“Funny? I’ll take it.” He pretends to wipe sweat from his brow. “But I’m not sure Blair’s ever called me funny.”
“You make me laughallthe time.”
“Not the same thing.” He winks again and my heart flutters. This is the guy I fell in love with. But it feels like I haven’t seen him since he moved to California. “Anyway.” He claps his hands together and beams at Jenna. “Enough about my personality traits. Has Blair shown you around?”
“She has. Actually, we were in the process. I’m getting a vibe for who you are.”
“So, we’re staying on my personality traits then.” Nathan chuckles, and I wish more than anything that I’d see this version of him more. The genuine soul who loves life. “Tell me…” he trails off, mischief in his eyes. “How am I doing so far?” he whispers with a grimace, as though it’s some big secret, and Jenna’s putty in his hands as she laughs again.
“So far so good. But it will all come down to the pasta.”
“Speaking of… I’m going to go and find a better recipe. Excuse me for a moment.” He presses a kiss to my cheek, straightening my dress before darting off to the kitchen, and the second he’s gone, I feel Jenna’s stare boring a hole in the side of my head.
I hesitantly turn to face her, cringing at her wide-eyed expression. “Say it.”
“You are fucked,” she whispers, confusing me.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, Blair. They both give off good vibes. How are you going to choose?”
My eyes flash to the kitchen door as my heart lodges in my throat. “Jenna,” I whisper-yell. “There isnochoice.” I lower my voice as I step closer. “I’m with Nathan. That’s it.”
“I get that; I do. But something tells me that whatever you had with”—she mouthsZaneand my pulse spikes—“is not over. All I’m saying is that I can see why.”
My shoulders drop as I sigh. “It’s over, Jen. Way over. I’m sure he’s got another woman in his bed as we speak.”
Dammit. I sink my head into my hands, slamming my eyes shut, instantly regretting my words. And to make matters worse, when I slowly look up again, Jenna’s grinning.
“What does it matter?” she asks as if proving a point.
“It doesn’t.” I shake my head. “That was a stupid thing to say. Come on, I’ll show you the bedrooms.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Zane
The high of winning my first game back has me walking around like a god for the next week. But it was seeing Blair that really got my blood pumping. And not necessarily in a good way. No matter how I look at it, I can’t seem to get my head around the fact that she’s been dating that asshole. For four goddamn years. It makes me want to shake some sense into her.
Only, I know Blair—at least, I used to know her—and she’s never been one to just fall into something. If they’re together, she made that decision for a reason. And her reason would have been well thought out. Most likely with a pros and cons list. Or a spreadsheet.
Doesn’t mean I have to like it, or accept it for that matter. No one could convince me that he’s the right guy for her. She’s worthy of more. Of better.
And sheusedto believe that.
I still remember one of the last arguments we had, and there were many. But in this instance, she’d said…“I don’t want to bea princess, Zane. But I deserve the world. And if I’m notyourworld, then what are we doing here?”
It was a valid question, and one I wished I’d answered at the time, instead of telling her she was being ridiculous.
But I can’t think about that now. For now, I’m choosing to focus on the present.
Blair may have walked away from me the other night, but that’s the longest time we’ve spent together since I was nineteen, and no one can take that away from me. I knew I missed her. I’ve never stopped. But I didn’t realize how much until I felt her warmth again and got to witness her beautiful smile.
I thought I had it committed to memory, the way she curls her lips and the little dimple she gets on the left side of her face, but fuck, my mind did not do it justice.
It was nice to see her happy. I don’t think I’ve ever admitted how much that’s been weighing on my mind. But being happy with that fucker feels like torture. She said he’s good to her and I have to believe that. But that guy lives in his head. At least he did back when I knew him, and I doubt that’s changed.
So much keeps playing on my mind… Like, does he even know the real Blair, or did she settle? I wanted her to move on. I wanted her to have the life she deserved, without me there as a constant reminder of the accident. But she chose Nathan. And he was there too.
