I laughed as his eyes bulged even more. “I’m definitely getting that!”
Brianna huffed and shook her head. “Not anytime soon. Make do with the Spider Man fake ones for now, Chris.”
She rolled her eyes. “If we don’t put fake ones on him, he’ll draw some on himself. Thank God we always hide the Sharpies.”
I nodded, my chest pinching as I remembered Victoria asking me to mark her as mine. Rubbing the ache didn’t make it go away, but I pressed a hand to my chest, anyway.
I glanced over her shoulder looking for Victoria but couldn’t spot her.
“Victoria got a ride here. I think I saw them pull up in front after us.” She draped her hand around my bicep and leaned in. “That’s who you were looking for, right?”
My mouth opened but no words came out. I didn’t even have it in me to make a solid denial.
“Bri, did you check your coat yet? Maybe we can share a ticket—”
Victoria’s eyes met mine for the first time since she’d stormed out of my apartment and called me a coward. I wasn’t angry because she was one hundred percent right. Our gazes lingered for a long moment before I took in the rest of her. She wore a green dress that matched her eyes and hugged every curve to perfection. The need to touch her was so natural and powerful I had to ball my hands into fists.
“Remind me the valet ticket is in my front pocket.” Justin, one of the younger mechanics, came up behind Victoria. “Oh hey, Diaz. What time did you get here? We just pulled up.”
We. When the fuck did they become a we?
My jaw clenched, the blood boiling in my veins as I looked between them. I’d pushed her toward this, but I’d never expected it this soon. Rage that I had no right to feel surged inside me as my eyes bored into Victoria’s.
“Not too long ago,” I answered, my lips curled into a sneer. “It’s cold. I’m glad you got a ride here. Better than slumming it on the subway like you would have had to do with me. See, I told you things would work out. If you’ll all excuse me, I need a drink.”
I stalked off to the bar, thankful as hell Josh and his uncle had set up an open bar. After ordering a Corona, I splayed my hands on the counter and forced myself to get a damn grip. She could see whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted. I was no one to her, and she should’ve been no one to me. But she wasn’t. She was everything.
And getting over that was my own problem.
“Are you kidding me, right now?” A hard jab on my shoulder almost made me drop the beer bottle.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shrugged before lifting the beer off of the counter and turned to walk away.
“Dad and Bri had to pick up Uncle Billy and there was no room in the car for me. I asked Justin to give me a lift here since their house was on his way.”
“Not my business.” I tried to pass, but she stepped in front of me.
“Wow.” She laughed without humor. “You really think so little of me, don’t you? Do you really believe that after everything between us that I could just move on in less than a week without batting an eye? I’m not sure what hurts worse—that, or you thinking that the moment you finally told me the truth I’d fall right out of love with you.”
She reached over me to grab a napkin and dabbed her eyes before meeting my gaze with a defiant sniffle.
“Well, I didn’t. Unfortunately, that all meant something to me. A lot, actually. He was a friendly car ride here, nothing more. I still love you. And I miss you. Not that it matters.” She sniffled again before squaring her shoulders. “I need to get back.”
I nodded, taking in a couple of deep breaths so my lungs would have enough air to make words. This was why I loved her so much. She was braver than I ever could be. She wasn’t afraid to show how much I’d hurt her but wouldn’t hurt me back because of spite.
She could have let me think she was here with Justin to lash out at me. But she didn’t. This girl was better than me at every turn, but I still wanted her for myself, so much that my fingertips still buzzed with the need to touch her. Trying to keep them steady around the neck of the bottle was no use.
“I miss you, too,” was all I could say.
She shifted to head back to the dining room and rejoin her stepmother and brother. All I could do was stand there and watch her walk away. My eyes caressed her body like my mouth and hands had done so many times.
Eventually, she’d be a realwewith someone else.
The thought filled me with both a white-hot rage and bone crushing sorrow.
I sat down for dinner with a few of the other mechanics, not saying much as the courses were served. I nodded at all the appropriate times while stealing glances at the boss’s daughter at the end of the table.
“All right, time for the quick speech,” Billy Falco stood from the table, raising his wine glass. “This has been an amazing year in our New York shop. Thank you for all your hard work.” Billy raised his glass and turned toward Josh. “Here’s to all of you, and to your boss who doesn’t do a half-bad job managing all of it.”
