A sharp pain shot through my chest. It still felt like yesterday that I’d come home early because of my excruciating period pains and caught her in bed with Trent.
She was wearing a skintight, low-cut red dress and high heels and I’d instantly felt like a tramp in my jeans and T-shirt.
Why, why, why did I have to bump into her now?
Especially when I didn’t even have Ben beside me for moral support.
I’d barely been here two minutes and this trip was already a disaster.
‘Hello, Esme,’ I said flatly.
‘Oh…’ she replied, without even bothering to say hello back or, better still, apologise. ‘Adrian said you were bringing aboyfriend.’
She said the word like it was a totally ridiculous and unbelievable concept for someone like me. Then she swivelled her head from left to right before dramatically looking behind me.
‘Yeah,’ I said firmly, already grateful that Ben had offered to come. ‘He’s just in the bathroom.’
‘Yeah, right.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘And no doubt later he’ll be struck down with food poisoning and won’t be able to come to the wedding at all. Look, if you’re still single, you should just say! This whole imaginary boyfriend thing is kind of pathetic. I know you believe that those book boyfriends you’re always going on about are real, but sometimes you need to live in reality. Not everyone is able to keep a man. Some people are destined to be alone,’ she said in her trademark condescending voice.
If my blood had been boiling before, right now it was about to catch fire.
‘Are youserious?’ I put my hands on my hips. ‘You do hear yourself, right? You do realise that what you did was wrong?’
‘Don’t get your knickers in such a twist, Rah-Rah,’ she scoffed, using the nickname she knew I hated. ‘I hope you’re not going to keep being a big baby about Trent choosing me. Remember, this is our big brother’s wedding. You don’t want to cause a scene. Shit happens, right?’
‘Shit happens?’ I spat, trying to keep my voice low. ‘You slept with my boyfriend!’
‘Trent needed someone that could satisfy him and that was never gonna be you. The best woman won, so you should just quit your whingeing and get over it. And…’ I was just about to tell her to fuck off when she paused and her eyes popped. ‘Oh my God, who isthat? Must be one of Adrian’s new friends. He ishot!’
I was about to turn my head when she stopped me.
Yep. She literally reached out and held my head in place to stop it turning.
‘Get your hands off me!’ I snapped, still trying not to cause a scene.
‘No point you looking anyway.’ She shrugged, dropping her hands. ‘He’s only going to be interested inme. You’d never get a man likethat.’
Just as I was about to turn around, I felt an arm slide around my waist and a gorgeous scent surrounded me.
‘Hi, darling, what did I miss?’ Ben’s deep, sexy voice surrounded me.
I didn’t even need to look to know it was him, but I did anyway, because, y’know, why waste an opportunity to take in his deliciousness?
Esme’s jaw dropped open so wide that a fleet of jumbo jets could’ve flown into her mouth and landed comfortably.
‘Nothing, I was just listening to some fool who was telling me that book boyfriends don’t exist.’
‘No!’ He mock-gasped. ‘Well, we both knowthat’snot true.’
‘Yep.’ I squeezed his bicep, then suppressed the urge to say ‘Bloody hell! Your arms are so firm!’ out loud. ‘I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re evenbetterthan a book boyfriend.’
‘Awww.’ Ben stroked my cheek and a jolt of electricity shot down my spine. ‘Thanks, beautiful.’
Ben stared into my eyes and my whole body lit up.
Damn. He was really good at this.
He was looking at me like he’d just discovered I’d invented the sun.
