“Really?” I ask, trying to keep the shock out of my voice. “What’s happened?”
“I was having second thoughts before...” she looks up at me and frowns. “What he did to you.” She shakes her head. “Now I’m having major doubts and I just don’t know what to do. He has influence you know?”
I make a noise in the back of my throat in agreement because I do know. Ever since I actually listened to what people are saying as I walk around on campus, I hear more gossip than I ever thought possible.
“Will it have that big of an impact if you break up with him?”
“Ugh.” She scrunches her face up and bangs her hands on the bed. “I don’t know but I swear, he’s turned into a complete asshole.”
I look around the room, trying to think of something to say. I’ve never been in a real relationship so I have no idea on how to advise her. Before Elena and Trevor, in my other life, I’d had flings but they were nothing more than a few kisses and nothing past second base.
“How about...” I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, not knowing how well this will go down. “You come to the bar with me?”
Her eyes spring open and she sits up. “You meeting Jackson?”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
She scans my room in the same way that I had and slowly nods her head. “You know what? Yeah.” She stands up and nods her head harder, her eyes lighting up in a way I haven’t seen for quite a while. “Yeah... I will come to the bar. Fuck it!”
I walk over to my desk where all my stuff is laid out and wave my hand. “Sit.” I point at the chair.
“Ooooh! Someone has turned bossy.” She raises her brows and smirks. “I like it!” Holding her hand in the air for a high five, I smack my palm against hers.
Chuckling, I grab some primer and start to apply it to her face and then step out of my pumps. If I’m going to do her hair and make-up, there’s no way I’ll be able to stand in those and then go out in them as well.
I give the cab driver the money and step out of the car after Jess. I don’t bother to wait in the growing line, instead I walk straight up to Hughie who’s stood on the door and smile in greeting.
I’ve been here that many times now that they all know who I am.
“Look at you,” Jess cackles. “You even know the hot men on the door.”
I chuckle and smile at her. It’s great to see her smile and laugh for a change. It’s been a while since I saw her like this and I’ve missed it.
“To the bar!” she shouts and extends her arm, pointing at the bar. Gripping on to my hand, she drags me forward and makes a beeline for where Jackson is stood behind it.
“Two-”
“I got it.” Jackson nods and walks away, bringing back a bottle of my usual fruity cocktail, non-alcoholic of course, and then places a glass in front of Jess. Whatever it is, she doesn’t mind because she takes it with a smile and gulps almost half of it down in one long swallow.
“Lil’ sis,” Jackson says, leaning over the bar and planting a kiss on my head.
I know he won’t be able to talk much until his break and then after that not until the bar closes so I wait until a couple of bar stools become free and hop up onto one of them, saving the other one for Jess who is currently waving her arms in the air on the dance floor.
She tried to get me to go up there but there was no way in hell I’ll be doing that. I’d rather sit here and watch her having fun. Besides, I have two left feet and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’d have fell over in point two of a second.
When a bunch of loud guys come into the bar, my eyes zone in on them, thinking it’s Scott and his buddies. I search for where Jackson is stood at the bar, taking somebody’s order only a couple of feet away.
My heart beat speeds up when I see them walk straight to him.
“Time’s up!” One of them shouts over the music. My breaths come faster as I watch them exchange words and then Jackson’s eyes meet mine and he drops his head.
“Jackson?” I ask, impressed that my voice doesn’t sound like the scared mouse I thought it was going to. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he groans, looking at me and then back to the guy stood in the middle. “Preston, this is Ava. Ava, Preston.”
I frown at him and move my eyes to this Preston guy, not having a clue what is going on. “Erm... Hi?”
“Well, hey there, darlin’.” He holds his hand out to me but I just look down at it and then back up to his sleazy eyes as he moves closer to me. “Nice to finally meet Jackson’s little sister.”