BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(122)

“Missed you, doll,” he says in his gruff voice.

“I missed all of you guys,” I say to them over his shoulder. Curious, I look around for another face, one that I couldn’t get out of my mind even if I tried.

“Don’t worry, if he knew you were coming in today, he would have been here before any of us. He’s been pacing circles around the living room since the second you left,” Jax calls out.

“I thought you told him you would let him know when I was arriving?” I ask Lane, recalling the brief conversation he told me he had with Jace at the gym. “Not having a phone really sucks. Did you know that there aren’t pay phones anymore? Like anywhere?” I complain.

“Don’t worry, I plan to tell him,” he says, smiling deviously.

“Uh-oh...” I groan and look to the others for elaboration.

“We don’t know what the gorgeous hunk is up to,” Em smiles at Lane.

“I’m still right here, babe,” Jax grumbles.

“WE don’t call him a gorgeous hunk, by the way,” Cole chimes in.

“I do,” Quinn sighs.

Cole looks to Lane and deadpans, “We can’t be friends with you anymore, dude.”

Jax wheels over to nudge him in the shin with his foot, “Yeah, sorry but you’re out.”

Lane laughs out loud and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, ladies.”

When we pull up in front of my job, I groan and look at Lane questioningly. “Don’t worry, you’re not working. It’s just a fun night with friends.”

I smile and begin to relax from my long day of traveling and an emotional few weeks. Being stuck on a confined plane for hours on end is not how I like to spend my time, although being able to see my cousin again was totally worth the grueling flights. Kennedy has been the one family member to always make an effort to maintain a relationship with me. I know I have more blood relatives out there, but since they all hate my parents, I was unlucky enough to be grouped in with them.

Kennedy and I stayed with her best friend, Brynn, whose father owns a Fortune 500 company in Manhattan. Brynn doesn’t have a limit to the amount of money she can spend, and she doesn’t hesitate to spend it on her friends. Or her friend’s cousin, as the case may be. I spent my time there in private, chauffeured cars, fancy restaurants that usually require a reservation months in advance, and swanky rooftop bars. It was fun for a week, but that whole lifestyle just seems exhausting to me. I don’t know how Kennedy can keep up with her friends all year round.

After Em and I wave our hellos to some of the employees, we wind our way through the packed bar. Finally, we find a pool table in the back, and as we pull up some bar stools, I hear Lane on his phone speaking in hushed tones.

“Just come up here...

You can do all that girly shopping shit later...

You seriously need to have your man card revoked...

See you in ten.”

“Audrey, play a round with me,” Em interrupts my eavesdropping, pointing to the table and handing me a house stick.

I sink the eight ball before Em can even get her third shot in, and she tosses her cue to the table. Cole and Quinn look at me with wide, shocked eyes. Lane doesn’t even bat an eye, since he’s seen me play this game countless times before.

Jax laughs and says, “Yeah, I was wondering if you still had it.”

“You knew she could do that?” Em cries.

“Oh yeah, she hustled me the first time we met,” he replies.

“I want a try. I’ve never been beat by a chick,” Cole declares and grabs for Em’s discarded cue. He swirls blue chalk on the tip and begins to rack the balls.