Shattered Ties(72)

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll be right back.”

I watched her as she walked away. I wished that Emma could be Ally.

Then, she would be a part of my life, and I wouldn’t have to feel the guilt that I was feeling now. Ally would never question the life that I could give her because she knew nothing else—unlike Emma, who was used to the finest of everything.

I spent the rest of the night drinking beer after beer until the fire in front of me started to spin. I cursed myself as I tried to focus. I had planned on driving back to my house in Andy’s car, but now, it looked like I would need to find a ride since both of us had been drinking way too much.

Lying down in the sand, I stared at a pair of feet that had come into my range of vision.

“You okay?” Ally asked as she bent down in front of me.

“Fine, but I need to find a ride home.”

“I can take you. I only had one beer, so I’m fine.”

“Thanks. Can you help me up?”

She laughed as she grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. I leaned into her as she led us to the rocks.

“You’re really out of it.”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled as she helped me climb over the rocks. Damn, the girl is strong.

“Sure you are.”

She somehow managed to get me back down the trail and into her car. She closed my door, and before I even realized she wasn’t standing beside me, she was already in the driver’s seat.

“Holy f*ck, you’re fast,” I slurred as the car started moving.

I must have dozed off because before I knew it, we were in front of my house, and Ally was trying to get me out of the car. I stumbled and nearly fell, but she caught me and continued dragging me to the door.

“Where are your keys?” she asked.

I tried to get them out of my pocket, but for some reason, I couldn’t get my hand inside my shorts.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’ll get them.” She moved my hand away and started digging for my keys. As soon as she had them, she unlocked the door and led me inside.

I didn’t know how she was getting me to my room with the way I was staggering, but somehow, she did. I fell down onto my bed and buried my head under my pillow, willing the world to stop spinning so fast.

“I think I drank too much.”

Ally snorted. “Ya think?”

I took the pillow off my head and tried to focus on her. “Thanks for bringing me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m not leaving just yet. I don’t want you to choke on your own vomit or something like that.”

“Gee, thanks,” I mumbled as I closed my eyes.

Everything went black.





Emma

––––––––

I’d spent the entire night worrying about Jesse, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I’d tried to call and text him over and over, but he’d apparently shut off his phone because it always went straight to voice mail. I’d went over our last conversation over and over in my head, trying to understand what had happened to make him snap, but I couldn’t figure it out. I knew what my mom said had hurt him, but I didn’t think it was enough for him to leave me over. From the beginning, he had known just what kind of person she was.

I had hoped that we’d worked things out at his house, but that obviously wasn’t the case. I knew he was stressed over his mom trying to get him to move, and I was hoping that his outburst was because of that. I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t. I loved him.

Unable to sit around and wait any longer, I grabbed my keys and crept quietly to the garage where I’d parked my car the night before. I knew I was taking a chance on my mother catching me, but I didn’t care. I had to find Jesse and tell him that none of that stuff mattered to me. We could be together in a tent for all I cared—as long as I had him by my side.

I broke several traffic laws on my way to his house, and I was surprised that I hadn’t gotten pulled over. As soon as I parked my car outside of his house, I was out and running for the door. When I noticed Ally’s car parked next to Jesse’s, my stomach instantly dropped. At least, I thought it was her car. I’d only seen it once when we first met outside the dinner. What is she doing here so early?

I knocked on the door, but no one answered, so I tried the knob. The door was unlocked, and I let myself in. I glanced around for signs of life, but there were none. Trish apparently wasn’t home since her car wasn’t outside, and Jesse was nowhere to be seen either. The place was eerily quiet.

I walked through the living room and down the hall to his room. His door was closed, and I hesitated before opening it. As soon as the door opened, I wished that I’d left it closed. Jesse was in his bed in only his boxers with his arm wrapped around Ally. I felt like I was going to vomit when she opened her eyes and gave me a triumphant grin. She’d won. She’d finally taken him from me.

“No,” I whispered.

Ally held a finger up to her lips. “Shh, he had a long night. You don’t want to wake him.”

At the sound of her voice, Jesse groaned and opened his eyes just barely.

“Ally? What are you doing here?”

“You don’t remember last night?” she asked sweetly.