“I knew you’d come back. I’m so sorry.”

I lean in to kiss her, but then a huge hand stops me.

“Whoa, gotta buy me dinner before I make out with you, you freak.”

When I open my eyes, Jayden is staring at me.

He’s in my bed.

He’s not Avery.

“What the fuck?” I screech, backing away from him and into the wall. He laughs as he shakes his head. “What are you doing? Creep.”

“Shut up, assbutt. I made sure you didn’t choke on your vomit all night. I should get a thank-you since I took care of your ass instead of getting laid.”

I roll my eyes, sitting up. “You didn’t have to.”

He side-eyes me. “Yeah, ’cause you were a witness to the shitshow last night. Dude, what did you drink?”

I shrug, my head pounding. “Anything I could find.”

“Jesus, you were toast,” he says, shaking his head. “You were crying like a baby on the phone with Jude, spilling your guts like a fourteen-year-old girl with her sad collection of One Direction playing in the background. It was tragic.”

“Fuck you,” I murmur, dropping my head onto my pillow. Sucking in a deep breath, I can smell her. Damn it, I miss her. “You don’t know real pain.”

He laughs. “Yeah, not me.”

“Baylor never broke up with you!”

“Nope, it was all rainbows and unicorns with that chick.”

I don’t answer that because I know it wasn’t, but still. I’m hurting.

“Listen, this sucks, I get it. But instead of crying and pouting, do something about it.”

“I’ve tried,” I say, sitting up, but then I immediately lie back down when I get dizzy. “She doesn’t want to talk.”

“Make her talk.”

Giving him a dull look, I roll my eyes. “You’re dumb. Go away.”

“Nice talk,” he says, jumping off my bed and onto the trampoline before landing on the ground. He peeks at me through the rail on the bed. “It’s gonna be fine. You’ll work it out.”

“It doesn’t feel like that.”

“Because you actually love her, and that’s why I know it’s gonna work out. It’s obvious she loves you, so I’m not worried and you shouldn’t be either. Just take it one day at a time and tell her how you feel. Be honest.”

“I tried that, and it went to shit.”

He backs away. “Then sit here and wallow in your pity. I’m out. No more drinking. You’re grounded.”

I glare as he waves, going out the door and shutting it behind him. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I check my texts. Nothing. Calls. Nothing either. No Facebook posts either. Radio silence.

Fuck.

Opening a text, I stare at it. I try to find the words to say to her, but nothing comes. Closing my eyes, I roll onto my back and I know I should wonder where Markus is or go to the bathroom or do something, but I can’t move. I won’t move until I figure out what to say.

I need to get her back.

Above me, I hear someone playing that ginger dude she likes, and I smile.

She likes music.

And I can sing.

I’m dead asleep when I hear my phone go off.

I ignore it, though, knowing it’s him.

All I see is him and her together, and it really boils my blood.

Stupid whore.

Stealing my man…

Blah.

When my phone signals another text, I reach for it, bringing it under the covers with me. The warm cocoon I’ve built for myself, where I’m safe. Like I suspected, it’s Jace. I know I should ignore it, but I can’t. Opening the text, I see a video and then two simple words.

Jace: Watch me.

Raising a brow, I hit play and then the video takes over my screen, the picture shaking on his end. When his beautiful face comes into the frame, my heart aches. He hasn’t shaved, scruff covering his thick jaw. His hair is hanging messily in his eyes, pushed down by the gray beanie he favors. His eyes are dark and red, like he’s had a rough night. I wish like hell the first thing I think isn’t that he was with her.

“I really think you should do something else here. Why don’t you send her—” I hear Jayden say, but Jace waves him off, looking at the camera.

“Shut up, it’s recording,” he says, his eyes dark and intense. “Avery, if you hit play, thank you. Thank you for watching, for giving me a chance to win you back.”

“Jesus,” I hear Jayden moan, and I can’t help but smile. Especially when Jace appears to throw a pillow at him. “Ow!”

“Shut up,” he snaps before looking back at the camera. “I’m so sorry my brother is a dick, but he’s the only person who knows how to play a guitar that I know, other than Jude. But he’s actually flying to Jersey at this very moment. I mean, I guess I could have come and done this in person, but I really didn’t want to have you slam the door in my face. But if you don’t answer me back in an hour after I send this, then I just might.”

“Oh my God, can we do this? Some people have things to do.”

I giggle at the annoyance in Jayden’s voice as Jace glares at him. “You suck. Really.”

“Stop talking so much and do what you planned. Even though, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t text or call you after listening to what we just practiced.”

“I hate you. I really do.” Jace glares and then turns back to the video. “So yeah, here it goes. What I want to say. What I’m feeling. What I want. Which is you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I hear Jayden moan, and I swear, I love these two.

“Shut up and start playing!”

Jace looks back at the camera, and I listen as the beautiful melody to the beginning of “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran starts to play. I freaking love this song, so damn much. And when Jace starts to sing it, badly, of course, I know I just fell in love with it more. The words before were heart-wrecking, but now, the beauty of the lyrics is enhanced by the man I love. He may not be able to sing, but the words are coming from his soul. His eyes are locked on the camera, and his fist is moving with each word as he sings just for me.

Horribly, but I don’t care. He is beautiful, he is hilarious, and he’s doing this for me. Even if I’m not sure he should have to. I should be singing to him, but he’s fighting. He wants me. I do matter. As he gets to the chorus and he sings, desperately, from his soul, I can only smile with each jerk and fist pump he does. When the music stops, though, and Jayden takes the phone despite Jace’s protests, I laugh.