All or nothing (Love in chaos #1) - Missy Johnson Page 0,69
to a bunch of other underage girls. Guys like him don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves,” Jake spits. “So, I paid him a visit.”
I frown, and pat absently at my pocket and then I freeze. There is a notable lack of a small ring in there. Oh, fuck. Where the hell is it?
“You okay?” Jake asks.
“Yeah, I'm fine,” I say, distracted, trying to rack my brain over where it might be.
I definitely didn't leave it at Mom’s, unless Ebony tried to lift it as some kind of sick joke. No. I remember putting it in my pocket, which means it must have fallen out—
“Well, in any case, his wife now knows about dear old David's little dalliances,” Jake says, grinning lopsidedly. “So, I'm sure that man's life is about to get a lot worse, real fast.”
I can't help but laugh.
“Good,” I say, and mean it. If I’d done it myself, Liv would never have forgiven me. “Next time you're gonna go beat up a creep like that, take me with you. You can't fight for shit, man.”
He nods. “Deal.”
I pat my pockets again, just in case I missed it the first time, but it’s definitely not there. I’m getting more and more anxious by the second.
“Can we take my car? I lost something,” I mutter.
“We really need to go out?” Jake looks surprised as we get out of his car. “I thought that was just an excuse to get the real story out of me.”
“No. Well, yes, Claudia was a ruse, but not in the way you think. I arranged for your dad to fly over for Liv’s party and he’s stuck in traffic.”
Jake gawks at me. “And what? You want to fly over in your magical helicopter and rescue him?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I was trying to figure out a solution, but I’ve got bigger problems now. I’ve lost the fucking ring.”
“What ring?”
I turn around to see Claudia standing there, looking dazzling in a sparkly red dress. I look from her to Jake, feeling sick.
“The ring I was planning on giving Liv tonight.”
“You’re proposing to her?” Jake’s eyebrows lift as disappointment flashes in his eyes, but he quickly covers it with a smile.
I nod. “Yeah, I was gonna tell you…”
He steps forward, embracing me in an awkward hug.
“That’s great news, man. I’m really happy for you both.”
“About time,” Claudia adds. She double takes when she sees Jake’s face, his eye slowly swelling closed. “And what the heck happened to you, boy?”
“Long story,” he mutters.
“What am I going to do?” I cut in. “I had it all planned out. Her dad was flying over, I had the perfect ring, but now his flight’s delayed, and I’ve lost the damn ring.” I laugh, because it sounds like a skit from an old movie. “What the fuck do I do?”
“Liv thinks we’ve gone to get Claudia,” Jake points out. “So how about we go back to your place, retrace your steps and try and figure out where this ring is?”
I nod and glance at Claudia. “Are you okay with that?”
She laughs and rubs her hands together. “Are you kidding? I haven’t had this much excitement since the last Fifty Shades marathon ran on cable.”
We jump in my car and take off. I drive while Jake and Claudia search my car, but there’s no sign of the ring anywhere. Halfway back to my place, I remember Liv’s father.
“Shit. What about your dad?” I glance at Jake.
He shrugs. “He’s stuck in traffic. What can we do?”
I nod. He’s right, but I get the feeling there are some unresolved issues between Jake and his dad, but I let it go, because I have more important things to figure out.
Like what the fuck I did with the ring.
Half an hour later, I sit down on my couch, defeated. The place is a mess, there is stuff everywhere, the ring is nowhere to be found. Not to mention, we’ve missed half of Liv’s party. I left my phone in the car, which I’m kind of glad about because I’m terrified of how many messages Liv’s left me.
“Fuck,” I hiss, running my hands through my hair.
“Is that kind of language going to solve this?” Claudia asks.
I hang my head in shame. “No.”
“So, you lost the ring.” Claudia attempts to pep talk me out of my foul mood. “Don’t just sit there crying like a little bitch. Do something about it.”