“Yeah, I really like—” My words get stuck in my throat because what I catch in front of me is somewhat harder to believe than what I saw a couple of weeks ago.
“Stevie?” Levi’s voice is a mere echo in the background. “Are you okay?” I can hear that his voice is full of concern, and I know I should say something, yet I only manage to give him a quick nod, still not moving my gaze that’s geared toward the couple standing a few feet away from us. As if feeling my stare, Andrew downs his drink, takes his hands off Tiffany, and looks right at me. His eyes widen in shock, then lower in embarrassment. Finally, he peers back up, nothing but longing in those dark brown orbs.
I swear to God that my heart ceases to beat for a moment, then another—not in the same longing that’s reflecting in his eyes, but in shock. A hand lands on my forearm, causing me to jump. Turning my head to Levi, I find him looking at Andrew as if finally understanding who we are to each other, at least somewhat, and he doesn’t look pleased.
Swiveling my gaze back to my ex-boyfriend, who’s now staring at Levi with pure jealousy, I see him take a confident step forward and then another.
This isn’t happening.
Levi asks in a voice loud enough for only me to hear over the music, “An ex?”
“The one andonlyex,” I manage to blurt out.
And when Andrew is two strides away from us, Levi intertwines his hand with mine, catching me completely off guard, so off guard that I don’t have time to question or reconsider what he’s doing.
“I didn’t think you’d be here, Stevie.”
Those are his first words to me?
The last time I saw him, he was inside his best friend. He sent me countless texts asking me to let him explain for a week until I blocked him. Two seconds ago, he was dancing with said friend, and now he has the audacity to act as if he still has a right to know where I decide to go? And since when does Andrew come to King’s Wolf? It’s one of the few places he always refused to go to in town.
He looks down at Levi’s and my connected hands. “And who’s this?” he asks sweetly.
“Um, he’s my?—”
“I’m her date,” Levi says confidently.
Chapter Seven
LEVI
Stevie’s ex looks like he wants to murder me, and the pleasure that courses through my veins is pure fucking ecstasy. I’m not sure what happened between them, but not only does the guy look like a complete dick, he also spoke to Stevie like he owns her. She looked surprised to see him here. Then again, she looked at me the same way a minute ago when I grabbed her hand, and again a few seconds after that when I claimed to be her date for the night. It was an instinctual move. My friends and I have done it from time to time. Hopefully, she doesn’t get pissed at me when we walk away from this tool.
The asshole laughs at me like I’m joking, and while I am lying, I don’t appreciate his condescending tone.
“You’re her date?” He points a finger toward me, then to Stevie. “Come on, babe, you wouldn’t move on that quickly.”
“You did,” Stevie spits out aggressively. “What are you doing here?” She looks at his hands and tips her head to the side. Stevie points to his empty cup. “I thought you hated drinking.”
Calling him out on his shit.Nice job, Bambi.
A bleached blonde woman comes up behind Andrew and wraps her arm around his. “Babe, why’d you leave me?” As ifshe suddenly realizes he’s been talking to two people this entire time, she looks at me and bites her lip. I contain my eye roll. Then she switches her gaze to Stevie, and her eyebrows are raised. “Look who came to a bar for the first time. Didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Tiffany, stop,” Andrew tries to warn her in the most pathetic tone I’ve ever heard.
A bleach blonde named Tiffany? A real class act, this guy.
“The whole group has been coming here regularly since last year, it’s about time you joined.”
The blonde gives Stevie a menacing grin, and by the look on my roommate’s face, this is the first time she’s hearing about it. Fuck, she looks completely taken off guard. The bitch cornered her, and Andrew, being the tool I knew he was, doesn’t say a thing. Instead, he shuffles on his feet, looking down at his shoes.
What a fucking pussy. There’s nothing I hate more than a cheater, and the words that left Tiffany’s mouth are confirmation enough. I’ve been in Stevie’s position. I know what it’s like to feel betrayed by someone you deeply care about.
“So, you’re Tiffany.” My statement catches her attention.
“Yes, I am,” she says sweetly. “And who are you?” Her head tilts, and she gives me a seductive smile.
“Stevie’s told me so much about you.”
