Out of Ruins by Michele G Miller

Author:Michele G Miller [Miller, Michele G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Enchanted Ink Press
Published: 2014-07-09T12:52:37+00:00

Thirteen

The pops and snaps of gravel crunching under tires fade out as the vehicle stops a few cars away. Jules straightens and contemplates ducking behind the car in case it’s parents or the cops, but as the door swings open and the interior light illuminates the driver, relief washes through her.

West.

He leaves the door open wide. Walking around it, his voice is concerned and soothing at the same time. “Jules?”

The headlights illuminate his well-known silhouette, and she takes five steps into the center of the drive. A few partygoers laugh and gawk as they pass by on their way from the party, but Jules pays them no heed. She focuses on West. His body is backlit by the lights so that she can’t make out the expression on his face. His steps are sure, his shoulders are back, and his hands are out wide to his sides as if he’s asking her silently, ‘What’s up?’

“I’m here to kick Mark’s ass,” he quips when he’s only a few steps away.

The light tease pulls a laugh from her lips that quickly morphs into a sob as she stands there, cupping her hands over her mouth.

“Oh no…you’re not a drunk crier, are you?”

“No,” she manages between gulps and shakes her head. The sudden movement confuses her senses still swimming in alcohol, and she holds out a hand to steady herself.

West reaches his hand out, allowing her fingers to fall into his open palm, and clucks his tongue. He’s admonishing her drunken state. She can tell by his posture, he finds her funny. “Poor baby, I can’t leave you alone for one weekend, huh? You turn to drunkenness and debauchery.”

“Debauchery?” she blurts, and thinks back to the less-than-one-minute she spent in Casey’s arms, contemplating doing just that. Tense and worried at having to own up to that moment, especially before Lauren tells him, she plays his wording off as a joke. “That’s a big word, Spike.”

His reply is waylaid by an obnoxious bellow. “East!” Katie’s giggles echo around them. “You should have seen it…she was awesome.”

“So I heard.”

Jules rounds and focuses a glare on Jeff. “You called him?”

“Dude! I thought Carter was about to go off on you when I saw him running after us.”

“Not cool, Jeffrey,” Katie chides; wagging her finger in his face and nearly poking his eye out. Jeff grabs her hands and pulls her to his chest; whispering something in her ear and making her giggle again.

“It’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing on instant replay, over and over again, that’s for sure,” agrees Jess, standing to the side of their group.

West and Jess exchange nods as Katie launches into a blow-by-blow recap of the scene for West and Jeff, who only saw the getaway and not the actual punch.

Through their shared laughs, it takes a moment before they realize Jules isn’t joining in on the commentary. She stands rooted to her spot with one hand firmly clasped over her mouth and the other still using West to keep her body upright.

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