Beautiful Broken Rules (Broken, Series #1)(46)

I reached around him and downed the second shot. I stepped past the three of them and moved to the middle of the dance floor. I lost myself in the thumping of the music, the smell of sweat rolling off of bodies around me, and the feel of my body dancing to the music. I needed to get off this treacherous path that I was finding myself on. I’m not sure how much time went by, but I know when I stumbled into the kitchen later that night, I was a couple of shots drunker. I’m pretty sure the word for me wasn’t drunk anymore, it was wasted. Quinn, Cole, and Jace had stayed in the kitchen to keep an eye on me, even though I told them to leave; I was a big girl.

When I came in and saw Jace, I knew it was Jace but he just looked so much like Jaxon. I wondered what kind of look I was giving him because he looked a little worried. I couldn’t stop myself from going up to him and putting my hands around his neck. The only thing that stopped me from trying to kiss him right then was the fact that he didn’t smell the same as Jaxon. I don’t know what kind of cologne Jaxon wore, but it lingered in all of his clothes and I smelled it in my dreams. I loved when he would come over to study, because when he sat on my bed, I swear I could smell his cologne for days.

“Why do you have to look so much like him?” I slurred into his chest.

He rubbed my back. “Are you kidding me, I’m the good looking one.” I tried to laugh at his attempt at a joke.

“I like him a lot. I like him so much it hurts,” I drunkenly admitted.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear, so he could give our conversation some privacy, “I know he feels the same way about you. You have to let him in.”

“I wish I could. I wish I were that type of girl.” A tear slipped down my cheek and Jace wiped it away with his thumb. “I’m sorry, I’m drunk and I’m rambling. Now, I’m crying in front of his twin brother like some idiotic girl.”

“Hey, don’t say that. I would rather you ramble to me than to anyone else. Unless it was Jaxon himself.” I leaned more of my weight into his body, as I began to get tired from all the alcohol in my system.

“Em, let’s get you into your bed, before you pass out,” Quinn came over to say to me.

“Please don’t. Jaxon and I share a bedroom wall and right now, I just can’t handle that. When everyone leaves, I’ll crash on the couch,” I said incoherently, I’m sure.

“Shit, I forgot about that,” Cole said, “Well, it’s too loud over here anyway. You and Quinn can take my bed.”

“I don’t want to hear anything, Cole. I can’t go over there.”

“You have to sleep somewhere, and it’s not going to be alone. Come,” he spoke, kindly.

“I’ll shut this place down,” Jace said while transferring me over to him.

Cole and Quinn helped me get down the hallway to the guys’ apartment. I was dreading the idea of running into Jax or Rachel. When we got to the apartment, it was blissfully quiet and dark. I didn’t want to think about where they would have gone instead. We walked into Cole’s room and he handed Quinn and I both some big t-shirts we could wear to bed. Quinn helped me out of her dress and tossed it on the ground.

“Fuck, I’m living every guys dream right now. Two girls in my bedroom helpingeach other out of their clothes,” Cole laughed.

“Yeah, except there’s no way you’re getting laid tonight.” Quinn winked at him.

“And… my bubble gets popped,” he groaned sarcastically.

I grumbled. “Guys, I’m ruining your first night together. Please just let me sleep on the couch, I can’t do this to you. I love that you’re finally together.”