I looked from the pool to the waitress standing before us, waiting for my order. I gave my head a small shake. “Just water, please.”
She returned shortly with my water, two bottles of Jack, and several shot glasses. Garrett and his band members all started pounding shots like it was a race. Fortunately, Garrett stopped around shot number four and switched to beer, but that didn’t stop discomfort from blooming in my chest as the levels in the bottles quickly went down. A short while later, the smell of pot smoke invade our little circle. I wasn’t sure who lit up, but eventually all the guys, including Garrett, took a hit from the blunt as it was passed to them. I shied away with a smile and a shake of my head when Garrett offered. It was, without a doubt, the rock star lifestyle. It was what he was used to… and I didn’t fit. I didn’t fault anyone else who wanted to smoke or drink, as long as it wasn’t done to excess, but that just wasn’t me.
Declan disappeared about an hour in. At one point, a woman came over and took Killian by the hand, leading him off to parts unknown. Mace had a girl on his lap, and I was afraid that if I looked closely enough, I’d see one of his hands doing something Ineverwanted to see. Garrett seemed immune to everything going on around him as he engaged in conversationwith a group of guys who’d come to join us as the night wore on. His arm stayed along the bench behind me the whole time, but I was still an outsider. Not a single person paid me any attention. It was like I was nothing more than a houseplant tucked into the corner, giving the room a splash of color but otherwise ignored.
I let my eyes roam around as I sat silently, playing Garrett’s arm candy. Ian stayed relatively close but remained in the background, making it hard to start a conversation with him. Besides, he was on the job, so it wasn’t like he could have kept me company the whole time anyway.
My gaze landed on a familiar pair of eyes at the bar. Chris sat, surrounded by other industry types, sipping from a glass full of amber liquid. He was speaking to someone else, but that hateful glare he’d perfected was aimed firmly at me. Everything about that guy made my skin crawl.
The air around me was stifling, filled with the heavy sent of smoke and cloying perfume. Mixed with Chris’s unwanted attention, it all became too much to bear.
“Where you going?” Garrett asked, grabbing my wrist when I stood. I finally had his attention after hours of being overlooked. However, it came at a time when I wanted nothing but a moment of privacy.
“Bathroom,” I answered with a plastic smile. “I’ll be right back.”
I twisted my wrist from his hold and started pushing my way through the people standing around.
I all but ran through the bathroom door, hoping for a reprieve, only to stumble upon a group of women crowded around the sinks, lines of coke spread along the black granite countertop. A blonde head was bent over one of the lines, the woman sniffing loudly as she slid a rolled-up bill across the powder.
I was frozen in place just long enough to see the face of thewoman who’d just taken a hit. Tiffany Monroe’s glassy eyes met mine in the mirror for a split second before I came to my senses, turned, and quickly hightailed it out of the bathroom.
I’d just made it back out into the hallway when the door to the men’s room across from me swung open. Killian came stumbling out, his pants only half-zipped and what looked like scratch marks on the bit of chest exposed by his partially buttoned shirt. The woman who’d pulled him away earlier followed closely behind, tugging her skirt back into place.
His attention hit me and a lazy smile stretched his lips. “Hey there, slugger.” He and the other guys had taken to calling me slugger since Garrett told them about me breaking Chris’s nose.
I looked between him and the woman he’d just screwed in the bathroom of a club. Just more proof I didn’t fit into their world. “Uh… hi.”
“Where you off to?”
“Just looking for fresh air. Don’t mind me. Back to—” I waved my hand between him and his hookup. “—whatever it was you were doing. Sorry to interrupt.”
I moved to go around him, but he caught my arm before I got too far. “Hey, you okay?” Concern laced his voice, mirroring his expression.
I did my best to appear calm and collected, giving him a small nod. “Yeah. I’m good. Just going to head back to the party.”
“You sure?”
He really was a good guy. They all were. I was glad Garrett had people he was close to, and that they’d been friends for so long. People needed other people. I knew that better than anyone. But right then something about his worry for me was just too much. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes and burned my nose, and I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. It was aridiculous response, but the whole night was so overwhelming and I couldn’t control my emotions.
“I’m great,” I lied with a fake smile. “You guys go have fun. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to find Garrett.”
I must have pulled it off because Killian finally released my arm and took a step back. “All right, darlin’. Stick close to him. Don’t wander too far.”
I stupidly gave him a salute and turned to head back to our table. I’d just cleared the hall back into the main part of the club when I stuttered to a stop. The guys Garrett was talking to when I left were gone.
In their place was a redhead with curves that would have put Jessica Rabbit to shame. She sat with her legs crossed one over the other and her entire body angled toward his. Her smile was so big it practically swallowed her face. Garrett said something and the woman giggled, placing her hand on his chest. It looked like she whispered something to him, and I watched, a piece of my heart splintering, as his head fell back with abandoned laughter. He looked happy, completely at ease, as if the woman was someone he’d known and cared about for a long time. She wasn’t just another one-night stand.
I’d officially reached my limit. I was fed up with the scene, my heels were pinching my toes, and I was just… over it. All of it. Instead of going to Garrett, I wound my way through the crowd, heading straight for Ian.
“Hey, I’m going to head back to the hotel.”
He looked down at me with the same expression my father used to wear as I got older and started venturing out on my own. It was one of apprehension. The look tugged painfully at my heart.
“I don’t think you should go by yourself. Let me just get Mr. Wilder—”
“No. He’s enjoying himself. I’m just tired and want to go tosleep.” He scanned the room, his gaze stopping on Garrett and the redhead several feet away, and let out a heavy sigh. “Please, Ian,” I said quietly, trying to mask the break in my voice. “I just want to go.”
He regarded me closely and finally nodded. “All right. But I’m taking you myself.”
