Following Me by Linde, K.A. (best books to read in your 20s .txt) 📗

be on a train tomorrow.  In fact, she wanted nothing less than to notreturn to St. Louis.  She just hadn’t figured out how to stay.

“What do you suggest then?” shedemanded, wanting to get out of here.

He smiled lazily.  “My place isjust around the corner.  You can crash there.”

Devon flushed.  “I think I’lljust find a cab or something.”

“Hey, guys!” Hadley cried,crashing back into the party.  “Let’s do some shots!”

“I think I’m going to go back,”Devon said, crossing her arms.

“What?  No, you just got here,and you’re leaving tomorrow,” Hadley said.

Devon didn’t want to make a scenein the middle of the bar, but she was becoming more and more irritated becauseHadley was treating her like an idiot.  Devon was far from an idiot.

“I just think it’s time toleave,” she said.

“Nope, nope,” Hadley said,hanging on Devon’s arm and leaning on her shoulder.  “This is your party. You’re staying.”

Devon pulled Hadley out ofearshot.  “It stopped being my party when you and your friends went into therestroom to snort cocaine.  Hadley, what the fuck?”

Devon wasn’t going to ask.  Shehad never thought that it would happen, but she was worried about her friend. Ironic, to say the least, but the last thing she wanted was for Hadley to getaddicted to drugs and give up everything she had been working toward.

Hadley’s face paled.  “What?”

“You heard me.  I was there.”

“I didn’t—”

“Hadley, please,” Devon said,holding up her hand.

“It’s only been once or twice,Devon,” she said, realizing she wasn’t getting out of it.

“I don’t care.  It’s addictivefor a reason.  It could ruin your life.”

“It’s not going to ruin my life,”Hadley said, rolling her eyes.  “We’re just having a good time.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Devonsaid.

“So, what?  You’re leavingbecause you’re judging me and my friends?” Hadley asked.

Devon watched Hadley’s pupilsvisibly dilate before her eyes.  Yeah, as if she hadn’t taken cocaine.

“I don’t care about yourfriends.  I care about you.”

“Well, don’t worry about me,”Hadley said with a shrug.  “Will I see you later at the apartment?”

It was a dismissal.  She wasriding into her high, and likely, she wouldn’t care about much.

“No,” Devon said with a shake ofher head.  “I’m leaving with Brennan.”

“Ohhh,” Hadley said, raising hereyebrows.  “Now, who is the rebel?  Does he know about Reid?  I say fuck himanyway.  Brennan’s gorgeous.”

Devon rolled her eyes.  In themorning, Hadley would realize that Devon wasn’t there, and that would do enoughto freak her out.  She was too far-gone for Devon to reach anything logical.

“Bye, Hadley.  Get home safe,”Devon said sadly.

Maybe she should have waited withHadley or should have said something more to get her to go home.  Maybe sheshould have done more in general.  But Devon felt completely defeated.  IfHadley was this messed up, then what did it say about her?

Devon walked away from Hadley andback to where she had left Brennan.

“I’m going to find Garrett.  Justgive me a minute, and then we’ll go,” she told Brennan.

He seemed to find thisacceptable.  She left him standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. Garrett’s bulky form was easy to locate in the crowd.  He was talking with thehusbands and fiancés of Hadley’s friends.  Devon couldn’t even begin toremember their names.

Garrett smiled as sheapproached.  “Hey, Dev.  Are you enjoying your party?”

“I’m getting tired actually,” shesaid, yawning.  “Going to call it an early night.”

“Oh, alright,” he said, soundinga bit disappointed.  “Have you told Hadley?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty messed upthough.  Just wanted to make sure you knew to take extra care of her.”

“I always do, but thank you.  Doyou need help getting home?  Need me to hail you a cab or anything?”

“No, I’m fine.  Brennan is goingto help me out,” she told him.

Garrett frowned at that.  Heclearly was more concerned.  “I think he’s pretty gone, too.  Are you sure youdon’t want me to help?”

She did want his help, but shedidn’t want to go back to the place he shared with Hadley.  She wanted to beangry with Hadley for her stupidity, and she couldn’t do that if she weresurrounded by her hospitality.  She couldn’t face Hadley the next morning whenshe would wake up and go about her life like she wasn’t destroying it.

Devon declined his help once moreand then left as quickly as she could extract herself.  Garrett was too nice,too caring.  Devon had never once thought that someone would be too good forHadley…until this moment.

“I’m ready,”she told Brennan when she reached him.

IT WAS A chilly night, and Devonhugged herself against the wind as they headed to Brennan’s place.  He hadn’tbeen lying when he said he lived right around the corner.  His apartment was nomore than two or three blocks from the John Hancock Center. They took theelevator up to his apartment where it was thankfully warm.

She was surprised by theinterior.  She knew he probably made good money as a bartender in this part ofthe city, but she wouldn’t have thought his apartment would be so nice.  It wasa one bedroom with a full kitchen with adjoined dining room, and spaciousliving room.  The apartment was clean with relatively new furniture.  It wasn’twhat she would have considered Brennan to have, being a bachelor and all.

Devon set her purse on a sidetable.  “Nice place.”

“Thanks,” he said, walking intothe kitchen and pulling out a beer.  “Want anything?”

“No, thanks.  I think I’m done.”

“You didn’t have much to drinkfor being so done.”  He was clearly more comfortable in his own home than atJenn’s or the bar.

“Just a long night is all.”

“We left early.”

“Yeah.  Long in a different waythen.”

Devon sat down on the sofa andgot comfortable amid the throw pillows.  Brennan took a seat next to her andflipped on the television.

“You want to talk about it?” heasked, putting on ESPN as background noise.

“No,” she said instantly.

“Alright.”

The conversation ended, and Devonsat there frozen, watching baseball highlights.  She felt bad for cutting himoff so abruptly.  Maybe she was being ridiculous.

“How do you afford this placebartending?” she asked, hoping that the subject was neutral enough.

“Don’t like to talk about it.” He took a drink from his beer.

“Oh,” she breathed.

Brennan finished his beer insilence and then placed the empty bottle on the coffee table.  Devon watched ashe stood and stretched out his lean muscles.  He