Page 17 of Mended Fences

I spotted Jared in the kitchen, surrounded by a group of girls who looked barely old enough to drink. He grinned when he saw me, breaking away to clap me on the shoulder.

“Chase fucking Everton! Where you been hiding, man?”

“Hey.” A petite blonde sidled up next to me, pressing her chest against my arm. “Remember me?”

I did. Lisa... Something. We’d hooked up a few months back after too many shots.

“Sorry.” I stepped back, putting space between us. “Not interested.”

Her face fell. “Since when?”

Since brown eyes and a Harvard education and a laugh thatmade my chest ache. Since snowflakes caught in dark hair and the scent of burnt sugar invaded my senses.

The beer in my hand suddenly felt too light, too weak for this entire situation. I needed something stronger if I was going to have to deal with this bullshit.

“My man here just needs a little somethin’ to get him in the mood, right, buddy?” Jared clapped me on the shoulder again. “I’ve got just the thing.”

He pulled a small plastic baggie from his pocket, the white powder inside catching the dim kitchen light.

Shit. Not tonight.

“Come on, man.” He waved the baggie in front of my face. “Remember how much fun we had last time?”

I did remember. I also remembered waking up three days later with no clue what had happened or where I’d been.

Elena wouldn’t want this version of me.

“I’m good.” I set my beer on the counter and backed away. “Actually, I should head out.”

“Since when did you become such a pussy?” Jared’s eyes narrowed, his lip curling into a sneer.

And that was the last thing I remembered before the night turned into a blur.

I wokeup around ten sprawled across one of Cody’s spare beds. Lisa was next to me—fully clothed, thankfully.

Elena had all but blown me off, but just the thought of touching any other woman at this point felt like a betrayal.

I was due at Mom and Dad’s for brunch in an hour, so Ineeded to pull my shit together. Anytime I missed brunch, I ended up getting the third degree, and it just wasn’t worth it.

Plus, Mom’s brunch was legendary.

I groaned and peeled myself off the bed, my head throbbing. The events from last night were a blur after that first line of coke.

Never again.

My phone showed three missed calls from Mom.

Great.

“You’re still here?” Lisa rolled over, her mascara smudged under her eyes.

“Just leaving.” I grabbed my jacket and keys, not meeting her gaze. The shame of almost hooking up with her while thinking about Elena churned in my gut.

I stumbled down Cody’s stairs, passing Jared passed out on the couch with a mostly empty bottle of Jack dangling precariously from his fingertips. The living room reeked of stale beer and sweat.

The December air hit me like a slap to the face as I stepped outside. My truck was freezing fucking cold, but I’d have to deal. I didn’t have time to wait for it to heat up, and I sure as shit didn’t wanna be hanging around when Jared woke up.

Twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed as I turned down the gravel drive toward the house. I’d just passed under the worn metal archway with a wooden sign dangling from two links of chain that readEver Eden Orchardby the time I fished it out of my pocket.