“Jess, this is Wyatt. Wyatt, this is my best friend, Jess.”
Her eyes grow big as she looks at me again. A huge grin escapes from her lips, and she puts her hand out to greet Wyatt. “Wyatt, so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much.”
Mortified, I close my eyes. I don’t need him to think that I talk about him at all.
“Really,” he said, looking pointedly at me with a smirk on his face. “Wish I could say the same, but it’s still a pleasure to meet anyone who’s close to Blair.” He’s pulling out all the charm.
“It would be hard to tell you anything since we don’t talk,” I snip at him.
Jess pulls us both over to the bar so she can fill us in on the gossip she’s heard from socializing around the room this evening. She and Wyatt seem to hit it off and somehow become best friends. I vow to kill her once I get her alone. She should know better than to fraternize with the enemy.
As the room clears, I wrap up my last conversations and officially call it a night.
“You ready?” I ask Jess, and she turns and gives me a look I already don’t like.
“Wyatt, is there any chance you can take Blair home? She rode with me, but I need to run by the office to finish up a story I’m on deadline for.”
I will kill her. I’m going to end up in jail for killing my best friend. Who knew it would end this way?
“Of course. I’m happy to give Blair a ride,” he says with way too much innuendo, and he and Jess lock eyes with amusement. They are no longer allowed to hang out with each other if they aim to torture me.
“Let’s go,” I say to Wyatt. “And you are dead to me,” I whisper to Jess.
She laughs as she hugs me and then whispers in my ear, “You’re welcome.”
eighteen
. . .
WYATT
I holdthe passenger door open and offer my hand to help Blair into my car. She looks fucking incredible. She always does. Tonight, she’s in a black suit and five-inch Christian Louboutin heels that bring her close to my height. It took all my willpower not to look at her chest since she wasn’t wearing a shirt under that suit jacket. I felt both anxious and hopeful about the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction, but obviously, she knows what she’s doing.
Her hair is blown out with thick, dark waves that drop past her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. Her eyes pop, an almost translucent honey color, and those lips…
Jesus, save me.
There’s a gloss on them with a hint of neutral color, just the right amount that I could kiss her and it wouldn’t mess up her makeup.
She slides into my car with ease, and something about it feels right. Like she belongs in that seat. Belongs with me. I allow myself a moment to imagine she’s coming home with me, and desire makes my heart ache. What was I thinking when I suggested we stay professional? I was trying to be respectful ofwhat I thought she wanted, but I don’t want that. And I don’t want her to think that I want that.
I’m still in my head when she breaks the silence.
“Why did you get back together with Holly?” Her stare is focused on the city lights zipping by her passenger window. When I don’t answer immediately, she turns her head and gives me a determined look. “You said all those things, Wyatt. I believed you. I thought…” She cuts herself off and returns her gaze to the lights flying by. “Never mind. It doesn’t even matter anymore.”
I rub my forehead and then down my face as I take in and release a deep breath. At some point, we need to talk about this if there’s to be any chance of moving past it.
“I didn’t want to. We didn’t really…” I try to find exactly how to tell her I was a coward and that I hate how much control my father has—or had—over my decisions.
Her eyebrows pull together, and she tilts her head at me in disbelief. Her eye contact game is strong.
“Our parents became close. When Holly and I broke up, it was awkward at first when our families spent time together, but they seemed to accept it.” I stop talking for a minute. I don’t want this to reopen any wounds. I clear my throat.
“Holly and her parents were over for dinner, and my father brought up prom. I knew my dad leveraged the fact that we were dating to manage some business deals with her dad. I’m not sure if Holly said something to her parents or if there were other factors, but it was clear his expectation was I would take Holly to prom as originally planned.”
Just saying it out loud makes me feel foolish.
“I didn’t know how to tell you. I hated my dad. I hated myself. I kind of just checked out after that and went into zombie mode.”
