I come up behind her, drop my lips to her ear, and say, “Why is Ian not doing this for you?”
She spins to face me, her plush lips parting as she looks up at me. “Because I have a heartbeat. I can get my own drink, and he had to take a call outside. Blueberry wants lemonade.”
“You should’ve texted me. I would’ve gotten it for you.”
Her brows narrow as she crosses her arms under her chest. “I know you have this need to take care of people, but I’m seriously fine.”
We’re in a staring contest, neither of us backing down until I sigh and look up at the ceiling. “You’re so stubborn, but so am I. I’m going to wait with you.”
“And what if Ian sees?” she counters.
“I’m getting myself a drink and you happen to be in line too. Easy explanation,” I supply, not worried about her brother at the moment.
My heart feels like it could pound out of my chest as all the possibilities run through my mind. Someone tripping and falling into her. Someone elbowing her stomach.
Each one pinches my heart, making it ache as stress eats at me. Fuck, I’ve never experienced anything like this. Of course I worried about Camille growing up, and now Olivia, but it’s never been likethis.
Like this all-consuming need to protect what’s mine.
I know she isn’t, but God, she feels like it at times.
I’m so lost in my head that I don’t realize what’s happening until Teagan’s voice cuts through the air with disdain.
“I said no,” she fires, glaring at the man to her left, who has his hand on her waist.
“C’mon, honey,” he slurs before I push him off her so forcefully, that if it weren’t for the people behind him holding him up, he’d be on his ass.
“Keep your fucking hands off the mother of my child,” I grit.
“What the hell did you say?” a familiar voice behind me shouts.
I whip around to face Ian just as he cocks his arm back to throw a punch at me, but Teagan yanks on his arm.
“Stop it. Let’s go outside and talk. There are too many eyes on us,” she tells him.
He inhales and exhales deeply, like a fire-breathing dragon as he attempts to calm down.
Pauly and Cole are here now, and they give Ian a pointed look toward the door. He laughs, but it’s not because he finds this humorous, then storms out the front door of the bar.
Teagan and I follow suit, with Pauly and Cole taking up a watching position near the large glass front windows.
As soon as we’re outside, Teagan puts herself firmly between Ian and me.
“There will be no punching, only talking. If you two want to act like children, I’ll happily drop you off at the closest playground,” she says, her voice firm despite the slight shake of her hand that I notice.
I brush my fingers against hers, trying to soothe her until Ian speaks up.
“So let me get this straight. You went and slept with my sister, to what? Get back at me for wanting to take your spot?”
I scoff at how big his ego is, to think I’d go to that length just to piss him off.
“I never even knew she was your sister until we had dinner back in June. So no, Ian. This wasn’t done as fuck you to you or something like that.” I want to add that I’m no more happy about being tied to him than he is, but I know it wouldn’t help matters.
Both of his hands run through his hair as he paces. I can practically feel the anger radiating off him, so I subtly shift my body so that it’s in front of Teagan’s.
“Ian, why the fuck is this such a big deal to you?” Teagan speaks up, her frustration bleeding through her words. “I’m an adult. I can sleep with whoever I want.”
“Not him,” he groans, glaring at me.
