Chapter Eleven
Lucy
Shit, shit, shit!
He is here, he is gorgeous, and he is going to ruin me. Again.
I could see it in the way he looked at me. The same way he did before I left. It is like no time has passed at all, but at the same time, an eternity. That cocky arrogance that I loved so much still oozes from him with everything he does. He had to have known how much he was affecting me in there. Even now, as we wait for the delivery guy to leave, I can feel how close he is standing to me.
It is killing me.
His chest is against my back as he leans over my shoulder to pay the delivery guy. Such a simple touch makes me feel more alive than I have in a long time. I have tried to get over him, forcing myself to date other men. But none of them were good enough. None of them were him. It’s just one night, I need to be strong and not let him see how much of an effect he has on me. I have a feeling he isn’t going to make it easy, and now I have to sit through dinner with him. Fabulous. I can’t control my eyeroll as I turn to the kitchen.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me? Because I’m pretty sure you did, and you know how much I love it.” He remarks smugly. Staying one step behind. He is so close I can feel theheat of his body on my back. I carry on walking, trying to seem unfazed by him. “You missed me, admit it.”
“Of course I have. You were my closest friend,” I tell him, the words barely a whisper. My damn vocal cords are betraying me.
“I missed a lot more than just our friendship, and I know you did too.” I freeze as I feel the back of his hand skim the length of my arm in one slow caress. “You can admit it, you know.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I choke out; my game plan seems to be denial, apparently. Part of me knows I should run into the dining room to escape all of this, but the sadist in me keeps me right where I am. Frozen at his mercy.
He leans in close to my ear and whispers, “Oh Sugarplum. We both know that is a lie.”
The feel of his hot breath against my ear sends shivers down my neck and right to my nipples. They stiffen at the mere closeness of him. I angle my head to look at him, to find him smirking back at me. After a beat, he pulls away and carries on towards our family.
“Come on, we can’t keep them waiting all night.” He calls without glancing back.
God, he is infuriating. The diva in me wants to stomp my foot in annoyance. It takes all I have in me to plaster on a fake smile and follow him in. The bastard.
Liz has already set the table with everything we need apart from the food. She has even sat everyone strategically to keep me and Max separated. But her plan has one fault: we’re now sitting directly in front of each other. Well, tonight is going to be fun.
“So, Lucy, tell us something from your latest adventure. I need all the details.” Fallon asks excitedly. Her large, beautiful smile was beaming at me.
She is truly stunning, with her gorgeous mane of blonde curls bouncing as she chats animatedly. Everyone, in the salon she owns with Maya, is the same, effortlessly beautiful. The lot of them could go out in bin bags and no one would bat an eye. Where Fallon is tall, blonde, and gorgeous, Maya is her opposite. A brunette with sleek, straight hair and a prettiness that needs no makeup. Bitches. I’m so tired from the amount of work I put my body through that I have to doll myself up each day just to hide the eye bags.
“It was amazing but so tiring. I’m happy to be home just for the sleep.” Home isn’t exactly what I think of this place anymore, not with the way Liz side-eyes me. “But I finally got to do myTitanicmoment on the ship last week.” I chuckle.
“Who with? Don’t tell me his name was Jack?” Max laughs.
“Nope, with Sara. We took turns on who could play the best Rose.” I smile my first genuine smile at him. “Sara won. Her acting holds no bounds.”
“What was the show like? I bet you were fabulous every evening.” Liz says, her face softening as she speaks to me.
“It was incredible. If it wasn’t for missing your food so much, I may have stayed a while longer.” I offer, pride brimming from her at the compliment. “It was so exciting. I never thought I would ever do anything apart from ballet.”
“And what about the men? Let me live vicariously through you. Tell me all the dark and dirty secrets.” Fallon adds, almost bouncing out of her chair from excitement.
“Fallon!” Liz reprimands. “You can’t ask such things.”
But it isn’t Liz I’m looking at. It’s Max. If looks could kill, Fallon would be six feet under by now. I’m almost positive I heard a growl coming from him. I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
“Of course I can. I need all the juicy details.”
“Er, no. No men,” I reply quickly, shovelling in a mouthful of curry to keep my mouth too full to elaborate any more.
“Don’t lie. There must have been loads of men fawning after you.” She laughs, throwing me a wink before saying. “Don’t worry, you can fill me in later.”
I risk another quick glance at Max and wish that I didn’t. His eyes are burning through me with such an intensity that I have to look away. All those years ago, I never got the chance to see his jealous side. Is it bad that I kind of like it?
