The realization hit Lizzy hard. “He was jealous.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Lizzy was stunned. Will Darcy wasn’t exactly her favorite person, but sabotaging someone’s career? A person he had called a friend? They had to construct an all-new level of asshole for that.
“I’m sorry,” Tristan said, shaking his head.
“What do you have to be sorry for? He should be the one apologizing.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to get in the middle of whatever’s going on between you two.”
Lizzy’s nose scrunched up. “There’s nothing going on between me and Will Darcy.”
Tristan smiled like he wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure? I saw the way he looked at you in there.”
“You mean the barely concealed loathing? I’m pretty sure he gives that look to everyone.”
He chuckled as he pushed off the porch railing to start toward her. “Interesting.”
“Not really,” she said with a shrug. “It’s like you said. He has money and I don’t.”
Tristan stopped in front of her, studying her face before raising his beer to clink against hers. “Well, cheers to that.”
She bit back a smile. “Cheers.”
Lizzy had no idea how much time passed. She had been too busy listening to Tristan talk about his plans, where he had hoped to be and how he had to work twice as hard for it now. She was so entranced that she almost missed the sound of cheering erupt from inside, the telltale sign that the band had finished their set.
Her heart dropped. “What time is it?”
Tristan pulled out his phone. “Almost midnight.”
“Crap,” she murmured. “I should head home.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just have to be at work early. The repair guy’s coming by to fix the fridge, then I have a whole pantry’s worth of supplies to replace…” She let out a deep sigh and pushed her hair from her face.
“Do you want a ride?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s all right; I live close by. I’m used to walking.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Neither of them moved. In the stillness, Lizzy was suddenly aware of just how close they were standing, the intensity of his stare.
Then, slowly, Tristan leaned forward, just enough for his mouth to hover over hers. Her brain was still registering the move when his hand came up to cradle her jaw, tilting her head just so, and forcing her eyes to meet his.
Oh, she had missed this. Tristan hadn’t even kissed her yet, butthe warmth and the comfort of another body so close to hers was enough to send a steady hum through her bloodstream. Suddenly she couldn’t remember why she hadn’t hooked up with anyone in months. A travesty that needed to be remedied at the earliest convenience.
But then the Irish Goodbye Door opened, and the boisterous sounds of the bar cut through the haze around them.
That’s when Will Darcy emerged.
He didn’t see Lizzy and Tristan immediately, just walked out and stopped on the porch. He took a deep breath, letting his head fall back so the lights in the parking lot highlighted his profile. The arch of his nose, the severe line of his brow.
Tristan cleared his throat.
Will’s attention snapped to them. His body was like stone as he took in the scene: Lizzy pressed up against the side of the building, Tristan’s body caging her in. There was no doubt what was happening. Still, Will did a slow audit, as if trying to decipher the details, until his gaze finally came up to meet Lizzy’s. His blue eyes were partially hidden under the shadow of his brow, but it didn’t matter. She could see them locked on her, clear and hard.
