Broken

• Chapter 68 •

We're sitting on the bathroom floor, backs to the wall. My head rests on Eric's shoulder.

"How are you?" he whispers after a while.

A small smile plays on my face. And for once I mean it when I say, "I'm okay."

He blows out a breath and rubs his eyes with his free hand, "Okay, let's change the topic. Let's make fun of your bone-head boyfriend."

I snort and shove his shoulder, "Don't be rude."

He gives me the slightest of smiles and shrugs, "Did you know he smokes?"

I frown, "Well, it's not like some big secret."

His eyes barely meet mine, "Why are you with him?"

I stand up, and he follows me.

"Excuse me? That's such an inappropriate question. What the hell?" I can feel myself getting irritated.

His eyebrows knit together, "Clementine... You hate smokers. That's always been a primitive rule of yours."

I huff, "It's not like I let him smoke anywhere near me. I'm not going to ask him to stop smoking, Eric. It's none of my business!"

He clicks his tongue, "See? Relationships aren't supposed to be like that. It is your business because he's supposed to be your guy," he argues.

"What the hell is your problem, Eric? It's none of your business. Why are you with Isabella?" I snap.

He rolls his eyes. "That's different. Isabella is good, Adrien's not a good match for you. You don't even look like you like him all that much, at least I'm in love with her—" a sharp pain shoots through my heart, Eric's eyes pop. He swears under his breath.

He rubs the back of his neck nervously, "I'm sorry—I didn't... I don't—"

I clear my throat and clench my jaw, "It's fine. Please move. I wanna go back to my boyfriend now."

He brings his hand to his forehead, "Minty wait, I—"

The bathroom door opens and Eric and I jump back. "Hey, guys!" a slightly buzzed Aya grins.

Eric and I press our mouths into thin lines. Aya looks at us and her eyes widen, "Oh, sorry! Did I interrupt something?"

I turn to Eric, but he won't look at me properly. Fine. No big deal. I give him the best I-don't-care-that-you-have-a-girlfriend smile I can muster and turn back to Aya with a cheerful, "Nope! Eric was just leaving."

Eric continues to avoid my gaze and gives Aya an apologetic shrug before darting out the door. I let out a huge sigh. What the hell just happened?

"You okay? You look like shit," Aya tells me as she turns to the mirror and wipes off some fallen mascara.

I snort, "Gee, thanks..."

She smirks as she applies lipstick, "Anyways! I was looking for you!"

I shrug and prop myself onto the counter, "Well you found me."

"I like Dustin," she gushes.

A small smile plays on my face, "I can see that..."

"Shut up," she laughs.

"Nah, it's cute. Are you sure it's not just a I-like-you-cause-I'm-drunk type of like though?"

She shrugs, "Who cares? I want him now, that's all that matters."

I laugh at this. Way to live in the moment, I suppose.

"Anyways. I'm planning to make him ask me out by the end of the night," she tells me.