Beautifully Broken

Chapter 5

We pulled into the driveway, I still hadn't said anything the whole drive, but I had managed to compose myself enough to face everyone else. 

"Don't say anything to anyone please, I don't need them treating me like a child." 

Tyler nodded, though his eyes said he was concerned about me. We took the food and drinks inside and I planted a big smile on my face. Fake it till you make it, isn't that what they say?

I helped to get some lunch put together for everyone. We made some sandwiches and sat at the dining table to all eat. "Harry, what time does this thing start?"

"Anytime you want Kay! You know that!"

"Great!" I said, standing up and grabbing a solo cup and filling it with vodka and lemonade. "Cheers then!"

I saw Tyler watching me from the other side of the room, when our eyes met he just shook his head slightly then looked away. 

"Kay, make sure you eat properly otherwise you won't make it to the party" Mason scolded me. 

"I'm a big girl Mason," I replied, trying to keep my temper in check. 

I did take it slow, but for most of the afternoon I wasn't without a drink. Late afternoon everyone started to arrive, including Kara. I saw her step out onto the deck looking for me, where I was sitting with Mason, Tyler, and Jason on the sun lounges. Tyler as usual standing off to the side, not actually part of the group. 

"Kara!" I screamed, running up to her, throwing my arms around her. We walked to the others, Jason who was half drunk too, lit up "The KK's are now here, all is right in the world again," making me laugh probably more than was warranted.

Kara, however looked to Mason, "Why is she drunk already?"

He shrugged, "She started drinking hours ago, I'm watching her though."

"Guys! I'm right here you know," I said to them. 

"Yeah, I'm going to grab you a bottle of water," Kara replied. 

She did that and they forced me to drink some water. I didn't want to admit to them that it helped.

By the time darkness had fallen the party was in full swing and I was now well and truly drunk. The more I drank, the less I remembered the way Garret made me feel earlier today and I enjoyed myself. I lost my friends, but that's ok, I'm sure they were keeping an eye on me, or maybe they didn't care either.

"Heyyy, we went to school together!" I said to a group of guys I vaguely recognised from the senior class that just graduated.

"Drew's little sister right?" a blonde I knew from the football team, Will.

I put my fingers to my mouth, "Shhhh, we don't speak the devils name. You though, you're cute. Come dance with me," I smiled sweetly and he happily obliged, his mates cheering him on. 

We moved to where everyone was dancing in the middle of the lounge room and started dancing, he had his hands around my waist, and I put my arms around his neck. It didn't take long before we were then making out.

He pulled my body closer to him as the kiss deepened, his tongue dancing with mine and one hand moving from my waist, then feeling him grope my ass. The alcohol was fogging my thoughts and even numbing any touch to my body. 

When we finally came up for air, he asked if we could go to a room, I told him I just wanted to get a drink first, but I would meet him by the stairs. I entered the kitchen to grab another vodka and lemonade only to be met with a pair of blue eyes. This time they weren't emotionless, they were angry.

"Kayla, what are you doing?"

"This is a party and I'm having fun, duh! Maybe you should try it Mr Moody."

"No, you are writing yourself off after whatever that was today. You aren't going up to sleep with that guy."

"You can't tell me what to do Tyler, we don't know each other, remember."

"I can stop you from making a mistake, from doing something you will only regret tomorrow," he said, grabbing my drink from my hand and replacing it with a water.

"Just because you think you saw something; you don't know anything about me. You sit around here all mopey, not giving anyone the time of day and now you want to act like some hero, now you want to be my friend? What's your deal? Like I said, you can't tell me what to do. If I want to go and sleep with Will, then that's what I'm going to do. If I want to drink more, then that's also what I'm going to do. You can't stop me!" I grabbed my vodka back off him and sculled it in one go. 

That was as much as my body could take, because I just felt the room spin before two big hands caught me. That was the last thing I remembered that night. I guess I successfully drank the pain away into blackness.

Morning came, I could see the sunlight filtering into the room from behind the blinds. The light made my eyes hurt. I looked down seeing that I was still in my dress from last night, well that's a positive. 

My head though, how is it even possible for it to thump this much. I slowly sat up, no Mason today, he must have gone home with a girl or taken one of the other guestrooms. I sat up in bed feeling my head spin, oh and there it is. 

I bolted out of the room, just making it to the bathroom in time to vomit in the toilet. Standing up, I splashed my face with water and rinsed my mouth with some mouthwash, then looked at the face in the mirror. Oh Kayla, that's not pretty, nope that's not even close. 

I groaned, deciding bed was the best place for me to return to, finally peeling my dress off and finding a t-shirt of Mason's on my floor, deciding that will do.

Bed is where I was when there was a soft knock on my door, "Come in" I groaned, assuming it would be Kara or Harry, maybe even Mason. 

I was incredibly surprised when it was Tyler. Seeing him, suddenly last night came back to me. I groaned again, turning my head into my pillow, "I'm sorry, I was such a bitch" I said into my pillow. 

He didn't say anything, just sat down on the side of the bed. I waited a moment, realising he wasn't going to talk, but also wasn't going to go anywhere. Slowly I rolled over so I was facing him. He handed me a glass of water and some advil tablets.

"Thought you might need these," he said gently. 

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking them from him and instantly swallowing the tablets and finishing the whole glass of water.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you last night."

"You weren't wrong though Kayla, we don't know each other and I really can't tell you what to do. But I really was just trying to look after you. Just because I look like I don't care most of the time, doesn't mean I don't see what's going on around me. I know there is something you are hiding; I know it has to do with your brothers' friend. At this point, I'm imagining the worst, that just makes me want to protect you even more," he stood to leave. 

I couldn't look at him, I especially didn't know how to respond to him. Just before he walked out he stopped and said "We all have demons, Kayla. You don't have to fight them alone." 

I felt a silent tear escape my eye as he closed the door. Maybe he wasn't the arrogant jerk I first pinned him to be.