“We’ll be the last women standing.”
“Okay, we can go, I won’t leave you… because I don’t have a boyfriend.” She sighed.
She was so happy and positive, I didn’t want to send her home already when she wanted to celebrate.
We made our way along the darkened streets, singing songs from the movie together, and got to the bar after a few minutes. It was a small hole-in-the-wall place. As “dive bar” as central Hade Harbor could get.
We went inside. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who had come here after the movie. There were fishnets and latex bodysuits all over the place.
The hockey players were near the back of the bar, playing pool.
“What the hell is this outfit?” Beckett demanded as soon as he saw Eve, abandoning his shot and setting the pool cue down.
She walked toward him, and he picked her up, right off the floor.
She giggled as he held her up in front of him, as if inspecting her.
“Where have you been?”
“The movies, I told you.” She giggled again.
Cayden had made his way immediately to Lily, as I’d already known he would.
He looked her up and down in a slow, deliberate way. Aisha made a face and fanned herself. I knew what she meant. The heat coming off the two of them was hard to ignore.
He held his hand out to Lily, and she took it, threading her fingers through his. A small smile played on her lips as he tugged her into his side. Cayden West might be a reformed bad boy from the wrong side of town, but Lily Williams clearly held the reins to the beast. He was just as in love with her now as he’d been when they’d first met.
A lump of jealousy filled my throat. Not for Cayden, but for the love between them. He’d been a broken person but somehow had overcome it, for her.
I was jealous of his strength and her grace.
“We’re going to go, guys. Have a good night,” Cayden turned around and called to his friends.
He and Lily seemed to have had an entire conversation without saying anything at all.
“Sounds good,” Beckett said, until Eve slapped his arm.
“I want to stay for a drink,” she protested.
I turned to Winter. Asher had already cornered her and backed her against another pool table. He had her sitting on the edge and stood between her legs. They were talking intently.
“Wow, you weren’t joking,” Aisha said. “I wonder where Marcus is?”
“Marcus and Ari have opera tickets in New York,” I told her, heading to the bar with Aisha by my side. “I ran into her the other day.”
“Nice, though I can’t imagine Marcus at the opera. Ari is all cultured and talented and…”
“And Marcus is Marcus.” I laughed. “Believe it or not, he can clean up nice, and he’ll make sure to, for her. He knows he’s batting way above his level.”
“Must be nice,” Aisha said with a long sigh. She hoisted herself onto a barstool with difficulty, given how tight her pleather shorts were.
“The opera?”
“Dating a guy who appreciates you,” she said instead and dropped her chin onto her hand. “Or just dating a guy of your choice in general.”
“You can’t tell me that you don’t have your choice of men?” I waved a hand over her. “All of this… going to waste? Don’t lie.”
“I’m not! Guys in my classes are crazy competitive. They don’t like girls who are smarter than them,” she said sadly.
