Our gazes held for a moment before he turned to leave. Did he really think he could warn me away from Brianna? I chuckled to myself. The poor dude reeked of desperation, yet I couldn’t resist having the last word.
“Hey, Scott.” He stopped without looking back. “I don’t blame you for playing dirty. I would, too, if I was about to lose her.”
“Fuck you!” Scott spit out before slamming the door.
Brianna
“BRI . . .” AMANDA URGEDas she rubbed my shoulder. “This was supposed to be fun. Please pick up your bottom lip before you drag it all around the floor.”
“What?” I scoffed as I straightened on the cushioned chair next to the bar. “Iamhaving fun.” I stretched my lips into the biggest smile I could before causing pain and pressed my index fingers into my nonexistent dimples. “See?”
We shared a giggle. “All right. I won’t press. You were quiet all through dinner—”
“You invited Christal.” I lifted my brows. “She never came up for air from the time she sat down, except when the next round of drinks would come. Who could get a word in with her?”
Christal was Amanda’s cousin. She meant no harm, but the girl never shut the hell up. I found it amusing when I wasn’t in this awful mood. Tonight, I wanted to take the bread basket and jam it down her throat. In addition to being a gabber, she was a flirt—or at least tried her best to be. Christal never let any of the poor men she zoned in on get a word in edgewise. Amanda invited a group of us out for a holiday girls’ night out, but I wasn’t feeling it. I nodded at the appropriate times during conversation but didn’t really listen or pay attention to anyone.
“Brianna, you need to stop torturing yourself,” Amanda whispered as the rest of our group ambled toward the dance floor. “The more you put it off, the more miserable you’re going to be. Enough.”
“I’m not torturing myself.” I pulled down my skirt before I pushed off my seat. “I was . . . a little distracted for a bit, but now I’m fine.”
I raked my hands through my hair and pulled at the collar of my sweater. I didn’t even believe my own lies anymore. Scott was just as absent as ever, but seeing him so hurt and upset made the guilt that crept up on me seem almost unbearable. I still spoke to Josh every day, and throughout the day, but I put a little distance between us since our almost kiss. The almost kiss that ran through my head over and over again. I’d close my eyes at night and feel his hand against my neck. I’d see his dark green eyes pinning me to my seat. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted that kiss more than I wanted air.
Amanda tilted her head until I sat back down.
I took in a long breath and brought my gaze to the ceiling as I let it out. “Scott doesn’t deserve this.”
She leaned in with her lips pursed. “Youdon’t deserve throwing away your own happiness for some fucked up sense of obligation.”
“It’s not obligation. It’s just that . . .” As hard as I tried, I couldn’t complete that sentence.
“You can’t admit how you really feel?”
I bit my lip and shrugged.
“You don’t know what it was like for me before Josh left. I loved him for as long as I could remember, and then he was gone. I can’t do this to myself again.” I dropped my head into my hands and groaned.
Amanda scooted closer to me. “He was a kid. You both were. Things change, people grow up. It’s romantic when you think about it. What you guys have together is rare . . . and amazing. I saw it in less than five minutes. It—”
“What if it destroys me?”
“There she is!” A familiar baritone boomed from behind us.
“Reid!” I pushed off my seat and gave him a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“Missy likes the band that plays here on Saturdays. Not really my scene, but it’s the holidays and all, and she all but begged Josh to convince me to go out.” Reid pointed behind him with his thumb.
Reid’s wife was a knockout with curves everywhere and long, jet-black hair. Spotting her in a crowd was easy, but my gaze slid to the man seated next to her at the bar. He wore black pants and a denim shirt rolled up just enough to see his ink. I hadn’t seen Josh all week, and I missed him so much my body ached.Ached.I was so fucked, it was laughable.
“Amanda, you remember my friend Reid?” She nodded a hello.
“Let me say hi to Missy.” Reid led me by the hand to where they were sitting.
“Brianna!” Missy squealed. “How are you?” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. Missy was a hugger, and since she was almost six feet tall, her embraces choked at times.
“I’m good. Nice to see you.” I didn’t turn around to the eyes I could feel glossing over my body. An arm snaked around my waist as warm lips pressed into the sensitive skin behind my ear.
“Hi, Cupcake.” I swiveled my head and met Josh’s eyes. Still dark, still full of want I couldn’t give in to.
