That’s new.
The staff loungeis huge and packed full of unfamiliar faces. It smells faintly like roast beef, melted cheese, and alcohol. The low lights bounce off the wooden beams, creating a cozy vibe along with the crackling fireplace in the far corner of the room.
“Glad you two made it,” Levi says as he approaches us with a too-wide grin, and I force my own half-smile in return.
I’m not one for big social events and Levi knows that, but I’ll bear through it tonight, especially if Maisy is planning on drinking. I’ll need to keep an eye on her. Levi takes mine andMaisy’s coat before tossing them on a nearby overflowing coat rack, and she walks off without a word toward the bar at the back of the room.
I silently watch her go until Levi nudges me with his elbow. “You good?” he asks, studying me.
Fuck, caught staring at his sister.
“When did your sister start drinking?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant as his gaze follows her to the bar.
We watch her hold up two fingers before the server slides her two shots of something brown, and she throws it back down her throat right away. It’s weird seeing the girl that used to hate alcohol drink it so easily tonight.
“Shortly after…everything,” he says, watching her with a slight frown as she orders another two.
“You mean the accident?”
“And the breakup.” His eyes find mine. “Come on, there’s a bunch of people I want to introduce you to.”
It feels like someone landed a sucker punch straight to my stomach. Maisy started drinking after we broke up? She seemed so sure about not wanting to continue our relationship. Was it all an act? Did I buy into all the bullshit she said to me?
Fuck. Maybe I did.
It’s beenthirty minutes of Levi introducing me to his new friends as “TheSterling I always tell you about.” They all greet me like we’re longtime friends, but I’ve never seen these people in my life. Some of them say they remember me from high school, but those days are all a blur. All I remember from those years is Maisy.
Speaking of, she’s tucked away in some corner with a guy I haven’t met yet, and I can tell she’s nowhere near sober. I sip my beer as I watch her flirt with him, twirling her hair around her fingers while she looks up at him with her big blue eyes. I try convincing myself it’s nothing, but I keep finding my gaze snapping back to her.
“Who’s that?” I ask Levi, keeping my voice casual.
Levi follows my line of sight, eyebrows lifting. “Oh, that’s just Jeff.”
I choke a little on my beer. “As in ‘rental shop’ Jeff?”
Levi nods. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Maisy mentioned him once. He helped her get her gear.”
“I don’t really like the guy,” he says, gaze darkening as he watches Jeff touch Maisy’s shoulder while he laughs at something she said.
That makes two of us, buddy.
“Why not?” I take another sip from my beer, but my eyes stay glued on Maisy.
“He’s been trying to get into my sister’s pants for over a year now.”
I grit my teeth, focusing on my beer and trying to calm myself down. It’s not like she’s mine anymore. I know that. But I can’t fight off the jealousy in my chest as I watch Jeff lean in slightly, and brush a strand of hair behind her ear.
“And I’m guessing there’s a reason you don’t want him getting that close to your sister?” I turn my gaze to Levi.
He nods. “He’s already sleeping around with two other girls on payroll, and neither of them knows it. I’m not about to let him play around with my sister too.”
He stands up and clears his throat before calling out to Jeff to come over. I watch as Jeff’s attention leaves Maisy, and he takes a cautious step back when he realizes Levi can see him.
Pussy.
He starts to walk toward us, and I look at Maisy as she follows behind him, but she’s already watching me. I can practically see her catch the tension in my jaw. Her lips twitch into a tiny amused smirk, and it’s maddening.
