Reject You to Break You (To Reach You Book 2)

Chapter Thirty One: Misconstructed Ambitions

Ridge-

"I'm heading to the bathroom," Cayne slurs, already having had too much. For some reason I can never get, he always drinks too much when we make him come here. Almost like he has something to forget...

Ahh, I'm getting too deep into Cayne's sentimental shit. I'm here to have fun. 

Speaking of...

My eyes run down North's body, in those tight jean overalls on that sports bra, that sweet ass swaying slightly as she sits at the bar, throwing back a shot without the slightest shot before signaling for another one.

"Damn, that's your girl's fifth shot," Ale says, nodding in approval. My nostrils flare. 

"She isn't my girl," I snap, before heading over, plucking the next shot from North's hand, she snaps her head to me, eyes spewing venom. Thank god looks can't kill. 

"Wanna give that back?" I frown. That's tequila in her shot, and Ale's been counting...why isn't she drunk. Her words aren't slurring even the slightest bit. 

"Define the Pythagorean theorem," I say, just to question exactly how drunk she is. She rolls her eyes. 

"Starting that teaching shit early, huh? Didn't know you were going to teach middle schoolers, now fuck off,"

Nope, not a single slur. 

Besides her Dylan is throwing back a shot that North passes him. My eyes widen. Dylan isn't a drinker. Being the second youngest, he's still a goody-goody, where I, his younger and youngest brother was corrupted early on. He doesn't drink, and he respects girls, not only by not throwing them away like used condoms but by actually being considerate and thoughtful when talking to them. He doesn't dirty talk and he always thinks before he talks. Dylan is a goody-goody. And have I mentioned he isn't a drinker. 

I think I did. But still. Dylan doesn't do alcohol. Ever.

"Hey Dy, everything okay?" I ask hesitantly, my frown deepens as he shakes his head, grinning like an idiot, not Dy's usual kind smile. 

"I love her," he blurts out, his words mostly slurred. 

Still, both North and I freeze. 

"Uh, who, Dylan?" North says as I shake my head in panic. I know what's coming because I'd guessed it early on, North, however, didn't. 

"Tate," he chirps, sounding too drunk for his own good. North freezes, jaw dropping open. 

"I love her but she doesn't love me,"

Thank god Jack's in the bathroom. 

"She's Jack's, but I still love her, is that wrong Ridge Bridge?"

"And now she has Jack's baby and she loves him a lot, and she never loved me like I love her," he continues, not waiting for my answer and swinging the vodka around in his glass. 

"Holy shit," North breathes and I wince. How could she not know this earlier, I don't understand. Tate's all Dylan ever seen and even after the accident I can see the way he'd looked at her like she was his world and beyond. It hurt when she was Jack's and it kills him every day loving Jack the way she does. Dylan had imagined his whole future with Tate and no one else. 

It was too obvious. It would seem that someone like North, so perspective would already realize this.

Then at once Dylan's head lurches forward and he empties his breakfast, dinner, and every meal he's ever had his entire life on the floor. 

I jump back just in time. 

"Holy--Dy, are you drunk?" I look up, Tate's biting her lower lip, looking disbelievingly and worriedly at a hunched over Dylan who's head snaps up immediately when he hears her voice. 

"Tate, I need to talk to you--" he starts, still slurring when North cuts him off. 

"PAPER!" she says, voice slightly high pitched. "Um...towels, paper towels, because yeah...he's erm...he's fucked up. Jack, could you go grab some? Take Tate with you,"

"Why--"

"Just go!" North says, voice slightly panicked.

 I smirk at what she's trying to do. Get both away from Dylan. Jack's a great guy and brother, but the minute he hears this version of Dylan fists would fly. 

"Ookaaayy then," Jack says, taking Tate with him. 

"I'm going to head over to the bathroom, keep him under control, would you?" North hisses at my smug face. "Do you really want Dylan and Jack in this kind of fight?"

"For my own safety, I won't answer that," Cause the house really needs some drama, and it's not like they'd actually kill each other. 

"Fuck you,"

"If only, baby," I wink. She huffs, storming away towards the bathrooms. God, she really needs to start wearing potato sacks or I'm going to explode in my pants. 

Pen slaps an iced water in front of me, along with one of her marble cakes. 

"I really do love you, Pen," My words slurring slightly themselves. Penelope Silvers rolls her eyes, hiding her smile. 

"Get sober, Ridge, and stop messing with your girl,"

"She isn't my girl,"

"Not if you don't act like it," 

"She isn't," I mumble, my mouth stuffed to the brim with the euphoric marble cake. 

"Let me ask you something, do you want her or do you like her?" Pen says, raising her eyebrows. 

I frown. "There's no difference,"

Pen bursts out laughing, hooting so loud Alaska could probably hear her. "No difference, boy? You can't be serious! You want her in your bed because of that damned mating bond, but loving or liking her, that means you actually do have feelings for her and it isn't the bond's doing,"

Okay, I guess that made sense, the booze was already making me dizzy. How the hell were we supposed to drive home? And where the hell was North?

"Hey, where's North?"

Pen frowns. "Reckon it's been thirty minutes since I've seen her, where'd the gal go?"