Beautiful Broken Rules (Broken, Series #1)(85)

By the time Quinn and I had finished getting ready, I was completely on edge and fidgety. For some reason, I just couldn’t stop thinking about what tomorrow was. I heard the tail end of my cell phone ringing from in the kitchen, but I figured I had already missed it, so I’d check it when we started to head out.

“You’re acting so weird. Sit down and breathe, Emmy.” Quinn looked at me through the mirror while she reapplied her eyeliner.

“I’m not acting weird. I think I just really need to drink tonight,” I said while shaking out my hands.

“Uh-oh, what’s wrong? Did you and Jaxon have a fight?” She turned to face me.

“Quinn, he’s not around enough lately for us to fight. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a college student just wanting to go out to drink.” I shrugged my shoulders at her.

“Are you upset that he hasn’t been around? It’s almost over,” she responded quietly.

“No, it honestly doesn’t bother me. I’M OKAY, Quinn,” I said the last part deliberately slow so she would understand and at the very least, recognize that I wasn’t going to talk about it.

I really wasn’t okay, but the last thing I wanted to do was have a therapy session. Tequila doesn’t ask you to talk about your problems. Tequila and I have always gotten along. When I heard her sigh, I knew she wasn’t happy about my response, but I also knew I had at least gotten her off my back for a little while longer.

There was a short tap on the front door and then it opened and closed. It had to be one of the guys, although they usually didn’t even bother to knock. I heard boots shuffling on the carpet in the living room.

“Girls!” Jace called out down the hallway.

“In the closet,” I called back.

When Jace came into the room, he was dressed to go out in a short-sleeve, black, button-down shirt; his dark faded blue jeans fit him perfectly. His hair was styled in the Riley boy signature messy style and he was carrying his leather jacket, which meant he was probably riding the bike to the party tonight. I think he liked the option of being able to escape if he wanted to, instead of having to ride with us.

“Geez, Em, stop checking him out so noticeably.” Quinn elbowed me.

I watched as Jace’s cheeks turned red. Oops. “Sorry! It’s just so hard. I mean he’s my boyfriend’s identical twin. Obviously I like this brand.” I gestured with my hand up and down, indicating Jace.

Jace and Quinn both started laughing at me, “Anyways,” he started, with a shy smirk on his face, “I just left the field a little while ago and Coach was still running some of them. Apparently, a couple of guys got in trouble so they’re being punished. Jax and Cole included. When they stopped for a water break, they told me they could just meet us all at the party later. I’m sure half the team is already at the house.”

“Uh-oh, why’d they get in trouble?” Quinn asked nervously.

Jace shrugged his shoulders. “I think they just weren’t running plays correctly. Coach is anal like that.”

“Great, now they’ll be in delightful moods. It’s probably best we meet them there,” she responded.

I actually liked this plan better. I could get in a few shots before Jax even got there, without having to explain why I was taking them. Then hopefully, this crazy negative energy charging through my veins would chill out in time for me to act normal around my boyfriend. I hoped it worked, because I needed these memories out of my head. Last night, I had dreamt about the last time I had spent with both my mom and dad, before they got divorced. We had gone to this little amusement park a couple of hours away and I had fallen in love with the only rollercoaster there. I swear they rode that ride with me a million times that day. I just kept remembering how hard my dad was laughing when we rode through the upside-down loops. I needed to drown out that laugh. God, how do you stop missing someone? Especially someone you were so mad at?