Free From My Heart by Breigh Forstner Page B

with their set, the make-shift stage was taken down and replaced with a guy using a fancy laptop computer to play music. Nearing midnight in about….five minutes, Cale pulled me closer to him as the rest of the band went to play pool.
    “I love you,” he murmured before leaving a slow, but sensual kiss on my cheek. I let myself relax against his front as his back was against the wall. We swayed to our own beat as the rock n’ roll music blared, but I didn’t think either one of us were listening fully.
    The single TV that was in the place was turned on just in time to start the short countdown to the New Year. The two of us shouted when it came down to ten seconds left. Then Cale started whispering into my neck, “3…2…1…”
    Happy New Year.
    He spun me around with one arm so I faced him and he kissed me instantly. My lips welcomed his as he wrapped his arms around my waist and mine curled around his neck.
    “Happy New Year, fuckeeeeerr.” Vince purposely pushed into Cale, holding onto his head and giving him a kiss smack dab on the side of his head. Then he immediately turned to me and kissed my cheek. “Not meaning that towards you, Bryn, but Happy New Year.”
    “It’s okay, Vince. You too.” I chuckled, stepping away from Cale. We continued celebrating for about the next hour until I noticed how tipsy the guys were. Cale and I walked out hand in hand back to the bus and towards the bedroom in the back. I slipped out of my clothes to put on a nightgown I had packed and laid down beside Cale, who still had on his jeans, but nothing else.
    “Come here,” he said, lying down and drawing me closer to him so my body conformed against his chest.
    “I had fun tonight,” I said, feeling sleep starting to take over. Just a single touch from Cale’s fingers jolted me awake, at least for a couple more minutes. “And thank you, by the way.”
    His fingers moved to my outer thigh, leaving a trail of slow circles, until they reached my neck. “For what?” he asked.
    “You were my first ever New Year’s kiss,” I told him. “I never imagined I would be here right now if you told me this a year ago.”
    “That’s life, though,” Cale said. “You never know from day to day where you’re going to end up, dead or alive. Time isn’t promised. I just know everyone else, myself included, is glad you’re on this crazy ride with us and hopefully you’ll never quit. Plus it helps you’re my girlfriend and I’m so happy to be doing this with someone I am so crazy in love with.” My heart started fluttering. Even if he’d had too much to drink, he somehow always found the right thing to say.
    “I love you too.” I sighed. “Let’s save the drunken sex for another night. I’m too tired anyways.”
    I heard Cale laugh behind me. “You get some sleep, pretty girl. I care more about you getting rest because I know how cranky you can get with lack thereof…”
    I grinned inwardly. “Oh stop.” I kicked my leg backward so it bumped into his. “Now goodnight, Pelton.”
    “Sweet Dreams, B.”

Chapter 5: Addiction
Cale
“You’re the one thing I can’t shake
You pulse through my veins
And make me want it more
It’s impossible to break this now”
    I knew the consequences of drinking while I downed a shit ton of pills, but after I took my younger sister Sadie out to celebrate her graduating from college early with her bachelor’s degree in English (minor in Journalism), I was feeling like shit.
    I didn’t mean to take the pills. I really didn’t. But after I drank the bar fresh out of alcohol, I had the worst pain in my chest, like someone was cutting me open and ripping my heart out. Popping a few prescriptions in and mixing it with rum, I was crashed out on the middle of the floor in our living room.
    “Pelton.” Luke gently kicked my side with his foot. “Wake up, idiot, you fell asleep on the floor.”
    I groaned loudly, letting a slew of obscenities out of my mouth as I ran my hands through my