hips.

We swayed to the music in an almost hypnotic way, just feeling the beat flow through us until the song changed into another, then another.

It was somewhere in the middle of the third song when I realized my mood had changed. The laughter was gone, and it all felt way too serious. His hands had moved slowly around to my lower back, fingers splayed, tension high.

This new energy confused me, and I wasn’t really sure why. Pushing away from him a fraction, I looked up into his eyes. Despite the fluffiness in my head, I knew I was standing on a precipice. I had to make a decision: Retreat, or attempt normal.

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