Page 70 of Break my Heart
“I’ll have one,” I say.
Hayes jerks his head in a nod. “One for me as well.”
Colby returns with four shots, two in each hand, before passing them out. We all clink our glasses before belting back the smooth liquor. The cinnamon flavor burns as it slides down the back of my throat.
Colby raises a brow. “One more?”
“Probably not—” Hayes begins.
“Yes,” I cut in.
“You sure that’s a good idea, Tink? My guess is that you’re a lightweight when it comes to shots.”
“Oh my God, did you just call her Tink?”
I break eye contact with him to glance at Willow.
A wide grin lights up her face. “That’s so cute.”
Slow smiles spread across Maverick’s and Colby’s faces.
“Yeah, super cute,” Maverick adds with a laugh.
Hayes groans from beside me. “Shut the hell up, McKinnon.”
Colby chuckles as he returns to the bar for a second round.
Already I feel the effects of the alcohol warming me from the inside out. Some of the constant worry that’s been gnawing at me ever since the messages from Nathan began popping up with more frequency melts away, and there’s something freeing about that.
When Colby returns with another round, we all take them.
“Guess there’s no chance we’ll end up married for a second time, is there?” Britt jokes.
Colby winks at her. “Interested in hopping a flight to Vegas and having a do over?”
Her shoulders shake with laughter. “It’ll certainly be one hell of a story to share with our kids one day.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Firecracker,” he says before they clink their glasses.
Colby McNichols was one of the biggest players on campus.
Until Britt came along.
Now he couldn’t be more domesticated.
They both seem happy.
Content.
It’s nice to see, and it gives me hope for the future.
My gaze unconsciously settles on Hayes, and a zip of electricity sizzles through my veins when I find him watching me.
We tap the tiny glasses together before throwing back the shots. Our gazes stay locked the entire time. Much like the first one, the liquor sends a fiery trail down the back of my throat before settling at the bottom of my belly.
Just as Hayes plucks the glass from me, Britt locks her fingers around my wrist and drags me to the dance floor, Willow leading the way. It doesn’t take long before I lose sight of Hayes.
The three of us shove our way through the crush of bodies before carving out a small space. With the alcohol rushing through my system, I forget about everything else and lose myself in the heavy beat of the music. My eyelids feather closed as I tip my face upward, enjoying the sensation of letting go and allowing my mind to wander.