Broken Love (3 page)

My hands slammed over my face as I started laughing. “I’m so s-sorry!” I busted out laughing as I tried to tell myself to stop. Literally.

“Stop it, Ava! It’s not nice to laugh at people!”

Dee looked at me like I was nuts. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”

I pointed to myself and dropped my mouth open as I stared at Dee. “Me? You’re asking what’s wrong with me?”

Narrowing her eyes at me, she nodded. “I’s tell you what’s wrong with me. I’s don’t like you, Dee. Nope.” I popped my p so loud it caused my lips to tingle. Dee’s mouth slowly dropped open as her eyes widened in horror. Something I’m sure I would do too if I was sober and realized what I had just said.

“You always thought you were so great in college. I’s knows better though.” Taking my pointer finger, I jammed her in the chest. “You are a drama-filled queen. No wait. You’re filled with drama. You’re a drama queen.”

“I beg your pardon?”

I rolled my eyes. “I know, it’s loud in here.” I placed my hands around my mouth like a cone and shouted, “You’re a bitch, Dee! A drama-loving, dick-humping … no wait … dick-sucking, bitch!”

Dee’s faced turned red and she looked like she was about to say something when someone ran right into me, knocking me over.

“What in the cookie hell kitten cracker!” I shouted as I landed right on my ass.

I was going to kill the asshole who knocked me down. I attempted to stand up, only to have the room spin on me again and my heels slide out from underneath me.

“Whoa, I got ya.”

I knew that voice. My body came to life as I tried to focus on the person helping me up.

“Ava? Shit, are you okay?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head while I slowly opened them again. Only to find familiar hazel eyes staring down at me.

My head began to pound and I felt sick as I placed my hand over my mouth and said, “Holy shit. It’s you.”

I COULDN’T BELIEVE I had her in my arms. Again. The first time I ran into Ava I tried to ignore how her touch lit a fire in my body. Now, looking at her dressed in a tight short-ass dress with legs to die for … yeah … I was happy as hell to see her again.

Letting a smile play across my face, I nodded and said, “It’s me all right.”

Ava opened her mouth to talk but then slammed her hands over her mouth. I knew what was going to happen next. Taking her by the arm, I shouted, “Hold on, baby, let’s get you outside.”

Pushing through the crowd, I kicked the door open and quickly led Ava over to the side of the building where she promptly threw up.

All. Over. My. Shoes.

Closing my eyes briefly, I mumbled, “That’s fucking disgusting.”

“Oh God, I think I’m dying.”

Laughing, I pushed a strand of her loose blonde hair behind her head. “Nah, you’re just a beautiful woman standing on the side of a building puking her guts out … onto my shoes.”

The look of horror that passed over her face was the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen. “I’m so sorry, mystery man.”

I pulled my head back in surprise and was about to ask her why she called me mystery man when another girl ran up. “Ava! Are you okay?” When she turned and looked at me, she quickly forgot about Ava and smiled. “Well well well, hello there, handsome.”

I looked between her and Ava with a blank expression.

“Water,” Ava whispered.

The girl spun around and quickly took Ava in her arms. “Oh, sweetie. I told you not to drink those whiskey shots. You don’t do hard liquor well.”

Looking at me, the girl mouthed,
she doesn’t drink much.

Nodding my head, I said, “Let me go get a bottle of water for her.”

Ava’s friend winked and then ran her tongue along her lips. “Hurry back.”

I wasn’t sure how to read the friend, but I could for sure read that Ava had drank way too much.

After returning back outside with a bottle of water, Ava was sitting on a bench while her girlfriend was talking to some guy.

Sitting down next to Ava, I placed my hand on her leg and she jumped. “Hey, um … you know … I’s don’t even know your name. I’s think if I’m gonna dream about you I should have a name with the face.”

Smiling, I handed her the water. “Here, drink all of this.”

Doing as I said, Ava began downing the water. “Slowly, baby, you’ll get sick again.”

Ava turned to me with her mouth dropped open as she let her hand fall to her lap, sloshing the water. “My God, I’ve gots to tell you … that makes me all kinds of hot when you call me baby.”

“My name is Ryder.”

Ava closed her eyes and mumbled something incoherently before saying, “Even his name is hot.”

I looked away until I was sure the flush from my cheeks was gone. “Ava, I think you’ve had enough for one night. How are you getting home?”

Ava pointed her finger to the other side of her as I looked to see no one standing there. Her friend must have taken off back into the bar.

“There’s no one there.”

Ava jerked her head too fast and called out, “Whoa, Ryder seriously you don’t have to make the whole world spin, okay. Just put me back down.”

I tried to hold my laughter back as I leaned in and whispered against her neck, just under her ear. “Trust me, Ava. If you were in my arms, you’d experience a lot more than just being dizzy.”

Ava swallowed hard as her body shuddered. “I think I need to lie down.”

Standing up, I held my hand out for Ava and led her back into the club. I had to wrap my arm around her waist to keep her walking straight. After fifteen minutes of looking for this so-called friend, I made my way over to my brother, Nate.

“Nate, I ran into a—” Glancing down at Ava, I tried to figure out what I wanted to say. “Um, a friend.”

“Uh-huh. She sure is pretty,” Nate said as he looked at Ava.

Ava hit Nate in the chest … hard. “Awe … you’s is so sneaks.”

Nate’s eyebrows rose. “Sneaks?”

“She’s had a bit too much to drink. I’m going to take her home since I can’t find her friend anywhere.”

Nate gave me a wink and said, “Right. Well, you have yourself one hell of a good time tonight, you lucky son-of-a-bitch.”

Anger began to build in my blood as I shook my head. “It isn’t anything like that.”

Lifting the glass full of vodka to his lips, he smiled and drank.

Fuck this. I’m getting Ava out of here now.

“See ya tomorrow,” I said as I turned to head out of the club.

“Don’t be fucking late, Ryder.”

By the time I got Ava back to my car, she had thrown up two more times and told me how she had dreamed about me. One dream was graphic and I had to adjust my dick in my pants.

I slipped Ava into the front seat and ran around to the driver’s side. Jumping in, I looked at Ava and said, “Where do you … live … fuck.”

Ava was passed out with her sweet little mouth hanging open and what appeared to be a small amount of drool starting to form in the corner. It was the cutest damn thing I’d ever seen.

I wasn’t sure what to do. Glancing down at her clutch, I felt like a dick for even thinking of opening it, but I had no choice.

“Please don't be like tampons or something in there.” My body shook in fear as I took a deep breath and looked into her purse. Living with three older sisters I saw things that could never be un-seen.

The only things she had in there was a tube of lipstick, her phone, and her wallet. Taking her wallet out, I glanced back over to her. She was now snoring and in a deep slumber.

I pulled out her license and typed the address into my GPS. She only lived ten minutes away.

Ava’s phone began buzzing so I pulled it out of her purse only to hear Maroon 5’s “Animals” playing and the name Jay flashing across the screen. Jealousy raced over my body as I quickly decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Um … wait … so no … okay who the fuck is this?”

I instantly recognized the voice. “A friend who cared enough to make sure Ava got home safe.”

“What did you just say, homeslice?”

“Did you just call me homeslice?”

“Yes. Yes, I did, motherfucker.”

Smiling, I nodded my head. “That seems like more of a normal reaction to a strange man who answered your friend’s phone.”

I heard a loud bang and then it was quiet. She must have stepped outside. “Listen here, prick eater, you better turn your ass around and bring my best friend back or I’ll hurt you. And by hurt you, I mean I’ll cut your dick off and make you eat it.”

My upper lip snarled as I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the sweet girl’s picture on the screen. “You’ll what?” I asked in utter shock.

“You heard me.”

My GPS alerted me that Ava’s place was on the right just a half a mile up the road.

“Listen, GI Jane, I’m almost to Ava’s house to take her home. If you’re that concerned, why don't you head on over here and take care of her.”

“Fine, make sure she texts me when she gets into her condo.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“I already said that.”

“Dick.”

“Night, Jay.”

Hitting End, I pulled up and parked then got out of the car and walked up to the valet guy.

“You visiting someone?”

Opening the door, I reached in and picked up Ava. “Yep. She had a little too much to drink.”

“Damn, Ava.”

The way this guy was looking at her had me all kinds of pissed off. “Um, I’m not sure if I should allow you into the building, sir.”

Laughing, I shook my head and began bouncing Ava. “I’m up! I’m awakes.”

Ava looked around and smiled when she saw she was in my arms. “I’m dreaming again. Yes.” Fist pumping, she turned and looked at the valet guy. “Oh, Ryan you’ve never graced a dream before.”

Clearing my throat, I said, “Ava baby, you’re not dreaming and Ryan here won’t let me bring you up to your place.”

Ava slowly turned and looked at me. “Just because I’m drunk, Ryder, doesn’t mean I’m going to have sex with you. I mean, I want to have sex with you.”

My eyebrows shot up as I pulled my head back while Ava kept digging herself in deeper. “I think sex with you would be curl toeing. I can only imagine all the ways you’d make me—”

“Okay! Ryan, you going to open the door, dude, or are we both going to have to listen to Ava graphically describe her dreams?”

Ryan frowned as he looked at Ava. When he turned to look at me, he shot me a dirty look.

As he took a step forward, he said, “Enjoy your evening, Ms. Moore, sir.”

I knew it was a dick move, but I lifted the left corner of my mouth as I said, “Oh I intend to.”