Chapter 98
Apparently, today I wasn’t doing a lot of things I should have done. Like I should have goise for the meeting with my client instead of attending this
And like at the moment I should have looked away
Should have turned back to the bar, let the whiskey burn away the irration crawling under my skin
Instead, I stood and watched as Erica walked off with him.
My fingers closed tighter around my glass as I leaned back against the bar, my gaze locked on the dance floor like a hunter stalking
Owen. That was his name.
thus prey
The wealthy, smooth investor. The man she’d brought to the party on her arm, allowing him to play the part of the perfect gentleman, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect diversion.
He wasn’t handsome enough to be distracting. Not enough for her
o of them s
swayed together in a way that made my
But that didn’t count. Because her hand was on his chest, and his on her waist, and the two stomach turn
I uipped whiskey slowly, my eyes narrowing
His touch was light, proper–if that’s what you could call it, Too cautious. Too formal.
He wasn’t holding her like a man should when he had a woman like Erica in his arms. He wasn’t holding her like she was supposed to be held.
That should have been a relict.
But it wasn’t
He had his hands on her. That was the issue.
And Erica, the wasn’t pushing him away.
Lleaned my glass back once more, drinking long and hard. I assured myself I wasn’t looking at them. That it didn’t matter. That I didn’t care who Erica danced with, laughed with, spent her evening with
But that was a li
|_ Sue was smiling uprat lum, nodding at something he said, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
Freengassed that smile
had noticed it before when she was
when she was being polite, when she was j
was putting up with someone
Över, it seemed, fit into that category.
I should have sneered at thi
that discovery
Because the very best inoniria. if she felt iny eyes usher, Encas eyes darted my way
My breathing slowed, deepened, as our eyes met at ross the room.
For a moment, I thought she would glance away. That she would portend not to see ine, ignore me, and resume her perfect, well–behaved daddy- approved date
Instead, die stood there, looked at toe, and held my state.
173
et et
Chapter 98
It was a test.
A challenge.
Her chin tilted up just a fraction of an inch, as if challenging me, inviting a response.
I didn’t provide one.
1
maintained a stoic mask, my hold on my glass tightening.
I wouldn’t let her have in
But then- Then she did the worst thing she could have done.
She turned to him, tossed her head back, and laughed at something he said,
It wasn’t a polite laugh, not a half–hearted one. It was bright, real, full of amusement.
Something bitter curled inside my chedi
That laugh was mine. It had always been mine.
kty fingers flexed around my glass, and before I even realized what I was doing, I turned back to the bartender. My voice was sharp. “Another”
The bartender nodded, swiftly f
filling another shot of whiskey into my glass. I hardly registered it. My mind had already wandered back to the dance floor, to where Erica was now standing in front of Owen, resting her hand on his arm as they swayed to the music.
I should have left.
But instead. I stayed right where I was, ordering another drink, ignoring the way
by my jaw clenched as Owen leaned in, whispering something into
her car
She didn’t step away.
Didn’t recoll
She just smiled, tilting her head slightly, as if she actually enjoyed whatever it was he was saying.
Fucking hell
I rolled my shoulders, forcing the tension out of them, telling myself it was nothing
Tois didn’t matter.
She could do whatever the hell she wanted with whoever the hell the wanted.
“You keep staring like that, you’re going to set the poor guy on line:
Connor’s voior cut through my thoughts.
I let out a harsh breath, pulling my eyes away from the dance floor to see him standing next to me. He was leaning against the bar, one hand tucked loosely into in pocket, the other cradling a drink. There was amusement flickering in his eyes, but not us a way that annoyed me,
“What the hell are you
taliunge about?“ i grumbled, bringing my glass to my
Connor laughed, taking a deliberate sip of his beverage before tilting his head toward the stance floor. “Oh, I don’t know. Just the fact that you’ve bern glaring at Frica and her date as if he personally did something wrong to you”
I sorted. He haunt”
| “Gould’ve fooled me!
pove him a dead stare. “Shut up!
Ite laughed. “Td take offense, but I think I’m too ammuted to care
Phad another dow swallow, ignoring him.
Chapter 98
Contor wasn’t fazed by my silence. If anything, it spurred him on. So, how long are you going to stand brooding before you admit what’s obvious to the rest of us?
Iraised my brow. “And what exactly is that??
That you can’t handle seeing her with another man”
A muscle had begun to tick in my jaw
Connor grinned. You do know glaring at the guy won’t make him vanish, right?”
Tm not claring,”
“Right” He nodded, expressionless. “And I’m not having whiskey”
I hurted. “You should keep your nose out of this”
Connor shrugged. That’s the point. This is too damn fun.
I frowned. “Happy to entertain you.”
He rested against the bar, looking at me with the kind of forbearance that only irritated me further. “I don’t get it, though.”
“Don’t get what?”
“Why you’re still here?”
I scowled. “What the heck is that supposed to be about?”
Connor waved a hand loosely in the direction of the dance floor. “You’re angry. You’re staring at her like she’s some prize slipping away from you. and yet you’re just standing there. Drinking. Pouting. He raised an eyebrow. That’s not exactly your thing, is it?”
My fingers curled around my glass.
No, it hadn’t.
And here I was
Watching Waiting. Fuming
Connor let the silence linger between us for a moment before finishing his drink and grumbling. “So what are you going to do about it?
I didn respond. Because I already kn
I was finished watching Finished waiting and pretending this wasn’t pissing me off.
Fuck thi
I set my dank down with more force than needed and slid away
y from t
the bar, making my way towards Erica with resolve:
She was having fun dancing with this guy, was she now!
