The Strings Attached

Chapter 50 - Jace

Jace

Romance, strings, all of it, I have with Loni now. My life has never felt so perfect and I kind of feel bad admitting that. I feel bad for the people who aren't experiencing this kind of love.

Laughter seems louder and smiles seem brighter when I'm with her. Damn, I am such a sap ass. But I don't give a fuck. I will flaunt my love for Loni Davis all damn day. And no amount of teasing from my friends will make me do differently.

I feel bad for Ty though. I see him look at me with such envy. Loni and I haven't been dating for a long time, officially just three weeks, but we still have a much better relationship than Ty and Valerie.

After multiple fights, verbal and physical, they are still together. It is like a rollercoaster with them. I am ready to jump off the ride, so I can only imagine that Tyler feels the same exact way, probably even more so.

I'm sitting on the couch with Loni, my arm slung over her shoulder, tracing circles around her arm with my fingers. Tyler is sitting at the kitchen counter, taking a much-needed breather after yet another fight. Second one today.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Kaden says walking into the living room. "I'm fucking starving."

"It was," Asher starts, taking a sip of his beer. "But I ended up burning the chicken, so now we are waiting for the pizza to get here."

"Who left this guy in charge of the kitchen?" Kaden asks, getting a laugh from Tyler and me, and a scowl from Asher.

"Since it's such a big deal, you can be the one to pay for the pizza." Asher shoves his empty beer bottle into Kaden's chest and saunters out of the kitchen.

"If I'm paying for it then you aren't getting shit. You can eat the nasty burnt chicken out of the trash," he taunts. He places the empty bottle down on the counter and then pauses. "Jace?"

"What?" I ask, looking at Loni's cheek turn red while I play with the strap of her tank top.

"What are you doing about this?"

I tilt my head around and a knot forms in my throat.

The wedding invitation from my dad is held in Kaden's hand. He pulls the invitation out of the envelope and stares at it.

"The wedding is this weekend."

"I know," I say bluntly.

"Are you gonna go?" Tyler asks, finally speaking for the first time in twenty minutes.

I sigh. I look down at Loni and she is staring at me with wide eyes. I haven't brought up my father much since Thanksgiving. And I didn't bother mentioning the wedding to her either because up until this point, I haven't really thought about it.

I haven't thought about it because it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Would my mother even want me to go? He's getting married to another woman. Though, my mom was never really a spiteful person. Even though he put her through hell, I know she would only wish the best for him.

Fuck, is it hot in here?

My palms moisten with sweat. I try to breathe but I can't seem to get enough air.

Just breathe.

The simple thought of my father makes me want to have another panic attack.

My friends watch me with prying eyes and I can't take it anymore.

"I don't know," I mumble under my breath, stand from the couch, and sulk into my bedroom.

I close my door but as soon as it closes, there's a gentle knock.

"Jace," Loni murmurs. She opens the door and steps inside my room, closing it behind her. "Talk to me."

"I can't go to that wedding. I can't face him again." I sit down on my bed, running my fingers through my hair, pulling it enough to make me grit my teeth. "I hate him, Loni. I hate him so fucking much." She sits down next to me and I let out a short breath and shrug. "But he said he changed and a part of me wants to believe that."

She places her hand on my knee and looks at me even though I'm looking anywhere but her. "The choice is yours, Jace. But I will tell you this," she pauses, squeezing my knee, "I think you should go."

I look at her. She wants me to go? After what happened between us after thanksgiving. She saw what that did to me, and she wants me to go?

She notices the look of confusion and hurt on my face and she shakes her head. Her fingers tug on the bottom of her ponytail a couple of times before she tosses it over her shoulder and shakes her head.

"I think you should go because if you do you will either feel guilty about not being able to rekindle a relationship with your father when you had the chance, or you will be stuck with the burden of not being able to let him go."