Phoenix and I had chosen steak and eggs. Summers and his wife had steak with salad (accompanied by a side of an entire bottle of wine, chosen by her son-in-law). So, what if he could pair the right wine with steak? That didn’t make him a fucking superhero. I imagined the prick cracked that same shitty knock-knock joke he delivered on the fairway every time he met new people; the unoriginal fuck.
Jasper had a woman’s dish of smashed avocado on toast with new potatoes: your typical pompous meal, and Storm opted for an egg white omelette, which she just seemed to push around her plate. I remember her cooking an omelette for me when we were together. That shit tasted like feet. Storm couldn’t cook to save her life.
As everyone had almost finished and the servers came to take our coffee order, her dish was just a plate of goo. I could see she was struggling with my being there, and I loved it.
Over me are you, sweetheart? I don’t fucking think so.
As he placed his knife and fork down, a man appeared beside Dominic Summers and spoke into his ear. Summers’ face went bright purple, and he pushed to his feet, apologizing and saying he needed to take a call. Storm was staring down at her goo, and Jasper and Nix stopped talking. I had been pretending to listen for the most part and slyly watching Storm when her fiancé's head was turned. As Storm’s father walked away, her mother, Rachel, watched her husband go with a suspicious eye. She, too, then excused herself and raced after him, taking her wine glass with her, full, I might add. Had Storm’s mother always been a lush?
When Nix glanced back from watching his father and stepmother rush away, I opened my mouth to ask if everything was OK, but was distracted. Our female server from earlier appeared to be facing the wrath of Storm. Her nametag said,Sally. She was standing at the end of the table by Storm and Jasper, wringing her hands.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, the coffee machine is broken. I have espresso or instant.”
Storm physically recoiled, staring up at the girl with blatant displeasure, “I don’t do instant coffee, I’m afraid, I’m not an animal.” I bit my lip to stop myself from bursting out laughing. Storm Summers was still every bit the entitled princess, but fuck me, I still loved the blue-blooded bitch as much as I did before I left. I looked away from the adorable look of horror on her face with a chuckle, and Nix cut me a look.
“Espresso will be fine,” Jasper suddenly added for her with an annoyed expression. I did not appreciate the fact that he had ordered for her. Again, my Middle Ages comment I had muttered when I’d found out about their sham of an engagement came to the surface of my mind. Fuck I needed to tell her I knew.
The snort left my mouth before I could stop it, and Nix elbowed me beneath the table, again.
“Is something wrong?” Jasper muttered.
Frowning, I motioned towards Storm with one hand. “I just think the lady can probably order for herself.”
Storm’s fiancé's face became stony before he shrugged and added. “She dithers. I was being helpful.”
“Really? I’ve known Storm a lot longer than you, and I’ve never seen her dither. In fact, out of everyone I know, Storm is the one person who has always known exactly what she wants.”
“Reed,” Nix said in warning. Storm went to comment, but at that moment, it was just me and dickhead.
“And what’s that, since you know my fiancée so well?” The intensity of the extended eye contact Jasper was daring to make: the ballsiness of it made my fists itch.
I raised my eyebrows and watched him across the table like he was lacking something. Which he was. “Well, if you need me to tell you that, then there’s something clearly wrong.”
Storm cut in. “Please, both of you. Reed, it doesn’t matter; it’s fine. I would have ordered the espresso anyway.”
My eyes narrowed, and my lip curled as I drilled her with a look. “Really, you always hated that heavy shit.”
Dickhead then piped up. “It just goes to show, Reed. If you don’t mind me being so informal.”
I cut him a look that could have melted glass. “Not at all, Jasper. It just goes to show what?” The gloves were off.
“That people change,” he said smugly, wiping his mouth with his napkin when he hadn’t eaten anything for ages. Fucking jerk-off, he was such a wiseass. I tried to mask my annoyance as I imagined my fingers wrapping around the spineless prick’s windpipe.
I knew it was madness and she would kill me, but I couldn’t help myself. I shot Jasper, a lopsided smile as I rasped with a clear sexual undertone, “I suppose they do. But tell me, does she still hold her breath when she’s excited?”
“Reed! I think that’s enough,” Storm gasped, almost knocking her drink over. Her voice had dropped to that chilly temperature that used to make most boys on the team at high school run for cover. Jasper, however, didn’t blink an eyelid, but Nix filled the awkward moment by choking with beer dribbling down his chin.
And it was then that my suspicions were confirmed. Jasper did know about Storm and me. That’s why he had disliked me on sight. But how and what? Had she told him everything? I didn’t like the thought of that.
Nix’s hard hand on my shoulder broke the death stare I was giving the man sitting next to my woman. “Hey, man. I suggest we ask for the bill.”
Shrugging his hand off my shoulder, I pushed to my feet and threw my napkin down. “I’ll get it. As an apology for stepping out of line,” I stated with a glance atStorm. Her face was white as a sheet, and I felt like an unspeakable bastard. What I was doing had caused her immense discomfort, and I realized that it didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.
She kept her eyes on the mess I’d helped her cause. Look at me! I wanted to shout. Jasper was helping her mop some of the spilled water off the table. That should have been me, not him.
I fucking hated this guy. I prayed for patience, willing myself not to walk around the table and punch him in the dick.
Jealousy, hot and aggressive, pumped through my chest and into my fists, and my jaw started to tick. Every bone in my body was ready to attack.
