BEAUTIFUL BROKEN MESS (Broken, Series #2)(13)

I saw that there was a crowd gathering around two guys and the spectators seemed to be spurring them on. With a closer look, I realized I knew the taller of the two. Jace didn’t look the same as he did earlier that afternoon though. He wore a scowl that I never imagined could cross a face like his. Earlier, he seemed so light and playful, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

I began to push my way through the crowd, despite the ugly looks girls were giving me. When I approached the center, I noticed Jace’s fists were tightening, his jaw was tense, and he was more than likely about to get into a fight with the person in front of him. I didn’t have time to stop and listen to what they were arguing about, although I did notice his adversary looked to be the angrier one. Before either of them could take a swing, I took matters into my own hands.

I squeezed in between the two boys and jumped into Jace’s arms. While it was certainly bolder than I would typically ever have been, I didn’t want to ruin my first night with him by having to nurse his fat lip or black eye. I got enough of those at home for the both of us.

Proudly, I got the reaction I intended as he took three steps backward and looked into my eyes. Before he could think about setting me down and returning to his altercation, I grabbed his face and tried to continue what we had earlier up against the side of his truck. There was something different about the kiss though. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have the same effect on me as it had before.

When I pulled back, I saw him grinning from ear-to-ear and looking pretty pleased with himself. I smiled sheepishly at him, and I knew that my face was turning red from embarrassment. He definitely wasn’t expecting a move like that from me, a girl who was crying about spilled groceries only a couple of hours ago.

As he grabbed onto my behind, he grinned and said, “Hey baby.” There’s that cockiness I got a glimpse of at the coffee shop earlier that day. Although his voice seemed deeper, I liked the smooth, light drawl I had heard earlier outside of the bookstore.

Before I could let myself down, he leaned in and took my mouth hungrily against his and began to walk through the crowd. As we made our way past, I heard groans of disappointment, probably from the loss of a good fight. Mission accomplished, though, I was just glad to have found Jace in the chaos.

As we weaved in and out of the crowd, I was still gripping his strong shoulders and my legs were wrapped around his waist. I caught a few dirty looks along the way and it began to make me feel self-conscious. I’ve never been the type to cause a scene or be the center of attention, and this was the last place I wanted to start. This crowd could rip me apart.

Jace carried me effortlessly down a flight of stairs to what appeared to be a basement, although it was just as loud and lively down there as it was upstairs. He finally sat me down, and I felt the familiar smooth surface of billiard balls knocking against my thighs. Pool is one game I know well. When you spend at least three days a week picking your drunken father up from a bar, you learn how to have some fun in the process.

A tall, lanky blond rounded the side of the table and slammed his cue stick down bitterly. “You’re an *, Riley. I was so damn close to sinking that eight ball. Next time, set your flavor-of-the-week down on a chair.” The angry stranger stalked away to a fridge full of beer.

“Riley?” I questioned.

“Last name,” he replied roughly with a cocky grin and I nodded.

“Flavor-of-the-week?” I couldn’t help but ask.

I’m not na?ve, but I also hadn’t pegged Jace for the type of guy to just kiss every girl he comes across. Before he could answer, another blond-headed stranger walked up, interrupting us.