"Personally," Candice inputs while we all discuss plans for tonight. "I think we should just stay in tonight. The three of us."
I like that idea more than they'll ever know. "I'm down for whatever."
But I would really like to stay in tonight.
"Me too," Bray agrees and nudges my shoulder. I send her a soft smile. "We can watch all of the Nicholas Sparks movies known to man and pig out on junk food."
I snort and I nod. "That sounds even better."
Candice excitedly claps her hands and calls it a plan. I laugh at her enthusiasm and my eyes connect with Jace's from across the cafeteria. He's sitting with his little friend group - Damon being one of them, and just...staring at me. The connection of his eyes to mine makes me heat up, so much that I have to look away. He makes me happier than anyone else I'm acquainted with, but I know that we're still keeping secrets from each other.
He doesn't tell me where he is when he disappears for hours at a time and I've yet to inform him of my meet up with Eric. It surprises me that my ex hasn't taken the chance to do it himself considering they live together currently, though I don't mind. I'd rather do it.
On that note, Eric uses every divide in Jace and I's contact to stare at me. He doesn't try to talk, but his eyes on me is enough to want to run away and hide.
•••
Jace West: what are you doing tonight?
I can't help that my heart stutters at his question, and at the fact that he even texted me on this Friday night. Though, my mood shifts when I realize I have plans with Braylee and Candice.
Me: going to braylees why?
He responds I'm a seconds time.
Jace West: just wondering
I frown and go to type again, but another text is incoming before I can.
Jace West: I'm going to be busy tonight with some stuff I'll call you after okay?
Even though I don't like that he's going to be busy tonight with unknown things, I do appreciate the communication. At least he's making an effort I suppose.
Me: thank you for the heads up :)
Jace West: ;) I would say leave your window open tonight but seems we'll have to rain check
I bite my lip and send back a sorry with a smirking face before grabbing my car keys and heading downstairs. It's nearly six o'clock and I'm supposed to be at Braylee's to have a girls night. I'm actually super hyped for it. Like old times.
"I'm spending the night at Braylee's," I tell my mom and father who were about to make out on top of the counter top if I hadn't walked in. I cringe.
My mom frantically scrambles out of my fathers hold and tries to smooth down her messy hair. I raise an eyebrow at her and she smiles nervously.
"Wait," she says and takes a step closer to me. "Your dad and I need to talk to you for a second."
"Okay..." I draw out and adjust the bag on my shoulder. "What about?"
She looks back at him and he shrugs as if he has no idea what to do.
"We just want to know how you're doing?" She questions, seemingly nervous and concerned at the same time.
"I'm fine," I nonchalantly inform. I don't want to talk about this right now. Or ever.
"Are you?" She asks again, further pushing me. My eyes shift to my dad and he's staring at me with the same intensity and seriousness. "I just feel like, you're not coping with things. I mean, you found out that this guy you've known for so long was being unfaithful-"
"I'm fine, mom," I sharply assure. I'm not trying to be mean, but this is the first time in days she's asked me about Eric and at this point the feelings have dispersed. I hardly think about what's happened and whether that's because it's easier for me not to or I truly don't care, I have no clue.
"Nina," my dad steps in. "Just talk to us. It feels like we haven't seen you in days - you're always in your room or gone. We're worried."
"Don't be," I shrug and back away with little steps at a time. "I'm fine. I'll be back tomorrow before noon."
I don't feel much when I make it out to my car, and I don't really want to. Eric isn't much of my concern anymore and I'm learning to keep it that way. He can't keep ruining everything in my life just because he has that power over me. He doesn't. And once I convince myself of that fully I'll be fine.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Nina, you do not have to knock," my aunt Brittni opens the door with a bored look on her face. "It's practically your house too."
I laugh and she pulls me into a hug. "Sorry, it's weird for me."
She rolls her eyes when we pull away and slaps my butt. "Braylee is in the kitchen trying to convince her father that she's never drank."
I guffaw and follow her into the kitchen where - true to her word - Braylee is trying to convince her father that she's never consumed alcohol in all her life.
"Clearly, you've never met me," Bray puts a hand on her hip while her dad stares at her in amusement. "Because anyone who knows me knows that I do not drink."
He nods, not believing her for a second. "So you go to parties to what? Drink pop?"
She smirks. "Actually, no, I go to hook up-"
"Alright, mini me," aunt Brittni stops the banter and gestures to me. "Your cousin is here so get out of our hair."
Braylee waggles her eyebrows and points between the two. "Why? You guys want to get it on?"
"Braylee," I can't even get her name out for how much I'm laughing. "Leave them alone. Let's go."
She makes a strange noise of protest before walking past me, landing a hard smack to my bottom that makes me squeal and even move forward a few steps.
Wow, she is aunt Brittni's mini me.
"Geez," I whisper to myself and follow her the rest of the way to her room. It's semi-clean, for once, and the flat screen hangs on the wall in all its seventy-two inch glory. It's where my eyes will be glued for the coming hours.
"Candy said she's almost here," Braylee's voice is muffled as she attempts to shove stuff into her closet. "Should I order the pizza now or wait until she gets here?"
I shrug and make myself comfortable on her queen size bed. "We should probably wait to see what Candice wants on it so just wait."
"Good idea," she agrees and goes for trying to close her closet doors. "Goddamn these stupid motherfucking-"
"What's up bitches!" Candice bursts through the door and jumps face first on to the bed. I begin laughing when I notice that Candice startled Braylee so bad that the closet door slammed open again.
She turns to glare at our friend and blows a piece of hair out of her face. "Bitch."
Candice giggles and sits up. "I have a whole bag of candy and some special drinks."
I raise an eyebrow at her and she brings up the bag of goodies. "Some" drinks was an understatement. There's three bottles of Smirnoff and even something of the name Hennessy.
"Jesus, Candice," I whistle. "How in the world did you carry all of that up here?"
It looks very heavy from my view.
"Not sure," she wiggles her eyebrows. "But I'm ready to have fun and you guys are going to join me."
An hour and a half later we're successfully under the influence, but not to the point of drunkenness. We're very much coherent and joking around while The Last Song plays in the background. We have a half empty box of pizza in the middle of the bed while we talk about anything and everything.
"He's honestly got the biggest dick I've ever seen," Braylee promises, speaking of her little rendezvous with a guy she shacked up with once. "And when he was in me, mm girl, so good."
Candice and I burst out laughing while Braylee moans, obviously imagining him.
"We get it," Candice shoves her and she nearly falls of of the bed. "You can shut up now."
Braylee rolls her eyes. "You're just mad because Xander isn't allowed to give it to you good."
I giggle and Candice huffs in annoyance. "Just because we don't have sex doesn't mean we don't do other stuff."
Braylee mocks her and they banter for a little while because I zone out. I want to tell them about Jace and I. Now would be the perfect setting for me to do so, and since we're already on the roof it won't come out as too much of a shock.
"I have to tell you guys something," I break up their conversation and they both turn to look at me.
"What about?" Braylee asks, taking a swig from her Smirnoff.
I take a deep breath. "I wasn't completely honest with you guys about the whole Eric thing."
They look confused.
"What's more to tell?" Candice asks. "He cheated on you, Nina. There's not much more that needs to be said."
Deep breaths. You can do this.
"Jace was there when I found him with those two girls. I don't really know where he came from, but all I remember is him leading me outside and trying to calm me down. He dropped me off at my house and then left," my heart rate picks up even more and I feel it'll fly out of my chest. "But the next morning he came to check on me and we got in an argument and the next thing I knew he was kissing me."
It's almost comical how their mouths fall open at the same time.
"Like, tongue and all, kissed me. It was amazing, better than amazing, but I pushed him away because I was still so uncertain about Eric," I glance at them. "I told myself it was just a heat of the moment but the next day I skipped church with him because I couldn't bare to be near Eric. We ended up back at his house and-"
Braylee gasps, but I continue. I tell them about that day at his house when I kissed him atop his bed. I tell them how we got in a fight and I left, promising Eric I'd never speak to him again. Then I told them the night of New Years Eve and our intimate moment. I filled them in on everything that ever happened between Jace and I. When I finish they still look shell shocked to the point that they can't say anything at all.
I don't blame them. Everything I've just told them is so completely out of who they know me to be, that it's hard to answer. And how none of them knew it was going on just underneath their noses probably stuns. Them as well.
I contemplate going to say something when out of nowhere, both of my friends scream at the top of their lungs.
_____________________
Heyyyy!!!! Another update for you lovely bunch on Easter Sunday too!! The next few chapters are going to be really exciting so stay tuned my friends :)
What do you think? Should Nikki and Colten be more aware of how she's doing? What is Jace going to do tonight? What are Braylee and Candice going to say about Nina's revelation?
Don't be a silent reader!!
Enjoy. Love you all <3
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