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CHAPTER 7
‘I become your nightmare steppin’ in your dreams
I’m the definition of the worst kind of mean’
Monster - Willyecho
Jake
“Happy birthday”
“Which one’s older?”
“Happy birthday, bro.”
“You get more handsome every year, Jake.”
“I’ve got a surprise for you, meet me in the bathroom in fifteen.”
A hand on my chest, a pat on the back, hugs, kisses peppered on my cheeks. Full hugs from my best friends, tons of pictures of Ozy and me.
And tequila. A lot of tequila.
Only Luke Baker would insist on celebrating Ozy and I’s birthday again. Well, the first time didn’t really happen. It did for everyone, just not for me and my friends. Everyone showed up at Luke’s, but we weren’t there, too busy looking for Rose all over town, too busy worrying over Nate being alive, over Jamie…
I can’t help the sigh that leaves me.
“It’s your birthday, bro. Lighten up,” Luke shouts in my ear over the loud music in his gigantic living room. He shakes a small packet of pills in front of my eyes. I grab it but put it in my back pocket.
“Later. And it’s not even my birthday,” I mumble. My mouth feels like cotton and I’m struggling to articulate. I’m really fucking drunk.
I wonder if the people partying tonight even truly realize it’s not my birthday. It was two weeks ago, this is really fucking stupid. Whatever, it’s just another Stoneview party. Too much alcohol, too many drugs, too many kids living like adults and throwing away their parents’ money.
“Jakey, just tell me what’s wrong.” My friend flutters his long, blond eyelashes at me, pretending to be one of the girls that have tried to help with my mood tonight. Now that they know Camila is out for good, I feel like a goddamn open bar.
She’s been sticking to me like a bee on honey since I told everyone I had fucked Jamie and that I was over her. But at the beginning of the night, when she tried to kiss me in front of everyone, I pushed her away. I told her in private that we were done. I told her a month ago that we were done. Me not being involved with Jamie anymore doesn’t change that. Now, it’s like all the other girls were waiting for the Queen Bee to be kicked off her throne.
That’s because none of them understand Jamie is the real deal.
Was.
Was the real deal. Until it turned out she was the one playing me.
Our night together was like being in heaven. Everything was perfect, she was perfect. But walking into her house the next day…the weight of everything fell on my shoulders and I panicked. I really panicked. Jamie wasn’t made for my world, she’s been through enough herself. Here I was going around her house making sure my supposed-to-be-dead brother wasn’t coming after her.
And that’s the worst part. Her not being part of my world? Meh, I can deal with that, I’m selfish enough. But she was with Nate. I can’t get over that. I want to, I really want to, but every time I think of it, every time she reminds me, I want to kill him. I want to hurt her so bad she will never dare think of him again.
It doesn’t matter that she didn’t know he was my brother, she chose him over me. Finding out he is a manipulative psycho and sleeping with me doesn’t mean she’s over him. It doesn’t erase the fact that she chose him.
“Jake,” Luke insists.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I snap back.
He runs a hand through his bright blond hair, a smile spreading on his face. He takes a long sip, letting me simmer in my own thoughts before speaking again.
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with a teeny-tiny, green-eyed girl by any chance? The one you keep bragging about taking her virginity just so you can have an excuse to talk about her.”
“That obvious?” I ask.
