Page 18 (1/2)

"I need to find the potty" I stood just as a Ping-­Pong ball flew across the garage and bounced off the dartboard once lanced at her barely touched cup of beer "You’d probably want to use the one upstairs, on the second floor," she suggested, looking up with a sross?"

She nodded "Pretty , she scrunched up her face in distaste "You’re going to need it"

I headed for the door to the house at the same moment Cam darted away from the table and descended on Avery It was like he’d been waiting for me to leave, to sneak in a kiss And, boy, did he kiss her Clasping her cheeks in his hands, his head lowered until there was no space between the inI shouldn’t be envious of my brother’s relationship Both of them deserved the kind of love they shared, but I wanted to knohat that felt like To know firsthand the kind of love that healed instead of harmed

Aaand Iroo over their controllers Both of their faces donned identical masks of concentration and determination Debbie looked up from where she was perched on the arm of the couch beside her boyfriend, an extre her pretty face

I sent her a sy in here if she was so bored I already knew the answer Because Erik wanted her there, where he could see her Control her A bitter taste crawled up the back of et out of the rooain and threw a "face" on the end of it

Took a few et up the steps My depth perception appeared to be wonky at the , I stopped and stared down the hall "Oh"

There were several doors on either side, most of them closed except for the one at the end of the hall, and that was clearly a bedroo no other choice but to start opening doors, I started with the closest one to my left I knocked softly and when there was no answer, I tried the handle The door was locked Hopefully that wasn’t the bathroom The next room was an empty bedroom and the one after that was a laundry room with jeans and socks piled all over the floor

Good God, they needed a housethat door before I started a load of laundry for the sad, sad creatures who lived here, I stepped around a pair of sneakers left in the middle of the hallway and went to the next door I rapped my knuckles off the door and when there wasn’t an answer, I reached down and twisted the handle The door swung open easily, revealing not a bathroom, but a rather neat bedroom and--­

Ohand it only took seconds to take it all in, butAnd that made it feel like forever

Jase sat on a chair, his back to the organized desk There was a pink box sitting there I kneas in it and for some reason thatthat made what else I saw so rown tired with pushing the little buttons through their holes His legs were spread wide, jaw locked and his ar limply at his sides

He wasn’t alone

Chapter Twelve

Standing before Jase was the kind of girl that could ood day She was beautiful Long, thick black hair shone like glass and a tan, tight body hinted at being soft in all the right places

Her shirt was off

She wore only a denim skirt and a lacy red bra that proved so those babies were natural

I’d seen her a few tiirls I didn’t know her na for the sa Maybe it was the beer Maybe it was the boobs I needed to stop staring

Seconds had passed froirl looked over Soray eyes, and his azes locked

So this is where Jase had been

I guess he didn’t have a problele bubbled up, escaping before I could stop it I clah sounded near hysterical I shouldn’t have drunk so roohtened the line of her pouty mouth "Excuse me?"

My stomach flipped over and over For apressed down on irl cupcakes too? Oh GodI couldn’t even bear the thought of that

Then I started talking and walking "I’ for the bathroom"

"This is obviously not the bathroom," she replied tartly

Heat swamped my cheeks as a knot ht hours ago Touched me Told me the truth about Jack Obviously, I’d taken those very s deal

"I’ to Jase as he stood "I" I stopped talking as the ball of eet away, I turned too quickly, knocking my left knee into the door The hiss of sudden pain escapedlike a red pepper, I spun around I needed to get out of here

"Tess," Jase called "Hold on a sec--­Tess!"

I didn’t stop Not when he calledwhy I even ca in a way that made me sick to my stomach Torn between e rooht for the side door in the kitchen

Co like that chick’s shirt I stepped out into the night air and II kept walking I followed the cracked paveroeeds and then slipped between two cars parked along the curb I took a right and I kept walking

There was a s stupid and overreacting, but I was flying headfirst into dra at that party was not in my stars There was no way I could face Jase after what I so obviously interrupted, or face anyone, really

My cell went off, the ring o home