Still Jaded (Jaded #2)

It was easier back then. Things made more sense.

I wrung out, "You're right. Go ahead. Join your brothers." Now I turned to look at him and let my anger shine through. I was angry at the world. I was angry at being used. I was angry because Bryce wasn't fighting. I was angry because Corrigan was only half with me. It wasn't the same, not anymore. It hadn't been since I shot Marcus.

"What did Bryce do?"

"He didn't do anything. That was it. He didn't do anything."

"He said that you told him not to come."

"He didn't do anything." He didn't come. That was my point, but Corrigan wasn't hearing it.

"What happened in Spain?"

I closed my eyes and hung my head at that painful reminder. I wouldn't fold down and fall to my knees. My third glass of wine was finished before I set it back down. "I lost him. I think I lost myself."

Corrigan's eyes sparkled in an emotion I didn't dare name. His hand reached upwards with his fingers spread wide, and his palm was ready to cup my cheek. But then he froze an inch from my face and cursed before he withdrew his hand. "You're his girl. I can't say what I want to say right now because you're his girl."

"We're best friends." My face tingled from the anticipation of that touch.

He shook his head as his shoulders drooped. "Maybe in high school, but since…I don't even know when. He needs to be your only best friend as long as you're with him. I have to leave now. I shouldn't be up here when we both know you're hurting because he's not."

He turned to leave, but I caught his hand. "Corrigan."

He cut me off as he twisted around, agony and fury in his eyes.

I let go of him immediately, scorched by that look. Then he left, his body filled with tension. I couldn't do anything or say anything to stop him. I wanted to…

I wanted something, but I didn't know what. There was a hole I needed to fill, and, with that, I filled my glass a fourth time. I should've gone downstairs. I should've mingled with everyone. It was my party after all, but I sat and I drank. My phone buzzed a couple times, but I never looked at it and I never answered. I'd given what I could.

He hadn't even been kissing her, but it burned.

I saluted the air with my glass and toasted a lightning bug. "To you, little man. Fly free. Fly free."

Then I heard another voice from behind me. "Sheldon?"

It was a girl's voice. I tensed, but then Grace popped her head through the sheer curtain. Her eyes lit up as she saw me. "Hey, you look great!"

"You too."

Her blonde hair had been pulled into a low ponytail with a few stray strands curled to frame her face. It gave her a soft look and accentuated her pale lips. With the green sweater she wore over a pair of pale jeans, I was tempted to give her a wolf whistle.

She plopped down into a chair and fanned herself. "I was asked to join a sorority! I know, I know. This sounds like alterno-world or something, but it's not. I swear. I was downstairs, and a bunch of girls all said hello to me." She frowned and grabbed the empty wine bottle. Then she started to shift from hand to hand. "Did I do something? I don't know what to make of it. Maybe they know Corrigan, and he told them to be nice. Do you think that's it? What do you think?"

I watched my clueless friend.

Grace scratched at her chin. "I know. I know. I'm probably imagining all of this, but it was a lot. A LOT of girls said hi to me. What's going on? Did I become a celebrity or something? I can't believe Corrigan has that ability. You think it was him? That's the only thing that makes sense. Wow, I didn't realize how much weight he had around campus. Not to mention, I didn't think he even cared about me. That night was two years ago."

"Maybe he cares more than you think."

"And can you believe it? I was asked to join a sorority!?"

I sat beside her. "What if Corrigan did put them up to it?"

Grace pondered that a moment and then shrugged. "If he feels guilty, then he feels guilty. Do you really think an entire sorority would ask me to pledge? Because of one guy? It's one guy! If I became a sister, that'd be for life. That's so permanent. I doubt it's because of Corrigan. No, no. I think they did it because they like me. It has to be because they like me."

"I like you," I pointed out. How could I not be upset? Those girls weren't asking her to pledge because of Corrigan. They were doing it because of me, because I made them…because of Corrigan. So was it actually my doing?

Grace huffed out as she rolled her eyes. "Sheldon, you're you. You're not like most people. You like me because of Mena."

"Are you serious?" I sat back.

Had we not established a friendship in the past two years? She'd become my best friend, besides Bryce and Corrigan. And seeing how that was going, she might be my only friend.