I Choose You | ✓

Chapter 26: Disaster Strikes Again

A N D R E W   D A L T O N

A feeling of melancholy settles in me and I storm out of the room and grab another beer from the kitchen. I take a seat at the island and run a hand through my hair, chugging away at the drink as I try to bury the scene in my head.

Before I know it, the bottle is empty and I reach over and pop open another one. Maybe it's not what you thought you saw, I tell myself while in the middle of the first sip. I push the chair back and it makes a scraping noise against the wooden floor.

Making my way back into the living room, I slightly stumble and shake my head in an effort to sober up a little. My eyes flicker to the spot that I saw Shortcake last, but she's gone. I glance at the makeshift dance floor in the center of the room and spot her dancing with Bree and the mystery guy from earlier.

They exchange phones and tap on the screens, typing in each other's number. He hands her phone back, and she walks in the opposite direction, heading out to Jacob's backyard. A feeling of anguish surges through my veins and I gulp down the rest of what's left in my beer bottle before leaving it on a random table.

I drink my sorrows away and the feeling of sorrow is soon replaced with bliss. A slight buzz starts to radiate in my head and I continue to drink away. Eventually, I stop drinking and stumble up the stairs that lead to the second floor of the house, eyes slowly growing heavy.

I swing open the door and find some party goers making out in each room. Their heads whip towards me and an expression of exasperation and surprise spread on their faces.

"Sorry," I slur each time. Finally, I open the last door at the end of the hall and find Jacob blacked out on the guest bed. "Wasted bastard," I mumble and chuckle under my breath as I close the door. Then, a small frame steps in front of me and blocks my path.

"Hey, I've been looking for you all night," Aria says, attempting to be seductive. She runs her and up my arm and stops at my shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "Where have you been?" A smile spreads across her face and a glint of desire flickers in her eyes, making me cringe internally.

Through my peripheral vision, I see Shortcake making her way up the stairs and walk down the hall. She twists her head back and forth, searching for someone. She must be looking for that guy from earlier.

She ambles closer and without thinking, I swing Aria to the side. I grab her face and crash my lips onto hers. At first, her posture tenses at the sudden action, but then, she slowly moves her lips with mines.

Shortcake freezes in place as she finally spots me, and I can feel her eyes burning holes through me. A pang of guilt grows in my stomach, but I resist the urge to stop. I hear her footsteps slap on the dark wooden planks as she bolts away in the opposite direction, shoving her way through the crowd. I pull away from Aria, and rue takes over my features. What've I just done.

S O P H I E W I L K I N S

I run down the stairs and it feels like the air has been sucked out of my lungs. My heart starts to beat irregularly as I nearly trip over myself at the last step.

My feet carry me out back, and I attempt to take in deep breaths, but it still feels like a clamp is around my throat, suffocating me. My breaths become more irregular and my body hyperventilates. A moment later, Bree catches up to me and grips firmly onto my shoulders.

"Hey, are you alright?" Bree looks at me with concern, panic filling her eyes. I shake my head fiercely and she pulls me to the ground with her. "Just breathe," she repeats as she strokes my back.

"Bree, is she okay?" A masculine voice interjects. I look up but can't make out their face.

"I'm not sure. Can you get her a water from inside?" They nod and dash back into the party. I feel something wet on my face, and I realize that fresh tears are streaming down my face.

They rush back and hand Bree a bottle of water. She unscrews the cap and shoves it into my hands. I take a massive gulp, and the cool liquid soothes my throat but doesn't help.

The city lights in the distance slowly start to fade and my vision begins to blur as fatigue takes over my body. I fight the feeling, but my body eventually gives in. I faintly hear Bree shouting my name, but I have no strength left to respond. My eyes flutter shut and the last thing I remember is a pair of muscular arms catching me as I fall to the side.

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Hey! You may have noticed that this chapter was fairly short, so I'm here to tell you some good news! Since this chapter is short, I will be doing a double update, which means that instead of making you wait for the next chapter, it'll be released at the exact same time as this one! 🎉

I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and the previous ones! You're the best! ❤️

See you soon! ~Karlee 💛