Tanner lets out a sarcastic laugh I didn’t know he had in him. “Don’t play with me right now, Katie. Let’s go.”
She leans back in the seat, arching her overplucked blonde brow. “I just got here. I’m having fun.”
Tanner’s chest rises and falls rapidly, like he’s trying to rein in his anger. It’s obvious she knows how to push his buttons. “We’re leaving,” he demands in the same tone he gives us when he doesn’t want us to argue.
“Bye.” She waves her witch fingers in his face.
Ellie sucks in a breath, body going rigid in my arms. I can practically feel the claws coming out of her.
Without another word, Tanner spins, heading right for the door.What the fuck?I step back, prepared to follow, when Katie’s shrill laughter stops me.
Ellie jerks out of my hold. “You’re a real bitch, you know?” she says to Katie. “You fly out here just to ditch your boyfriend’s show?”
“You don’t know me.”
Ellie laughs. “And I don’t want to. You don’t deserve Tanner. I hope he dumps your ass.”
Katie jumps up, bumping the table and shaking the glasses on top. Pacey flinches, trying to pull away, but I tighten my hold.
“You should mind your business, slut!” she screams, picking up a shot glass. Her hand rears back, and I can see it. She’s prepping to sling that shit right at Ellie.
My muscles tighten. I’m trying to keep Pacey from running off while simultaneously shielding Ellie from what’s coming.
Turning my body, I throw my hand out in an attempt to block the liquid that’s about to head this way, but to my goddamn surprise, the crazy bitch throws the whole fucking shot glass at Ellie.
It hits my hand as I swing, trying to protect Ellie, but it backfires and hits Pacey right across the face. She squeals as the glass bounces off her and shatters at her feet.
“You psycho!” Ellie yells, rushing forward, fists clenching at her sides.
Shit.
I yank her back by her overall strap, but she’s pretty strong for her size, and I only have one arm. I’m using the other tohold onto Pacey. “Ellie,” I grunt, as she tries to wrestle out of my hold. Pacey’s clutching her cheek, watching in horror as everything unfolds. “You good?” I ask in her ear, and she nods, though her body is trembling against mine.
Ellie leans over my arms as far as she can, getting in Katie’s face as they scream at each other. The rest of the people have backed away, watching with shocked expressions. I curl my arm around Ellie’s waist, lifting her off the ground, when Tanner pops back up out of nowhere.
“What the fuck is going on!?” he roars.
“Ask your little whore!” Katie shrieks, pointing a finger at Ellie.
Ellie stares blankly at her. “Really?”
Katie glares, then turns to Tanner. “Are you sleeping with her? Or her?” Her eyes dart to Pacey, who is still holding her cheek.
“Jesus Christ, Katie, you cannot be serious. You ditch my show, and I find you at a bar with a bunch of strangers, and you questionme?”
“I was waiting for you! But I didn’t know you were bringing these people.”
Tanner looks at us as if he forgot who was with him. As if Katie doesn’t know exactly who we are. Then his eyes lock on Pacey, his brow furrowing. “Shit,” he mumbles, stepping forward and taking in her face. “Are you ok?” She already has a fat lip from the pit, and now there’s a pop knot on her cheek, a bruise starting to form. Penn is going to kill me.
“I’m fine,” she says.
“Hello! Are you seriously concerned abouther?” Katie cries. Tanner inhales deeply, squeezing his eyes closed, no doubt trying to summon patience. When they open again, they stay on Pacey a moment, softening like he’s apologizing or some shit. He spins around, face hard when he points it at his girlfriend.
“I’m leaving, Katie. You either come with me or pay for your own flight home because I’mdone.”
I grin. Hell yes.
She gasps. “You wouldn’t.”
