Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(58)

“Jessica.” It was Moose standing with his girlfriend. Ty stepped around him, moving toward a still crying Candace. “We’re going to head out. See you tomorrow for the party?”

“Sunday. It’s on Sunday.”

“Shit, right. Tomorrow; somewhere calm then? For drinks?”

“Good times. See you.”

Ty gave me a hug, then he folded Candace in his arms. I had a quick thought that life would be so simple if all that happened was a forced peep show. I immediately felt bad. I still thought I should say something, though, to calm her down.

“Candace,” I said, “I know you think you were defiled, and it totally sucks, but some men are ass**les, and this stuff happens. I once had my entire dress pulled down around my ankles by some prick. The bouncers put him in a head-lock and he peed himself. He got what he deserved, but I was still humiliated.

“All anyone remembered the next weekend was the dude that peed himself. Next weekend here, all people will remember will be the three idiots that got beat the f**k up and kicked out. You won’t be in that recipe.”

I thought I sounded pretty good. Dr. George was something.

Ty squeezed her. She nodded to me, sniffing. “I was just so scared,” she said, and started crying again. “But I should listen to you. You’ve been in worse.”

Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh. I didn’t really want to talk about me. I wanted to talk about her. It was time to go.

I hugged her and Ty together and watched them head away. It was when I turned back to ask where we were supposed to go that I realized no one was in sight. Well, no one I knew. All my friends were gone. Vanished. Without me.

“Where the hell did everyone go?” I asked to air.

“Right here sweet thang.”

It was some wanker walking with some other wanker. Two ugly ones at that.

“Eh. Just FUCK OFF, please. Can men just leave me alone FOR ONE SECOND? One Goddamn second? Christ!”

“What’s up with you? PMS?”

“Is your name PMS? ‘Cause if so, yes, that is the problem!”

Yes, I was having a tantrum. But where the hell was everyone? I know where the wanker went—away. He was smart. I was not in a great mood at being all alone in a parking lot.

I wandered around that spot for about ten minutes. Well, I was drunk. It very well might have been an hour. It also might have been a moment. My eyes were too blurry to read the clock on my phone, so it was left up to my best guess.

Ten minutes it was.

I finally decided that homeward bound would have to happen sooner or later, and dug in my handbag for my wallet. Only to realize I had someone’s else’s handbag, and there was no cash or credit cards. It was a club wallet, and all monetary possessions were probably on her person. That didn’t help me, who kept all my monetary possessions in my boyfriend’s pockets, since he had some, or in my freaking handbag that was not here!

Okay, fine. I could get a ride to Gladis, and beg for some money from her. Someone was always up at ungodly hours at her house. They were old; they had to pee a lot.

Just as I was waving my hand at a passing cab, and avoiding the cat calls of another groups of drunk, aimless men, a black limousine came screaming into the parking lot. The door opened and William hurriedly got out, followed by a few heads of my friends.

Oh. William got us a limo. That’s cool.

Here’s what wasn’t cool—they forgot me. Nice to know I was so forgettable by the man that insisted I trust him.

“Jessica, I am so sorry. Everyone thought you were in.”

“Right.”

“I’m so sorry. Please Jess, I am so sorry!”

He came up to hug me. I gave him a straight arm and walked to the limo without a glance.

I got in the limo and waved away the apologies. The moody treatment, which was my intended retribution, needed not hear apologies. It fed on indifference. I had a feeling this was going to sting even more tomorrow. It was slightly funny now, but probably wouldn't be slightly funny when I really thought about it. The moody treatment would do just fine.

I didn't hear much of the conversation on the way back. We stopped at Gladis’s house first, and then Adam would take the limo to his house. I had decided that tonight I would stay the night on my own. It wasn't punishment for being forgotten, so much, as just a need to wake up with a hangover and misgivings on my own. I just needed a night away for once. Plus, I had all the girls, and it was better to leave it as all the girls.

The girls got out and stumbled for the door, arguing and causing a ruckus, though trying to be quiet. I waited for them to get half way before I turned to William, who was waiting to go with me to my place.

"William, maybe not tonight." I was slurring, but I was understandable.

"Not stay with you tonight, you mean?”

"Yeah, maybe just not tonight." I was being slightly moody, so he got the hint, but we hadn't been apart since, well, we got together, so I didn't want to lay it on too thick. I did still love the guy.

He started to say something, but stopped himself. He nodded once and tried to hide the look of hurt that crossed his face. My heart twisted.

"You'll keep Fred with you?" he asked softly.

It was my turn to nod.

He moved my hair over my shoulder and traced his fingers along my jaw line. I could tell he was debating kissing me—wondering if I was mad enough to refuse. In that second I decided I kind of was. I mean, dude left his girlfriend behind after a huge fight, in a dark parking lot, at the club. Kind of a big deal.