Everything I Shouldn't / Everything I Need by Stacey Mosteller Page B

it's really starting to piss me off. Clay keeps trying to engage me in conversation, but the harder he tries, the more I drink until everything he says is SO funny I'm laughing hysterically, he finally gives up and goes to find someone more receptive to his romantic advances.
    I'm not sure how much time passes before I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Pulling it out, I can barely read who the text is from. When I realize it was from Jeremy, my heart drops to my stomach and my hands start to shake.
     
Where are you? We need to talk.
     
    Yeah right. The last thing I want to do is talk to him.
     
At a party I dont wan to talk to u

We have a LOT to talk about little bit. What kind of party?
     
    Like he cares. Is he trying to play the big brother role? I already have one of those, thanks.
     
frat party, drinking, guys, bad choices. You no bout that right?
     
    Okay, so I'm being a little bitchy... and later when I read back over my texts it's obvious I was drunk ... but right now I am entitled to be a drunk bitch. I did just catch him in bed with another woman. Who cares if she's his girlfriend? He's supposed to be mine.
     
You better not be drinking SarahBeth.

Im drunk. might have sex like u did. Not like u care.
     
    I'm totally lying. I have no intentions of leaving here with anyone but Olivia. Jeremy doesn't need to know that though. I don't know why I bother trying to make him jealous; it isn't like he even cares who I have sex with or when. However, it isn't thirty seconds before he responds back with a reply that makes my insides melt.
     
You have no idea how much I care. Where are you? I'm coming to get you. NOW.
     
    I ask someone to help me and I give him directions before going to find Olivia, who promptly tells me I'm an idiot and shakes her head at me before leaving me alone to wait. An hour later, I'm beginning to sober up and I'm regretting texting him, let alone giving him directions on how to get here when another text comes through.
     
I'm outside and if you aren't out here in the next five minutes I'm coming in to get you. If I have to come find you, I won't be happy.
     
    Oh. Shit. I'm torn. On one hand, I kind of want him to come looking for me; on the other, I'm terrified of what he'll do when he finds me. I decide it's way better to just go to him than risk being embarrassed, but when I finally make it through all the bodies to the door he's standing just inside. Our eyes lock, his are narrowed and menacing while mine hold a mixture of fear and defiance. Jeremy reaches forward, grabs me by the arm and drags me outside behind him. He is so much taller than me and I've had so much to drink that I stumble more than once on my way out the door.
    By the time we get to his car, my ankle hurts and I'm tired of the way he's pulling me around. Jeremy opens the back door so I can climb in and when I turn to look at him, confused as to why I'm getting in the back, I see her . Seriously? He tells me that I have no idea how much he cares , and then he brings his girlfriend with him to pick me up? What the hell? Just seeing the back of her head in the front seat makes me feel stabby. Not giving me a chance to reply, Jeremy shuts the door before going around to the driver's side.
    As he shifts into drive, his eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. "I've got to take Melanie home, and then you and I need to talk."
    "If you're worried I'm going to tell David what I saw --" Mel gasps "-- don't worry. I'm pretending that never happened." I cross my arms over my chest, knowing I'm acting childish but unable to stop. "You can just drop me off at home because I have nothing to say to you right now."
    Jeremy's hands tighten on the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. He doesn't say anything else to me until after he drops her off and pulls into the driveway at home. "Are you ready to talk to me like a rational human being now?" His tone is so condescending and it only serves to put my back up.
    "I'd be happy if