Page 257 of Hot Mess

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Then I pushed past her and beelined through the crowd for the door.

Shiiit.

What the hell did I just do?

What the hell did I justsay?

So do I…?

I just told Danica’s sister that I loved her. Came out of my mouth way too easily, too.

Then I gave her back the ring?

What the fuck was I doing, really?

Was I going insane?

Was I falling for this girl?

Yeah, idiot. Fucking news flash.

You’re falling for this girl.

And I just couldn’t handle it.

Her ex-boyfriend showed up on her birthday… and I was a total fucking disaster over it.

I wanted to go right back to Daniella and demand my ring back.

I wanted to go right back to Danica, actually, and take her in my arms, let her tell me what a fucking idiot I was being.

But I didn’t do either of those things.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Danica

Istood staring at the onyx ring in my sister’s hand.

Ashley’s ring.

I’d seen him stop to talk to her after he’d walked away from me, and it didn’t exactly look like a friendly talk. By the time I met her in the crowd, he’d stalked off and she had his ring.

And seeing it lying there in her hand… it really sank in how upset he was.

About stupidCarter.

I could see Ash across the room now, just inside the door, with Summer and a couple of her girlfriends. Haz stood next to him.

Was he reallyleaving?

Walking out on me? On my birthday?

I took the ring from Daniella’s hand, and I watched him. And it wasn’t even Ashley standing there with Summer that had my attention.

It was the other girl. The blonde girl at Summer’s side.

She was talking to Ashley.

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