She's Cold✔️

Chapter Twenty Seven

Jocelyn watched in horror as Ava latched on to Shane. The slimy bitch, she cursed. She waited for Shane to free himself of her, but he didn't. She was even more horrified when she felt the huge weight settling on her chest, and making breathing hard for her.

How was it possible to feel this amount of hurt because of someone she barely knew?

Ava leaned into Shane, she whispered something in his ear. Shane stiffened, his hands immediately going around Ava's back and tightening. Ava looked back and cast a victorious smile Jocelyn's way.

Jocelyn tried to swallow around the giant lump in her throat and tasted bile. She averted her gaze as she couldn't torture herself any longer. Shane had clearly never been over Ava, his true love. Why she had thought something was happening between them was beyond her.

The walls she had let down in these few days flew back up. It just wasn't worth it, it was better to keep whatever remained of her heart under tight wraps.

Never! She swore as she blindly reached out for a glass of whatever it was the waiters were loading on their trays. She gulped it in one swallow and noticed more than a pair of eyes follow her movement. She ignored them as she made her way to the bar, she needed something stiff at the moment. Their opinions didn't matter right now.

In all her years, Jocelyn had never resorted to drinking to sort out her problems. She hadn't ever even tasted alcohol, the smell of it caused her nausea as she remembered her father. But at the moment, she couldn't care any less.

"I need something stronger than what the waiters are serving,"  she told the bartender. "You have whiskey or something of that sort?"

"Ma'am, I'm not sure that's what you want." The bartender lowered his voice in concern.

Jocelyn narrowed her eyes at him. "Do I look like I don't know what I'm asking for?"

"Sorry." He pushed a shot glass her way.

"Just give me the damn bottle," she muttered, throwing her head back to swallow the drink. It burned her throat and chest as it went down. She coughed as she choked, making her eyes water. She laughed bitterly hoping it would burn out the throbbing pain in her chest.

The bartender hesitated before finally passing the bottle to her.

She poured herself another drink and swallowed immediately; she didn't want to delay. She didn't want to give herself any chance to think about how pathetic she was at the moment, just like her parents had been.

"Josie? What are you doing here all alone? I thought you would have gone back to making out with Shane," Daisy asked as she plopped into a chair beside Josie.

Josie turned to smile at her. "Would it be ironic if Shane's kissing Ava, the love of his life, right now, while I'm here at our fucking engagement party?"

"He wouldn't," Daisy spat out. "Are you drunk? Oh my God! Did he?" She held Josie's hands in her own. "The son of a-,"

Josie cut her off. "He didn't. Not that I know of, anyway, but he left with her."

"Come here." Daisy pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Josie." She rubbed Josie's back.

"Don't be, I'm not hurt or anything. Just disappointed," Josie murmured even as she broke into sobs. "He loves her, and l-" She hiccupped loudly. "I love him. I'm so stupid, Daisy."

Daisy let her cry against her shoulder, muttering consolations as she patted her back.

Josie pulled away from her, cleaning her eyes furiously. "This is pathetic. I'm going up, I have to um- lie down?" she hiccuped loudly.

"Sure. I'll let Eric know I'd be up with you. I'll meet you in a few minutes." Daisy hurried off.

Jocelyn wobbled towards the door, she held onto the walls for stability when she entered the hallway.

"Lyn? Is that you? I wasn't so sure when you were up there with my step brother."

Josie's head whipped up. "Who are you?"

Stepbrother? Shane said he was an only child. And why was the man calling her Lyn? Only people from her past knew that name.

"Oh my God! It is you, and you turned out as beautiful as I expected, if not more." He stepped towards her.

"Stay back," she warned.

"Its me, Jason?"

"Jason!" She clearly remembered a tall, scrawny kid who usually saved her from her mother's cruel punishments. She hadn't expected him to be this handsome, with broad shoulders. Just like Shane. "Shane's your brother?"

"Stepbrother," Jason replied then let out a short laugh. "You going up?" He pointed at the elevators.

"Yeah. I want to go rest my head."

"Let's step outside instead, let the fresh air clear your head."

Jocelyn nodded following him out of the house.

She looked at the abundance of cars parked outside of the house, the underground parking lot must have been filled up already. Shane was clearly a public figure.

"Are you cold? I'll get my jacket from inside. Stay here." Jason went back into the house.

Jocelyn rubbed her hands along her arms, trying to bring a little bit of warmth to them.

"Lyn?" A soft voice called.

Josie stiffened at the name. What was this? The fucking reunion?
Why was people from her past suddenly showing up.

She slowly turned, not sure who it was. Her eyes widened when she saw just who the person was. Years away from her couldn't have dulled the image of the woman from her memory.

"Mom?"

So I decided to make it one book. So I'm adding the sequel here!

Sorry for the long wait. It actually took about four years to get back here. Sorry for that.

Thanks for reading so far!