All or nothing (Love in chaos #1) - Missy Johnson Page 0,12

one of the girls wasn’t able to go anymore. Fine. Invite Tara.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I say.

I look up to see Tara walking out of the room. I hold up my hand so she knows to keep quiet. She clasps her hand over her mouth and backtracks into her room, smashing into the bed. I silently laugh as her face screws up in pain as she clutches her leg.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, honey.”

“Bye, Mom,” I force out before pressing end.

“Sonofabitch,” Tara yelps the second I’m off the phone.

I collapse to the floor clutching my stomach, I'm laughing so hard.

“Okay, I get it. Hilarious. Now let’s get ready,” she orders me.

Still laughing, I get up and make my way down to the bathroom. I stay in the shower for as long as I can stand the poor water pressure. When I’m out and dried off, Tara insists on dolling me up for the evening. I’ve never been a girly girl, but I let her, because she looks so hopeful. She throws an outfit at me.

“Put those on.”

I do as I’m told, then I stare down at the barely-there shimmery silver top, feeling more than a little exposed. Paired with a short black skirt, my outfit leaves little to the imagination. I feel completely overdressed for wherever it is we're going—which is probably going to be closed when we get there, the amount of time Tara is taking to dress me. I’ve been sitting on the bed for nearly half an hour when I decide enough is enough.

“Are you finished yet?” I ask, attempting to stand up.

“I'm almost done,” Tara mutters. True to her word, a few seconds later she stands back to survey her work. “There.”

I get to my feet and grab my bag.

“Then let's go.”

“You're not even going to look at yourself?” she asks, surprised.

“Nope,” I shrug. “I trust you.”

The truth is I’m terrified of how I look, but I know seeing myself in the mirror is only going to make me more anxious. Once I get a drink or two into me, I’m sure I’ll feel much more relaxed.

I shiver as we step out onto the sidewalk, wishing I’d brought a jacket. The bar is a twenty-minute train ride from Tara's apartment. Our heels click in unison as we march down the sidewalk, arm in arm, toward the subway.

Tara chatters away about something as we get on a train, but I’m too focused on my thoughts to really hear her. This is the first time I've been back in five years and I wasn’t expecting it to feel so good. I can deny it all I like, but I’ve missed this place. The noise, the traffic, everything about it is giving me a rush. The only thing I’m not excited about is seeing Mom and Jake.

Even though Dad convinced me to apply for college in New York, I’m sure Mom is behind it. My relationship with her was unstable at the best of times, even before what happened. Now, it's practically non-existent. I feel like we're starting from scratch, and I'm not sure I know how to do that.

We exit the station in Manhattan and walk a few blocks. The crowd moves back and forth at a heavy pace. There are people everywhere, trying to get somewhere. I forgot how fast this city moves. It's completely different from how I've spent the last five years. I've missed this, the noise, the people, the atmosphere. As much as I loved it back in Bondi, there's nothing quite like New York City.

“This is it,” says Tara, guiding me through a doorway.

I look around and like what I see. She wasn't kidding about it being quiet, but it is early. Its black and gold interior is elegant, with an air of sophistication. I look at the wall behind the bar that displays the name in gold letters.

Kings.

I smile, because who knows? Maybe I'll find my king here tonight.

Chapter 5

BEN

My phone rings as I flash my lights at the idiot in front of me who doesn’t seem to understand the passing lane is for driving fast. He finally gets the message and moves over, giving me the finger as I roar past him.

“What?” I snap, answering the call.

“It’s Samara. Mr. Jackson is looking for you ag—”

“So, tell him I’m in a meeting.”

“I’ve used that excuse the last three times he’s called—”

“Samara, you're my assistant, so for God's sake, start assisting me instead of arguing with everything I ask you to do,” I growl. “Tell him