The Replacement Boyfriend

Chapter 13

Tace

Somehow, being around Jax was easy, not just because he had been there for me last night and also happened to show that he cared about me from the day we met but because he was funny and somehow knew how to lighten up my mood. Yeah, I hadn't spent much time at his place earlier because I felt like I'd be intruding and also because I kept thinking about Zayne but now that I was in his apartment, I found out what I was missing. Plus, after finding out about how I had been lied to by both of the Harris twins, I was thinking that maybe it was time I opened up to other people. And Cassidy and Jax seemed to be the right people.

Later that evening, after a long argument about where to hang out in the night, we settled on a place called Club Escape, mainly because Cassidy wanted to dance. Jax agreed, bragging about how he was best buds with the bouncer and could get us in.

"We still have to dress like we're 21," Ahana said as we dressed up in my room. "But they'll let us in, right?"

"Fake ID, baby," Cassidy hooted, waving a card in her hand which claimed she was over 21. "Don't tell Jax."

"He's going to see if you wave it around like that in the bouncer's face to get in," I laughed and she shoved it back into her purse.

She had already finished getting ready with her smoky make-up, black mini-dress which was practically just a small piece of cloth being held up by two tiny straps, and the pair of highest heels I had ever seen.

Ahana had stayed in her ripped shorts but changed out of her crop top and into a studded bustier, along with thigh-high boots. She was still working on her make-up, complaining about how it was hard to blend with her dark complexion.

Yu Na had tried her best to match Ahana and Cassidy in slightly-slutty outfits but ended up looking cute instead. According to me, no outfit would make her look slutty – especially not with her cut bob-cut hair and big Asian eyes that reminded me of anime. She wore light make-up which gave her more of a natural look that Cassidy complained didn't match her fish-net stockings, black shorts and striped crop top. Also, she didn't approve of the olive-green jacket she had thrown over it.

"Let her be," I giggled.

"I swear!" Ahana joined in, getting annoyed since she couldn't get her eyeliner right. "That olive color wouldn't even look good on the rest of us."

Cassidy sighed and gave up, appearing behind me as I stared into the closet.

"You're going to be standing here the whole night," she told me. "And we'll probably go, party and come back and you'd still be standing here."

"Hilarious," I deadpanned. "But I have nothing that looks remotely like what you guys are wearing."

"Just-" Cassidy started but scanned my clothes, realizing that I was right. "You're right. Your clothes have this whole good-girl vibe."

She shut my side of the closet and threw open hers, almost hitting me in the face. She started rummaging through it to find something that would fit me and came up with a wine-red velvet skirt.

"Wear this," she ordered and I complied without a word. "Do you have a black top? I don't think my tops would fit you."

After I was done zipping the back of the skirt, I looked through my clothes and found a pair of see-through black leggings which I pulled on before going through my clothes again to find a top. I spotted something black and pulled it out, finding a black, long-sleeved top which was figure hugging and had a heart cut out under the neckline which revealed just the right amount of cleavage. I left the bathroom to change into my top. I was slipping my feet into my pumps when Jax burst into the room, Asher and Zayne animatedly talking as they trailed behind him.

"Come on, all you lovely ladies," Jax stated. "It's 10:30, let's begin our dance quest."

"Never talk like that in public," Cassidy warned him. "Or I will swear that I'm not related to you."

Ahana chuckled and I couldn't help but smile as I reached for my purse and phone.

"Hey," Asher said, his eyes lingering on Yu Na who diverted her eyes, blushing.

God, they were so cute without even knowing it. It was so obvious that they liked each other. Yu Na wouldn't have agreed to join their band if it hadn't been for him.

"You guys should start dating already," Ahana announced, ignorant to their shyness around each other as we left the apartment.

"Ahana!" Yu Na gasped, hiding her face in embarrassment.

"I agree with Ahana on this matter," Cassidy said casually as we waited for the elevator. "I mean, it's so obvious you two like each other. Just go for it."

Asher looked at Yu Na as if he was waiting for her answer even though he hadn't asked her out yet. Yu Na looked at me for confirmation since I was the only girl who hadn't said anything. I shrugged and looked at Asher who shot me a puppy-dog look which almost made me laugh out loud.

"You like him. He likes you," I said stupidly. "Just say yes."

We all packed ourselves into the elevator and I felt Zayne's arm come around my shoulder, as if to shield me from everyone. I looked up at him but he didn't look at me. When we exited the elevator, Yu Na and Asher were holding hands.

"Awwww," Cassidy, Ahana and I jokingly gushed, just to embarrass them a little more.

Yu Na blushed but Asher rolled his eyes at us, unwilling to let her hand go just because we were teasing.

We ended up taking Jax's car since it had more space than mine but since Yu Na was the smallest, she still had to sit on Asher's lap for us to all fit in the car.

"I should have gone home to bring my bike," Zayne sighed from the front seat. "Wait, who's going to be the designated driver?"

"I'll do it," I piped up since I wasn't much of a drinker anyway. In fact, I had never really drunk all that much. It wasn't like I had attended many of the parties back in high school since I had been taking care of Amara but even in the few that I had attended, I went through the whole party with just one cup of beer in my hand.

"No way," Jax said, starting the car. "We planned this for you. So you can let go of whatever it is that is bothering you."

I felt heat spread through my body, not just because it felt good to know that my friends were thinking about me but also because Jax had been kind enough not to mention what my problem was. I hadn't gotten around to telling Yu Na or Ahana yet and of course, Asher didn't know either. Unless Zayne had told him.

"I won't be drinking much anyway," Jax continued. "Since I have the spawn of Satan to take care of," he eyed Cassidy in the review mirror and she smirked at him, pretending to bow in the little space that she had. "So you can go all out."

"I'll be out sooner than you think," I muttered to myself.

When we reached, Jax parked the car and we all got out. Cassidy tugged her dress down quickly and I straightened out my skirt before noticing that Zayne was suddenly by my side again.

"Are you drinking to forget what I told you?" he asked me, catching me off guard. "Because-"

"I want to have fun with our friends, Zayne," I cut him off; even though I knew I was lying. He was right. I was drinking to forget what I had found out. "And I want to forget for one night, if that's okay."

"I'm right by your side, okay?" he told me and I nodded. "If you need me."

We all headed to the entrance where Jax was already talking to the bouncer as if they were buddies. He hadn't been kidding earlier in the day when he said they were friends.

We didn't even have to say anything, let alone show IDs as we appeared behind Jax. He allowed us to walk straight in and I offered a grateful smile to the bouncer as we did.