Brant’s eyes flick to mine in question or maybe judgment. “Well, let me know. It was good to see you both.”
“Good to see you too!” she says as he walks away before letting her drink hover beneath her lips. “Can you relax? I am not interested in Brant. I never have been.”
“He’s clearly still interested in you and still a fuckin’ dork,” I grumble as we move away from the bar and toward a private table. I know it’s only a matter of time before more of my family realizes I’m here, and I won’t have a second alone with Saint.
She lets out a loud laugh before putting a hand over her mouth and setting her glass down. “A dork? That’s what you called him when we were younger.”
“It still stands.” My eyes flit to hers, and I give her a hard look. “You are not getting a drink with him without me,” I say, and she folds her arms over her chest and responds with a look full of sass.
“I’m sorry, are you telling me what to do?”
I glare at her because she'd better be fucking with me. “Do not push me, Saint.”
“I’m not saying I would, but I don’t like that you’re telling me that I can’t.” She cocks her head to the side and sinks her teeth into her bottom lip in a way that my dick responds to instantly.
“Oh? Like when Quinn asked about me getting together when we were back in Seattle? You didn’t answer her for me?”
Saint opens her mouth before closing it.Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.“Fair,” she mumbles out of the side of her mouth.
“I speak for you just like you speak for me when the moment calls for it. This isn’t new, Halle,” I say before taking a healthy sip of my wine, and I hope she takes my use of her first name as I am not fucking around. Not that I’ve ever been fucking around when it came to Saint,ever.
“Fine. Just… we said we weren’t saying anything yet. Be cool.”
I should have known that Sebastian was incapable of being cool. Being cool when it comes to me is absolutely not that man’s strength, especially in an environment where there are a lot of men. I hadn’t anticipated Brant being here, but I suppose I should have, given that he’s the son of Sara’s best friend. But I definitely hadn’t anticipated him openly asking me outin front ofSebastian. Part of me thought he might be testing the situation. I’m sure by now, Elana has told him about Sebastian and me if he hadn’t already figured it out himself. So it makes me wonder if he was feeling out our reactions.
I’m standing by myself scrolling mindlessly through Instagram after Wild had to take a call from work when I sense someone next to me and then hear his voice. “So my father mentioned that you don’t come home much?” I look up and spot dark eyes, the color of a rich mahogany, staring into mine. His drink is at a higher level than before, so I assume he’s on his second drink.Or potentially more.He leans one elbow on the table and smiles at me.
Fuck. Wild is going to hate this.
“I’m just busy with school, that’s all. Business school takes up a lot—”
“But even before then,” he interjects, and I raise an eyebrow at him, which I hope he takes as,did you just interrupt me?“My dad mentioned you never visited Sara much. As a matter of fact,I believe he went as far as to say you wereestranged.”I can’t tell his motive with this line of questioning, but I really have no interest in entertaining it.
“Just how it worked out.” I take a sip of my glass of wine. “We’re fine.” And while that fact may never be true, I’m not going to rehash all of our history with someone I barely know.
He eyes me over his glass and nods slowly. “I’m in New York from time to time. Maybe next time I’m in town, we can get together?”
Oh, great.
I could just agree and then just… not. But I am actually curious as to why he has this interest in me.“Why would we do that? I don’t even know you.” I give him a polite smile that could be misconstrued as interest, but I hope he doesn’t see it as anything more than sugarcoated rejection.
“Well, I was hoping we could change that,” he says, and I realize it’s time to shut all this down before Wild comes back and does it for me.
“I’m not sure what your intentions are, but I have a boyfriend. Avery seriousboyfriend.” My lips form a straight line, and I tuck some hair behind my ear.
“Is that so? Why isn’t he here, then?” he asks, his voice laced with smug arrogance.
“He couldn’t make it,” I respond without missing a beat.
“Really? Thought maybe you’d be wary about introducing him to your stepbrother.” He leans down on his other elbow and drags his finger along the rim of his glass. “I heard you two were…close,”he stresses, and I understand now what the point of this conversation is.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“Oh, come on. We’re family now.” He chuckles, and I find myself looking over my shoulder for an escape route.
Just walk away from him.
“Or…” He snaps his finger. “Do you want to hear my other theory?”
