My Broken YOU

Three Months

I take a deep breath of this fresh Boston air. It's been all summer, and I was wrong. I've found more friends in the past three months than I have in my life. The job has been a little stressful and I've considered moving to New York with Ava and Brayden several times. I don't live in the best neighborhood, and I am alone, which makes it worse.

I know what my mind is thinking as I fight with myself. The job might be stressful, but I have some amazing people I have met. Why would I consider moving with Ava and Brayden? Simple, they are the ones I need in my life the most. They are the ones I am missing the most, even more than a named person I don't want to say out loud, or else it gets ugly in my mind.

Every part of me feels conflicted. It's been three months since I've seen or heard from Mason and a part of me believes he's been just as hurt as I have. But another part of me thinks I should move on and find a new romance because it's been a while.

"Hey, Madison!" Chase smiles as he walks up to my door. "You're home, well at your apartment."

"Just about to enjoy my weekend!" I say and slide my phone back into my pocket. "How about you?"

"Same." He says and nods his head. Chases is ironically a friend of mine from back home and he moved to Boston last year to work at the same company I work for.

"I still can't get over the fact that you are here in Boston!" I smile and wrap my hand around his arm. "I was expecting to come here and be alone until God knows when. Whenever I made enough friends."

"It's you, Madison!" He argues playfully and smiles. "You're a magnet to finding friends and also guys that find you attractive, which is very easy for you!"

"Stop!" I shake my head and squeeze his arm tighter. "You're just being nice because we've known each other for so long. You are right. I didn't have any trouble making friends here, but I'm not exactly looking for a relationship."

"Don't take this the wrong way." His tone is deeper, and more serious, and has caught more of my attention with his narrowed eyes and playful smile. "But it's not so much a relationship you need as much as maybe just a release from time to time."

A small shiver rushes through my body as I recall the last time I was touched and Mason's pleasurable hands doing that for me. "I have no one I'd want to connect with. You and I have talked about this several times over the summer. Mason..."

"I know!" He interrupts me. His annoyed expression telling me to shut up. "You've talked about it a lot. And I'm just saying. If you need anything to forget him, get drunk and find someone to fuck. I'm not saying I should be that person, but anyone to take your mind off him. You've been awesome all summer and people love you. But you need to remove this baggage from your life and fast."

I exhaled a heavy breath while looking up at the sky and wondering where I went wrong or right in my life. Chase is right and I know he is. It doesn't mean I have to sleep with someone, but I do need to forget about Mason.

"You're right!" I admit and force a big smile on my face even though I hate this feeling. "It's Friday! Let's get drunk!"

"Now you're talking!" He slides his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers together. "Everyone is meeting up at AL's. You've been to that nightclub, right?"

"Lots of times!" I admit and feel like I am being dragged along with him to his car. "Let's go get drunk, I guess. Just please make sure I get home safely! I don't want to end up like Sarah in accounting."

"Shit yeah!" He agrees and opens my door for me, gesturing his hand for me to enter. "That's sad! So young and pretty and all it took was one slip. And if you get too drunk, I promise to get someone to get you home without being a disgusting pervert!"

"Thank you, Chase!" I smile and slide into the passenger seat. "You've been an amazing friend to me."

He nods and closes my door. The problem that I have with Chase is I'm not interested in him, and it scares me to think he's more like a friend, but he doesn't view it that way. And the only person I have ever slept with was Mason and if I was stupidly drunk, I don't want to know if I could accidently sleep with someone else. My best bet is to control my drinking and not let myself get out of control.

He slides into the driver's seat, looking at me the entire time. It's like he's trying to connect his eyes to mine, but I'm not allowing it. Getting drunk still wouldn't let me get close to him. Every part of me feels like he thinks that's exactly what is going to happen.

"Is Rachel going to be at the club?" I ask and reach into my pocket for my cell phone. "She and I are always good friends over the summer when it came to watching out for each other and protecting ourselves."

"She will be there!" He smiles as we begin to drive. "But I also will protect you at all costs. You do know that, right?"

I smile and nod, thankful to have him as a friend...only a friend. "You've been there for me more than anyone else. And I appreciate it! It's great to have you so close to me."

"We're here." He announces as I look up at the large and fun-looking nightclub. It's still daylight out but this place is calling my name. "Don't get too drunk, I might be the one to bring you home tonight."

"My mind has been on you know who today," I say and step out of the car while my mind remains focused on trying to get over that one person, I can't get off my damn mind. "Drunk might be a good thing for me today."