Chapter 13

Jade

It was twenty minutes to midnight when Bells made the call.

I was already slumped against the bar, drunk out of my mind and babbling nonsense to myself.

Bells had cleared out most of the room already much to their disappointment but a few people still lingered.

My ears perked up when I heard the line connect.

Huh, so he could pick up other people’s calls but not mine? Bloody bastard.

“Hi. This is Isabella, Jade’s best friend.” She made sure to slur some of her words and I held up a wobbly thumbs up in her direction, grinning like a loon.

“Yes. She’s passed out from having one drink too many and I also won’t be able to drive her back home since I’m not completely sober myself.” A pause, and I strained to hear his response but couldn’t since she hadn’t put it on speaker. I suspected she didn’t want me to hear when he inevitably refused her.

“An Uber?” she continued innocently. “Yes, I can order one but Jade asked for you specifically. She’s really in a bad state and I’m scared we might get taken advantage of.”

Oh, my best friend was good. She had even thrown in a slight tremor to her voice, nailing the damsel in distress act perfectly.

Another pause. Then, “We can wait. It’s not like we’re two unprotected girls or anything who can easily get preyed upon since we aren’t in complete control of our faculties.”

She listened for a bit with a roll of her eyes before she was abruptly lighting up. “Oh really? Great! I’d send the address now.”

I jerked up at her hopeful tone, strands of hair from my ponytail haphazardly falling into my face. I waited till she hung up before asking with my breath held, “Did he really agree to come?”

“He did. I’m not sure if I was just really convincing or I caught him in an unusually nice mood.”

“Oh my God, oh my God, he’s coming!” I bounced on my stool, stuck between nervousness and excitement.

“Calm your tits, woman.” She cautioned with a hand on my shoulder holding me still. “There are still a few people around.” She looked back at her phone. “Already sent him the address.”

“Now what?” I asked.

“Now we wait.”

I pursed my lips in annoyance before reaching for an abandoned shot glass that still contained a little tequila. Bells smacked my hand off just as it made contact.

“Don’t even try it,” she warned.

I rubbed the area she had hit with a pout. “Fuck, you hit me hard. I’m going to get a bruise.”

“Don’t worry. Julian will kiss it better.”

I put up my elbow on the marble countertop and rested my cheek against my open palm with a dreamy sigh, staring into the distance. “I hope he does.”

My eyes got all heavy-lidded and before I knew it, I was dozing off in that position.