Tamed (Torn #5)(7)

The reason I’d ended it was because Chloe had asked too many questions. She’d noticed my absence and asked about where I was always sneaking off to. Finally, I’d lied and told her I was dating Alex. I’d told him as well. He hadn’t seemed to care that I claimed him, which had made me wary because I didn’t want a relationship. When Chloe had constantly tried to get me to bring Alex to places with us, I’d finally told her that we’d broken up. It was easier that way.

Shortly after, I’d truly ended things with him. Sneaking around with him had just been too hard, and I’d grown bored with the sex. Alex wasn’t bad at it. He’d just seemed to like things one way only. He had instantly shot down any suggestion to change it up. That had ended up being a deal-breaker for me.

Tonight, I was going to the bar where Drake’s band played—Gold’s Pub. I was excited for a night out with Chloe, Logan, and Rachel, who was Chloe’s roommate. I was wearing a sexy black dress, hoping to catch at least one guy’s attention. It had been too long since I had sex. Calling Alex crossed my mind, but I decided against it. We were finished, and I didn’t want to go back to him, no matter how desperate I was starting to feel.

I left my hair down and applied my dark eyeliner and shadow with a heavy hand. After a few adjustments, I had the dark look I was going for. I gave myself one more glance in the mirror before heading up to Chloe’s room. We were all meeting there, including Drake. I couldn’t help but wonder how that car ride was going to go. Logan and Drake would act like asses when they were around each other. The last time we’d all gone somewhere together, Logan had ended up drunk and tried to beat the shit out of Drake, and that was before Logan had finally come clean to Chloe.

I shook my head. If Chloe let it, that whole situation would become a disaster.

I knocked on Chloe’s door once before walking into her dorm room. Logan and Chloe were sitting on her bed, talking to Rachel.

“Hey!” I said cheerfully as I dropped down onto Rachel’s bed next to her. “Are we leaving soon?”

“Just waiting on Drake,” Chloe said.

We all chatted as we waited for Drake to show up.

After almost twenty minutes, Logan glanced at his phone. “Chloe, it’s eight now. The band goes on at nine. Call him, and see where he is.”

She pulled out her phone and dialed Drake’s number. After a few seconds of conversation, she hung up.

“We have to pick him up at the library,” she said, clearly annoyed over him not showing up.

We walked downstairs and out of the building to where Chloe’s car was parked. Logan climbed into the passenger seat before I had a chance. I hid my smile as I slid into the backseat with Rachel. Before Chloe even pulled out of the lot, Logan had her hand tightly grasped in his. Yeah, the boy had it bad.

When we reached the library, Chloe popped the trunk, so Drake could toss his guitar in the back. Rachel scooted over closer to me to make room for Drake in the backseat. He climbed in and gave us a quick smile before glancing up at Chloe. His gaze hardened when he saw Chloe’s hand in Logan’s.

He shook his head before turning his attention back to Rachel and me. I had to admit, the boy was sex on a stick. His hair was black and hung in his eyes. His eyes were just as dark. He had a piercing in his eyebrow and another in his lip. Tattoos poked out from underneath the sleeves of his tight T-shirt. If he weren’t Chloe’s friend, I would’ve totally made a pass at him.

I felt Rachel tense beside me as he looked at her.

“I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Drake,” he said, giving her the flirtiest look I’d ever seen.

Player.

“I know who you are. I’m Chloe’s roommate, Rachel.”

Rachel seemed to eat up the attention Drake was giving her as he continued to flirt with her. She was so caught up in it that she didn’t notice Drake’s gaze constantly moving to Chloe. My stomach dropped. He was using Rachel to make Chloe jealous.

I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. With a guy like Drake, Chloe would have to be made of steel to ignore his advances. I needed to talk to her since it was obvious that Drake had a thing for her. Stupid, stupid men. They always have to complicate things.

When we pulled into the parking lot of the bar, Drake climbed out and grabbed his guitar from the trunk. The rest of us climbed out and headed for the bar. I looped my arm through Logan’s. I felt the need to hug him and tell him everything would be okay, but I couldn’t, so this would have to do.

Once we were inside the bar, we stopped by the door to wait for Drake. This was his place, not ours, and he would tell us where to sit. I looked around as we waited for him and Chloe to appear. She had apparently hung back to walk with him.

The bar was older but clean. A while back, Morgantown had banned smoking in bars, but I could still detect the subtle scent of cigarette smoke in the air. Where we stood in the back of the bar were several tables, all of them full. At the front was a stage. A large space had been cleared out in front of it so that the patrons could stand in front of the stage.

Drake appeared and motioned for us to follow him. Chloe wasn’t with him, but she came through the door a few seconds later. Once she joined our group, we followed him to the front of the bar where an empty table sat.

“I had them save this one for you guys. I’ve got to go to the back and meet up with the guys and Jade.”