BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(123)

“Don’t say we didn’t warn you. I’ve never seen her lose,” Lane laughs. He sits back on a bar stool with his arms folded tight. I keep quiet during the entire game, not wanting to break my concentration. It’s a tight game, tighter than I feel comfortable with, but after all that talk, I can’t let Cole beat me. We’re both down to one ball each, not to mention the eight ball that sits there, daring me to knock it in before Cole does.

I lie across the table comfortably to get a hard-to-reach angle, aiming to put my last solid ball in the corner pocket. Just as I pull back, ready to tap the ball, big hands skim across my waist and a warm body lies across my back. “You’re back. God, I’ve missed you,” Jace’s warm voice whispers in my ear. My hand slips and I knock the solid too hard, sinking the eight ball instead and losing the game.

Cole tosses his cue down and throws his knuckle out to fist-bump Jace. “That’s what I call teamwork!” he shouts. When I turn in Jace’s arms to see his handsome face, I forget the game, Cole, and even where we are and who we’re with.

He gives me his signature cocky smile and says, “Sorry about that.” I smile without saying a word and then flush when I think about the last time I saw him. I don’t regret what I did on the side of the frat house, but I don’t think I would have done that sober. I also threw up in front of him for the rest of the night, which I know I’ll never be able to live down.

“I can’t stop thinking about it either,” he whispers in my ear, before trailing a kiss down my neck.

“I heard about that,” Em laughs. “So hot.” I gasp and cover my face in embarrassment. Please don’t tell me that my entire group of friends knows about my drunken escapades.

“Shit, Emerson, there’s a time for your mouth and there’s a time for it to be closed. I thought you were trying to help me get her back?” Jace bites out.

“They know?” I whisper, with my hands still covering my flaming cheeks.

“I...it wasn’t...shit...” Jace stammers.

“Don’t blame Jace,” Jaxon interrupts. “These two,” he gestures toward Em and Quinn, “are like a really small gang. Poor Jace didn’t even see it coming when they pried it out of him.”

“Okay, now there’s another thing I need to apologize for. I just...shit, Lane, you threw me off with this surprise,” Jace stumbles over his words nervously. “I had this whole apology planned out. Now I’m thrown.”

“I think it was a damn good plan,” Lane smiles wide. Brat.

Jace stares at me and I’m trying to see all the words in his head that he can’t manage to get out. “Jace, you’re flustered. What’s wrong? This isn’t like you,” I say, loud enough for him to hear.

Out of nowhere, he drops to one knee and pulls out a small, red leather box with gold detailing around the edges. I watch as he clicks the gold latch and opens the box to face me. Without looking at the contents inside, I slam my eyes closed and reach out to snap the box shut between my fingers, lingering on the soft leather a moment longer.

“Jace, no!” I exclaim.

I wasn’t thinking and now the gasps around us tell me that was the snap-heard-round-the-bar.

“Worse than being kicked in the balls...” Lane mutters.

Jace swallows roughly and says, “I deserved that.”

“Jace, I don’t know where we are. I was willing to give you time because that’s what you needed. But you really hurt me when we were at the hospital. You didn’t talk to me and then you rushed me out of there like some kind of dirty secret. I understand why you were upset, but...” He sticks the box back into his pocket and my stomach drops at the idea of what I may have just ruined. His hands slide up my sides until they reach my face.