Broken

• Chapter 100 •

"Damn girl. I love your look, and your ride," Ashu tells me as I pull up to the party. I climb off my cruiser and grin, "Thanks. How are you?"

"I'm good! You want a smoke?" she offers me a cigarette. I wave my hand dismissively, "Nah, thanks. Have you seen Adrien?"

She nods, "He's playing beer pong with the guys."

I sigh, I've been avoiding his texts and calls all week since that shit almost happened with Ashton. I feel guilty, even though nothing happened. I don't know what to do. Do I tell him what happened? No. Nothing did happen! Ashu snaps her fingers at me and I snap out of my thoughts, "Huh?"

"I said I like your bracelet."

I glance down at my wrist, "Oh. Thank you, it was a gift."

She smirks, "From Adrien?" her eyebrows waggle. My heart sinks, "Er, no. Just a friend."

"Okay, well let's go inside. It's fucking freezing," she says as she throws down her cigarette bud and steps on it, rubbing her arms to keep from shivering. We rush to the venue and sigh as the warmth seeps through our bodies.

"Hello ladies," Arin grins when he sees us. Adrien's eyebrows are knitted together. "You showed. Didn't know if you were alive," he hisses bitterly.

I wince, "Yeah... Sorry I've been really busy."

Adrien looks hurt. Fuck. Why do I have to be such a shitty human being? He deserves better. I need to make it up to him, "Hey. You wanna get a drink?"

He hesitates but eventually agrees. We make our way to the bar and order our favorite drinks, and thankfully they don't ask for ID. Guess putting on a shit-ton of makeup on and a low-cut shirt was the right call. The venue is set up in a building with a rooftop. It's pretty.

"You look beautiful," he finally loosens up after I ask him about his Christmas and tell him the story about a time they had asked for ID in New York and I had to pretend to be sick to get out of the situation.

"Thanks," I shrug. He licks his lips as his eyes roam my body. "I'm gonna go out for a little fresh air, okay?"

I nod, "Kay. I need to use the bathroom."

I walk off, trying to find a bathroom. I finally find one and stumble in, only to freeze when I witness something I shouldn't have. I feel the blood drain from my face, it's as though I've seen a ghost.

Dustin. And. Kate. Are. Making. Out.

- KATE -

"What was that?" Dustin pulls away from me and looks back at the closed door.

"Nothing," I say as I pull his lips back to mine. He takes my hands in his and shakes his head, "Kate, this is wrong. I like you, you know I do. But Ashton's a cool guy, and he'd murder my ass if he knew. I ain't tryna fuck with him."

I sigh, my heart aches. What a fucked up situation. "I know... It's just... We've been together for like centuries."

Dustin frowns. "A year," he corrects. "Exactly!" I groan, "I've never done serious relationships before. But we're the it couple, you know? It's senior year, I've been planning to go to prom with him and—"

Dustin shakes his head at me. "Nah. I know you ain't that selfish. I'm not fucking around with that, I'm not gonna be your side dude. I'm tired of waiting. You know that you and I have something real, you can feel it. Why are you denying it?" He holds my face in his hands, eyes pleading with mine.

My heart sinks. I do feel it. But I can't say it. Being in a long-term relationship with Ashton is fine for me. He's hot, he's amazing in bed, and he doesn't talk about his personal life. We have the perfect sexual charisma. We fight, and then we have great make up sex. He's the perfect guy, nothing is serious with him. He doesn't love me, and I don't love him.

But Dustin... I like him. I really do. That scares the shit out of me. I'm too young for a real serious relationship, for fuck's sake!

He sighs and bows his head when I bite my lip, unable to tell him what he wants to hear. "I can't do this. It's either me or him, Kate. Text me when you've made up your mind," he says as he darts out of the bathroom.

My heart aches like a fucking bitch. Crap. I'm in the shithouse.

- CLEMENTINE -

I'm going to be fucking sick.

I rush out to the rooftop, in extreme need of fresh air at the moment. Shit, Kate is cheating on Ashton! What the fuck do I do? Should I tell him? My legs ache from this morning's workout. I can't get the picture out of my head, Kate kissing Dustin. Kate kissing someone who's not Ashton. How can anyone ever cheat on him? How can anyone ever hurt him?

I'm going to be sick again. Jesus, how long has this been going on? Would he be hurt if he knew? Are his feelings for her luke-warm or strong? Fuck! I don't want to tell him if it'll hurt him, I don't think I could stand doing that to him. But then I'd be keeping a secret from him, wouldn't I? I'd be the shittiest friend on the entire planet!

Fuck. Why did I have to be the one to stumble into that stupid bathroom? I'm in such a shit predicament.

The smell of smoke hits me with a powerful intensity. I feel a cough coming on and I choke it down. It's dark out on this rooftop, I squint to try to make out who it is. My heart sinks into my stomach when I see a dark head of hair and a broad back in a black jacket facing me.

Is that Derek?

I hurl my guts out.