“Where’s Xav?” a familiar voice asks when I wander out of the second-floor bathroom after spending twenty minutes trying to fix my makeup—waterproof mascara, my ass.
“Probably upstairs getting a sloppy blowjob with too much teeth.” A deep laugh makes my bone quiver with disgust.
I catch glimpse of Finn and Theo by the foosball table in the entertainment room and take cover in the reading nook by the door. If I were smart, I’d leave. Spare myself the glory details. After all, the whole point of blocking Xavier’s number was to never hear from or about him again, but my legs keep me rooted in place.
“No way?” Theo sneers. “I thought he was done with Brie.”
“Done dating her, maybe.” Finn shrugs. “Never said anything about fucking her.”
My heart cracks.
“Wait, so Xav kept fucking Brie after dumping her?”
“You bet. Hell, he’s probably doing it right now. He told me he was meeting some girl at midnight and planning to score. Who else would it be?”
Repulsion coils in my throat.
Is that what this was to him?
A booty call?
So, what? He got sick of waiting for me and launched himself at the first girl who walked through the door instead? Not to mention he’s been sleeping with Brie this whole time? My bad for thinking he’d stop hooking up with girls because we were texting twenty-four seven and baring our souls in confessions. Guess Love was just a name on a screen to him.
Blinking back tears of rage, I walk off, beginning my search for my sister in Finn’s dump of a mansion. The party’s gotten completely out of control, not that it’s anything his family’s million maids can’t fix. I’m well aware that trying to track down one person in a mansion this packed is the equivalent of looking for a needle in a haystack, but I can’t leave this place knowing my drunk little sister might still be in here somewhere.
I know she hates me.
But I’d prefer she hates me from the safety of her bedroom.
I’m careful to avoid anyone I know for the next forty-five minutes. I skirt around Dia once or twice. The last thing I want is for her to see my teary eyes and drop everything until I tell her what’s wrong.
I even hide from Xavier’s make-out buddy at some point.
I’ll admit I was surprised to see Lacey out and about so soon.
Guess Finn was right about the “quickie” part.
I don’t see Xavier anywhere, to my great relief. Five bucks says he hit up Brie, since Love didn’t show up. An hour of triple-checking every room later, I’m left to wonder if Ashley already went home. Then I remember there’s one room I haven’t checked yet.
The garage.
Definitely a long shot, but I’m desperate enough not to care.
I pad down the dark, deserted hallway I think leads to the garage that’s interconnected with the house, trying to summon distant memories of the only time Dia gave me a tour of Finn’s palace.
I exhale in relief when I spot the double doors in the distance.
Please be there, Ash.
Eager to get this garbage party over with, I grip the knob and burst into the well-lit garage like I own the place.
Then I see him.
And everything falls apart.
Starting with the protective barrier I built around my heart.
He’s just sitting there, on the concrete floor.