The Broken Mirror {COMPLETED}

She Will Be Loved

I throw my empty flask in the glove compartment. I will refill it tomorrow morning. It is New Year's Eve and I am ready to party. My hair and makeup are done in the retro style I prefer. I chose to wear a shimmery gold dress that has a sweetheart neckline and had a pencil skirt, that made sure I was being hugged in all the right places. I grab the bottles of champagne I bought as a gift for them out of my car and head towards the door.

I flew back home Christmas morning. I could not stay with my mother another second. Luckily, the press had left by the time I lost it, but there were too many tongues there to wag. Whatever party they are having there tonight, I am quite sure my family will be the juicy gossip. I know my mother would not dare show her face at any of them.

Some of the guests are hanging outside by the time I arrive. Gabrielle insisted that everyone gets dressed up for this. Which I did not complain about. I heard the guys did. They wanted a typical college keg-party. That is not her style, and so she took over planning.

"Beautiful!" Gabrielle screams as she sees me. I hand her the bottles.

"Gorgeous!" I yell back and we hug and give playful air kisses. The music is blaring in their house and I wonder how their neighbors deal.

"How'd you get this?" She asks me about the bottles.

"I have connections," I respond. She winks at me.

"So, you flirted with the guy at the liquor store."

"Forgot to ask for ID since my breasts were such a distraction. Come on, I need a drink after the Christmas I just had!" I yell over the music. Gabrielle leads me over to where the drinks are waiting for me to pour. Come to mama! I pour a shot of tequila and take it down like its water. I grab a red solo cup and pour more. I don't mix it with anything and Gabrielle stares at me like I lost my head.

"Too badass for a chaser?" She asks me. I shrug my shoulders. "Girl, what the hell happened in New York that you went from never touching this stuff to drinking like a pro?"

Ethan comes over with Kristin in tow just as I answer. "Freedom. Freedom, from my mother's bullshit." I drink down the tequila as if its water. They watch me in amazement.

"Slow down, S!"

"Ha! Don't worry. What're your new year's resolutions?" I ask them to try to distract them from my drinking. They each begin talking about how they feel for next year.

"I don't make resolutions. The time of the year shouldn't dictate to me when I should change myself."

"Kristin, I love the way you think," I tell her. It keeps them occupied while I drink another cup.

"Really? Says the girl who keeps talking about fresh starts," Ethan questions.

"Yeah, but it wasn't cause it was the new year," I respond to Ethan. I really want something more than what's in my cup, but I know they won't be bringing any drugs. Parties should be enjoyed with molly. Well, that was my philosophy before I was forced to clean up.

"And what prompted this?" Gabrielle asks.

"Christmas happened."

"It was that bad?" She continues to question.

"It was bad for my mother... fuck her," I say. I can feel the alcohol starting to take over. I start swaying to the music playing as I talk to them. I feel a presence walk up beside me.

"That doesn't look like soda," Xavier whispers to me. My heart drops when I hear his familiar baritone. I don't know if it's because of what he just said, his presence, or both.