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He hangs up and I let my phone drop to the bar top. My head feels heavy, like it weighs a hundred pounds on my shoulder. I lay my head on the bar, the surface cool against my heated cheek.
I watch the condensation form on my bottle of beer and wipe it off with my finger.
It feels like no time at all has passed when Joel appears.
“Come on, Jace. Help me out here.” He grabs my arm and loops it around his neck.
I slip from the chair. “I need to pay,” I mutter, reaching for my wallet. Joel sighs and waits for me to grab it and leave some bills on the bar top.
He begins pulling me away and I lean against him heavily. My legs feel like noodles.
“Jesus, you’re heavy,” he groans.
“Why doesn’t she love me?” I whimper quietly like I’m in pain. “Why’d she leave? Doesn’t she know I’m hurting too? Why would she do this? It’s cruel.”
Joel leads me outside and a nighttime breeze hits
my cheeks.
“I don’t know man,” Joel replies. “We can’t understand other people’s decisions, we’re not them, but we have to trust them.”
“What if she doesn’t come back?” My voice cracks on the last word.
“She will,” he says adamantly and opens the passenger door to his car.
I fall inside and he sighs. I get situated and he starts to buckle me in.
I push his hands away. “I got it.”
He makes a noise that clearly conveys his disbelief.
He closes the door and goes around the back of the car to get in the driver’s side.
I lean my head against the window and he pulls out.
If I’m honest with myself, I’m terrified Nova is going to spend time with Owen and decide she’d rather be with him than me.
I don’t know if I’m strong enough to handle the heartbreak of losing her and Beckett permanently.
When we arrive at Joel’s place he helps me out of the car and I stumble against him.
I had way too much to drink—plus, add in the fact I haven’t felt the need to have more than two drinks at a time and I’m really feeling it.
It takes us a solid ten minutes to get into his apartment, and once we do, I trip over my feet and fall to the floor.
Joel sighs. “You owe me for this.” He bends down and grabs me under the arms. “Come on. Fuck, why are you so heavy? Help me out here.”
“I can’t feel my feet,” I mutter.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Joel drags me over to the couch and heaves me onto it. He steps back with his hands on his hips, struggling to get enough air.
“That’s my workout for the week,” he declares. Pointing at me, he says, “Don’t expect me to undress you.”
I lean my head back on the arm of the couch and cover my eyes with the crook of my arm.
“Thanks, Joel.”
