Heartbreak Lover (Broken Hearts Academy #2) - C.R. Jane Page 0,41

that was what I needed, some completely man-free time. I’d done it for the two years prior to coming to Rutherford Academy, and I’d never had to worry about being pushed down stairs, grabbed in a haunted house, or trapped in a shower with a snake.

Except as soon as the thought of taking a break from Jackson permanently popped in my head, I knew I couldn’t do it. The other night had been special… More than special, it had been life-changing. Who knew all it took to stoke the obsession in my blood for Jackson was for him to throw in a little bit of the “L” word while looking deeply in my eyes?

Ugh. I was hopeless.

“Stop thinking about Jackson Parker,” Lane screamed in my face drunkenly. “We need to dance.”

Lane grinded in my lap, giving me my own personal lap dance, and I giggled while blushing like crazy.

“No,” Lane suddenly groaned, and I groaned right along with her when I saw what she was looking at. A bunch of the hockey team had just walked through the doors of the club, led by Landry of course.

I had a hard time believing that his presence here was random.

I took a moment to observe him before he saw me. One of the hostesses was bringing them to a table near ours, and it was only a moment until he saw me.

Landry looked good tonight. He was wearing a forest green button up shirt and dark blue jeans. The green of his shirt made his hair and eyes pop, even in the dim lighting of the club. His hair was perfectly styled, and he was garnering stares as he walked with the team.

He’d taken the news that I wanted to cool off better than I’d expected, but I wasn’t holding out that we could ever be “just friends” again. I watched as girls began to flock to the team as soon as they were seated, but Landry didn’t do anything to encourage any of them. And the girls hovering around were gorgeous.

I pulled my eyes off Landry and snorted when I saw that Lane had found a brown-haired hottie and dragged him to our table, making him do shots that I’m sure she’d also made him pay for.

Black caught my gaze.

I frowned as a familiar looking head disappeared into the crowd beyond where I’d been watching Lane.

A head that looked like it belonged to Caiden.

I stood up, trying to look through the crowd and see if it was him, or if I was just imagining things. My heart threatened to fly away in my chest.

Of course, standing up put me in the direct sight of the hockey team’s table…and Landry.

“Everly,” called Landry, and I winced, before schooling my face and turning towards him with what I hoped looked like a pleased smile.

“Landry!” I exclaimed, trying to sound surprised. “What are you guys doing here? Don’t you usually party at your frat?”

Landry had the decency to blush in embarrassment. “Krystal kind of told one of my teammates that you guys would be here, and I kind of convinced the team to come here tonight…hoping that you would talk to me.”

My heart softened at his admission. Honesty was prized in my life, and Landry was always full of it.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I told him, surprised that I actually meant it.

He opened his mouth to say something, and then a pair of arms was hugging both of our arms like an octopus. Lane’s head peeked in between us.

“Landry! Are you here for my birthday?” she called loudly, and Landry shot me an amused look. Lane drunk was kind of awesome.

“Happy birthday, Laney.”

Her face brightened. “You have to take shots with me for my birthday. Everly babe, you’re behind.”

I groaned but sat back down at the table, with Landry’s hand burning hot on my lower back as he sat down too.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. You have to pay for them,” Lane sang with a snort before curling up with laughter. Landry and I laughed right along with her.

Landry signaled the eager waitress, who did her best to flirt with him while he ordered some lemon drop shots.

They were delivered to the table quickly, and I winced as I shot one down and then another.

The last one tipped me over the edge. I was officially drunk, I decided, as the room seemed to glimmer in front of me. I grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down, calling it quits for a while