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Music fillsthe room and vibrates the walls. A Happy Birthday Carter banner hangs on the wall with streamers all over the place. Hypnotic, the local club, is completely decked out—the work of Tye—Carter's girlfriend for all intents and purposes. Kennedy and Amelia came in to help, and since all three of them work here, they're now behind the bar serving drinks while still getting to enjoy the party.
Kennedy comes over with a big smile on her face, for once looking like she's in a good mood. After the week that we've had, I honestly will take any twitch of her lips that she's willing to give me, even if it is mainly because we're in front of all our friends.
“Hey, you,” I greet her, kissing her forehead.
She smiles up at me and hands me a beer. “I grabbed you the last one. After this, you'll have to drink something else.”
I cock a brow and turn to my closest friends. “Which one of you fuckers drank all my beer?”
Zayn raises his own beer up, showing he had nothing to do with it. Carter is next and shakes his head. Good, because even if he had, I can't necessarily yell at him on his birthday. I look over at Jace. He's Carter's best friend and roommate, but he only snickers at me.
“Sober life problems,” he tells me.
That leaves only one other person—Knox. Knox Vaughn has been best friends with Zayn and me for as long as I can remember. When we were younger, the three of us could always be found together. There was even a point where I thought we would end up brothers-in-law, being as he's dating Tessa's sister, Delaney, but that obviously isn’t going to happen.
“What?” he asks incredulously. “You can't expect me to drink the other shit they have here.”
“I know,” I answer. “That's why Kennedy has Paul order my craft beer just for me.”
He raises his glass that obviously contains my beer. “Well, cheers.”
I'm about to make some smart-ass remark, to tell him the secret ingredient is giraffe piss or something, but a familiar brunette walks into the room and every thought dissipates in an instant. Seeing the smile on Tessa's face sends a calmness through me that I could get high on.
I focus on every one of her features.
Her healthy complexion.
Her eyes filled with life.
The happiness that radiates from her like sunlight.
The need to know she’s okay is primal. After all, she left my house with no pulse. The fact that they were able to get her back is a miracle in itself. To know I didn’t fuck her up permanently feels like coming up for air after almost drowning. And still, knowing what I did is a regret I will live with for the rest of my life.
Delaney runs across the room and jumps into her arms. Tess stumbles but laughs as she holds onto her sister just as tight. The two of them spent their entire adolescent lives together until Laney moved across the country for college. Needless to say, they miss each other constantly.
A sudden smack to the back of the head snaps me out of it, and I turn to the only possible culprit.
“Ouch. What was that for?” I ask Knox.
“Being an idiot,” he answers, like it's nothing new. “Go fix that.”
It's then that I notice Kennedy walking away, and my heart drops. Shit. Tessa being here was the absolute last thing we needed, and by letting myself get so wrapped up in how well she's doing, I fucked up again. I sigh heavily and run after my girlfriend.
“Kennedy, wait,” I call out, but she keeps walking.
Neither one of us stop until we're alone and hidden away in the kitchen. Kennedy immediately grips onto the steel countertop and takes a deep breath.
“Baby, it's not what you think.”
She scoffs. “It's not? So, you weren't just blatantly checking out your ex right in front of me?”
“No,” I answer, but change course when she rolls her eyes. “Okay, kind of, but not for the reasons you're thinking. I was—”
“Why are you even with me?” she interrupts.
The question catches me off guard and trips me up. “What?”
“Why are you with me? I mean, clearly you'd rather be with her.”
