Me: I told you she was a friend.

Avery: So you'd be cool if I kissed Markus? He's my friend.

Me: No, I would not be cool with that and I can understand why this upsets you, but you do remember that you broke up with me.

Avery: Yeah, and you moved on. Guess it was all in my head, huh? This so-called real love I thought we had.

Me: Can I call you?

Avery: No. nothing to say.

Me: Don't be like that. There is plenty to say. Let me talk to you.

I wait, but nothing comes back. So I call, but it goes straight to voice mail. Closing my eyes, I drop my head to my knees and I just let go. I sob uncontrollably. I blame it on the alcohol because, d.a.m.n it, I'm a man. But this girl, man, she's f.u.c.ked me up. She can't be serious, though, and obviously she cares because she is jealous and upset. So I call her again, but her phone still goes to voice mail. I try again, and once more, her voice comes on the line, telling me to leave a message.

"Just answer me, Avery. Please. Let's talk about this. I don't want to lose you."

Hanging up, I call again, and when it rings more than once, I sit up straighter. Maybe she's going to answer this time.

"Bro, it's midnight. What's wrong?"

s.h.i.t. I called Jude.

But before I can hang up or tell him it's nothing, I'm sobbing like a f.u.c.king baby. "She broke up with me," I cry, trying to sound like a man, but I fail. Man, I fail so miserably.

"Dude, are you drunk?"

"Yes, but did you hear me? She broke up with me and she won't answer my calls. Why does this hurt so bad? Why does it suck, and why doesn't she want me? Why couldn't I be like you? Just f.u.c.k every b.i.t.c.h I see. Be a player. Why did I fall? Why did I let this happen?" I cry and I'm met with silence before I fall back into the wet gra.s.s.

"Jace, where are you?"

"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. She doesn't love me. She saw a picture of me and Delanie together, and now she thinks I've moved on. But Jude, I can't move on. I f.u.c.king love her. Ugh, Jude, why?" I moan, closing my eyes tightly as the stupid tears fall from them.

"Claire, text Jayden, see where he is," I hear him say, but I'm too busy throwing myself a bada.s.s pity party.

"This was supposed to be a fun, carefree year. Instead, I fell in love with this amazing, gorgeous, damaged girl who I want nothing more than to put back together. I want to hold her in my hands and love her, Jude, I do."

"Jesus Christ," I hear him mutter. "Text him and tell him to find Jace."

"I love her so much, and yet, that wasn't enough. She thought I chose hockey over her 'cause I was scared of her dad running my life. And really, that's your fault. You scared me," I accuse and Jude groans.

"You deal with this drunken crazy. Give me Jayden," I hear him say and then Claire is on the phone.

"Jace?"

"Oh, Claire... I know now what you felt when you lied to my brother and he dumped you. It hurts. It f.u.c.king hurts."

"Oh, wow," she laughs softly. "Jace, calm down."

"I can't! The love of my life has ripped my heart out of my chest."

"Jace, honey, where are you?"

"In the gra.s.s," I say, sitting up and looking around.

"What's around you?"

"The Bullies' house."

"He's in front of the house," she says to my brother and then she's back on the line. "Everything is okay, Jace. Just calm down."

"You don't understand! Jude came back for you. What if she doesn't come back for me?"

"She will. Calm down," she coos, but then everything is black.

I'm out cold.

And nothing else matters.

Except the ache in my chest.

Warmth, I feel warmth.

Avery. She's here.

And she looks beautiful. Her hair is falling along her bare chest, her eyes are locked on mine, and her lips are parting. Moving my hand up her arm, I take ahold of her face.

"I knew you'd come back. I'm so sorry."

I lean in to kiss her, but then a huge hand stops me.

"Whoa, gotta buy me dinner before I make out with you, you freak."

When I open my eyes, Jayden is staring at me.

He's in my bed.

He's not Avery.

"What the f.u.c.k?" I screech, backing away from him and into the wall. He laughs as he shakes his head. "What are you doing? Creep."

"Shut up, a.s.sb.u.t.t. I made sure you didn't choke on your vomit all night. I should get a thank-you since I took care of your a.s.s instead of getting laid."

I roll my eyes, sitting up. "You didn't have to."

He side-eyes me. "Yeah, 'cause you were a witness to the s.h.i.tshow last night. Dude, what did you drink?"

I shrug, my head pounding. "Anything I could find."

"Jesus, you were toast," he says, shaking his head. "You were crying like a baby on the phone with Jude, spilling your guts like a fourteen-year-old girl with her sad collection of One Direction playing in the background. It was tragic."

"f.u.c.k you," I murmur, dropping my head onto my pillow. Sucking in a deep breath, I can smell her. d.a.m.n it, I miss her. "You don't know real pain."

He laughs. "Yeah, not me."

"Baylor never broke up with you!"

"Nope, it was all rainbows and unicorns with that chick."

I don't answer that because I know it wasn't, but still. I'm hurting.

"Listen, this sucks, I get it. But instead of crying and pouting, do something about it."

"I've tried," I say, sitting up, but then I immediately lie back down when I get dizzy. "She doesn't want to talk."

"Make her talk."

Giving him a dull look, I roll my eyes. "You're dumb. Go away."

"Nice talk," he says, jumping off my bed and onto the trampoline before landing on the ground. He peeks at me through the rail on the bed. "It's gonna be fine. You'll work it out."

"It doesn't feel like that."

"Because you actually love her, and that's why I know it's gonna work out. It's obvious she loves you, so I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either. Just take it one day at a time and tell her how you feel. Be honest."

"I tried that, and it went to s.h.i.t."

He backs away. "Then sit here and wallow in your pity. I'm out. No more drinking. You're grounded."

I glare as he waves, going out the door and shutting it behind him. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I check my texts. Nothing. Calls. Nothing either. No Facebook posts either. Radio silence.

f.u.c.k.

Opening a text, I stare at it. I try to find the words to say to her, but nothing comes. Closing my eyes, I roll onto my back and I know I should wonder where Markus is or go to the bathroom or do something, but I can't move. I won't move until I figure out what to say.

I need to get her back.

Above me, I hear someone playing that ginger dude she likes, and I smile.

She likes music.

And I can sing.

I'm dead asleep when I hear my phone go off.

I ignore it, though, knowing it's him.

All I see is him and her together, and it really boils my blood.

Stupid wh.o.r.e.

Stealing my man...

Blah.

When my phone signals another text, I reach for it, bringing it under the covers with me. The warm coc.o.o.n I've built for myself, where I'm safe. Like I suspected, it's Jace. I know I should ignore it, but I can't. Opening the text, I see a video and then two simple words.

Jace: Watch me.

Raising a brow, I hit play and then the video takes over my screen, the picture shaking on his end. When his beautiful face comes into the frame, my heart aches. He hasn't shaved, scruff covering his thick jaw. His hair is hanging messily in his eyes, pushed down by the gray beanie he favors. His eyes are dark and red, like he's had a rough night. I wish like h.e.l.l the first thing I think isn't that he was with her.

"I really think you should do something else here. Why don't you send her-" I hear Jayden say, but Jace waves him off, looking at the camera.

"Shut up, it's recording," he says, his eyes dark and intense. "Avery, if you hit play, thank you. Thank you for watching, for giving me a chance to win you back."

"Jesus," I hear Jayden moan, and I can't help but smile. Especially when Jace appears to throw a pillow at him. "Ow!"

"Shut up," he snaps before looking back at the camera. "I'm so sorry my brother is a d.i.c.k, but he's the only person who knows how to play a guitar that I know, other than Jude. But he's actually flying to Jersey at this very moment. I mean, I guess I could have come and done this in person, but I really didn't want to have you slam the door in my face. But if you don't answer me back in an hour after I send this, then I just might."

"Oh my G.o.d, can we do this? Some people have things to do."

I giggle at the annoyance in Jayden's voice as Jace glares at him. "You suck. Really."

"Stop talking so much and do what you planned. Even though, let's be honest, I wouldn't text or call you after listening to what we just practiced."

"I hate you. I really do." Jace glares and then turns back to the video. "So yeah, here it goes. What I want to say. What I'm feeling. What I want. Which is you."

"For f.u.c.k's sake," I hear Jayden moan, and I swear, I love these two.

"Shut up and start playing!"

Jace looks back at the camera, and I listen as the beautiful melody to the beginning of "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran starts to play. I freaking love this song, so d.a.m.n much. And when Jace starts to sing it, badly, of course, I know I just fell in love with it more. The words before were heart-wrecking, but now, the beauty of the lyrics is enhanced by the man I love. He may not be able to sing, but the words are coming from his soul. His eyes are locked on the camera, and his fist is moving with each word as he sings just for me.

Horribly, but I don't care. He is beautiful, he is hilarious, and he's doing this for me. Even if I'm not sure he should have to. I should be singing to him, but he's fighting. He wants me. I do matter. As he gets to the chorus and he sings, desperately, from his soul, I can only smile with each jerk and fist pump he does. When the music stops, though, and Jayden takes the phone despite Jace's protests, I laugh.

Jayden runs out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall, locking the door behind him. I have no clue what is going on, but the grin on my face is unstoppable as he struggles with the phone. Holding it out, Jayden looks at me, his green gaze locking on to me. I've never been intimidated by him, but I am now.

"Listen, Avery, please call my brother. Let him apologize so none of us ever have to listen to him sing again. I mean, that was torture. I didn't know he was that bad," he says quickly as Jace beats the door down. "He loves you. You have to realize that. And you make him happy. So please, give him a chance. If not for his sanity, for my family's. Because I'm pretty sure if he calls my mom in a drunken state, crying like a fourteen-year-old girl whose boyfriend broke up with her and smashed all her One Direction CDs, she might come after you with a shotgun," he says with a grin and I smile big. Then I'm laughing as Jace screams obscenities at his brother, his fist coming against the door like King Kong. "Love like this doesn't come along often, you know? Don't let some misunderstanding, or whatever the h.e.l.l happened, come between you two. Real lovers work it out. They communicate instead of giving up. You're not a quitter, I know you aren't, so just call. Okay?"

And then the screen goes black, going back to my messaging app.

I can't help but wonder if Jace killed Jayden, but before I can even text him, there is a knock at my door. Pushing the blankets down, I look toward the door to find Matty taking up the whole s.p.a.ce. Just like that, my grin is gone and I'm glaring. I haven't talked to him, or anyone, since last night. No one has checked on me, so I'm a little surprised to see him.

"What?"

He makes a face and then chuckles. "Man, your face is f.u.c.ked up."

My scowl deepens because I don't know what he is talking about. "What do you want?"