BROKEN AND SCREWED(Broken_Part One)(62)

I took the card and shoved all the other crap away. I wanted to have fun and those thoughts would only get in the way.
Eric was more excited when he got his. He’d been quiet most of the afternoon, but a cocky look came over him then.
Angie whipped around to look at me. Yep, she saw it too. I shrugged at the look, but good for him. Maybe I didn’t want him to wait around for the inevitable Marissa break-up scene? I had no idea, but when the four of us got ready to go out, I was determined to have a good time.
Angie giggled as she came into the bathroom with her make-up bag. “I can’t believe we snuck your bag out of Jesse’s room.”
I grinned at her in the mirror, but a pang of regret sliced through me. Since Marissa was still missing and there’d been no word from Jesse, we had decided the four of us would go out to the clubs that night. Even though I hadn’t considered my sleeping arrangements that night, I wanted to get ready with Angie. The guys were in Eric’s room, doing whatever they did.
I replied as I steadied my eyeliner, “I needed my things.” And that was it. That was the end of the story.
“So where do you think Marissa is?”
I shrugged. I didn’t even want to think about her.
Her voice dropped as she asked, “Do you think she’s trying to get together with Cord again?”
I dropped the eyeliner and turned, suddenly breathless. Marissa and Cord. That meant she was around Jesse, whom I hadn’t heard from all day. I gulped. But then I stopped again. He wasn’t my boyfriend. He wasn’t my anything. He was my brother’s best friend, my dead brother’s best friend. I tried to convince myself that’s all we were, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t lie to myself. It hurt that he hadn’t texted me all day, but I also knew I was being unreasonable. He was in Vegas for his team, for their game. Not for me.
“I don’t know, but I can see her trying something again with him.”
“Whatever happened with them? I thought the two of them were perfect for each other.” Angie giggled again as she went to the room and reappeared with a full glass. She sipped the wine, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “What? We’re in Vegas. Aren’t we supposed to drink?”
“Where’s mine?”
Delight flashed over her face before she disappeared for a second. Then she came back with my own glass filled to the brim.
“Cheers, Alex.” She lifted her wine in the air. “Here’s to us, to having a great time no matter what drama happens, and to our friendship.”
“To us.” My glass clinked with hers, “And to having a motherf*cking great time.”
More giggles burst from her, but we drank half our glasses.
Then she grew silent for a second.
My glass went to the counter. I knew what this was; this was the pre-air of silence. This was when she was thoughtful as a sudden idea came to her. The next stage was her pursed lips, which I saw just happened. Then she would frown and glance at me; she did both again. Then she’d bite her lip. Yep, once again I was right on cue. The last step was when she’d take a deep breath, readying herself for whatever she was going to say. And, dread filled me when I saw her take that deep breath. It was deeper than normal…and we had blast off.
“So if Marissa hooks up with Cord again, then she and Eric are done.” Angie’s eyes were filled with concern. “What are you going to do if he wants to date you again? Because I know he hasn’t stopped liking you. He just went with Marissa because she was giving him all the signs and well, you know why.”
If Marissa liked a guy, she chased him down.
My shoulder went up and I took my own deep breath of air.
“What are you going to do, Alex?” She edged closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Would you date him? I mean, I know you have this thing with Jesse, but come on. He’s not going to date you, not for real. You know that.”