Our Secret

Twelve

Carson's POV

Fuck, I knew having my phone out in class was going to get me caught sooner or later. Ms. Winters, My 2nd period chemistry teacher, saw me texting under my desk. Thank god she didn't make me read it out loud like she usually does, considering the message was from Jace and Juliette is in this class with me. I did get my ass landed ISS for the day which I'm supposed to be going to right now and not walking the beach to surprise Jace. On little attendance won't kill me.

My mindless Instagram scrolling is making the walk to the beach was way faster than normal, I'm just lucky I didn't walk in front of a car with my oblivious ass. I pry my eyes away from my phone long enough to notice that the beach is completely stranded.

Did I not get the memo? Maybe everyone went on another beer run.

I don't know why it would take more than one or two people to grab beer but I sit down on one of the ratty chairs that surrounds the pits and continue to scroll through my phone when suddenly it feels like all of the air has been sucked from the world and I can't breathe. 

There, staring back at me is a picture of Jace with a huge grin on his facewhile two girls hang all over his lap.

What the actual fuck?

I click on the photo and go to the profile of one of the girls who is draped over Jace and ten more pictures pop up on her page of what looks like a house party. My eyes start to water looking at all of the photos of everyone drinking and girls hanging all over Jace when I see Jules in the background of one of the pictures. 

My hands wont stop shaking as I go to dial Juliette's number. I wait for what seems like a lifetime for her to answer, but she never does so I send her a text instead.

Me:

Hey girl, where you at?

She responds quickly. 

Jules:

@ A party Youshk should comeeees! Chrizz sndd addrezzas.

What? The fuck is she saying.

But before I can analyze her drunk text any more I get a message from Chris letting me know the party is at Jaxons on Hilltop Boulevard. 

I recognize the address but I don't know how I get my feet to finally move down the road when my whole body feels numb but I walk towards Hilltop anyway. I keep seeing the images of Jace and those fucking girls running through my mind on a constant loop and it's taking everything out of me not to break down. I really hope I'm just overreacting considering everything Jace and I have been through and I hate myself for even doubting him, but there's that little voice in my head that's telling me that something isn't right. 

I'm halfway down the block from Jaxon's house and I can already feel the bass and smell the stench of weed coming from the party. When I reach the front door I have to mentally prepare myself for whatever it is I'm about to walk into. 

Walking inside is like stepping onto the set of a music video, I can hardly breathe it seems like every inch of the house is filled with smoke and drunk people. I can barley make out anyone's face that is until I hear Jules's whining coming from the living room. I don't know if I can handle her if she's having a breakdown right now when I'm in the middle of my own so I quickly turn towards the closest hallway and head down to the kitchen.