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“What are we doing here?”
He smiles. “It’s your surprise. The guys wanted to meet up and play some pool.”
My eyes widen and I turn to look up at the Moe’s sign for a moment before turning back to him. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“What?”
“I thought you wanted to spend time with me. Isn’t that why you made me stop painting and come out with you?”
He laughs, shaking his head as he turns off the car. “Okay, I didn’t make you do anything and we are going to spend time together.”
Pointing to the bar, he shakes his head again and climbs out of the car before I can say anything else to him. He can’t possibly be serious. My door opens and I climb out, anger pouring off of me in waves as I ignore his outstretched hand but he seems oblivious. He tries to grab my hand again but I manage to keep it out of his grasp as we walk into the bar. Trey and Bree spot me the moment I walk in, waving hello, and I force a smile to my face as Ryan steers me over to the pool tables.
“Hey, fellas,” he calls, shaking hands with one of his friends as the others nod in his direction. I’ve met them all a couple times but I couldn’t tell you their names to save my life since I get the feeling they don’t think too much of me. That’s fine, though – I’m not particularly impressed with them either. Ryan leaves me standing by the tables as he walks over to the pool tables where his friends are waiting and I scoff as I hop up onto a chair.
Fuck this.
“Babe, grab us some beers, yeah?” Ryan calls, barely even glancing over his shoulder as he issues his order and I clench my teeth as I stand up.
“Yeah, you got it,” I whisper, not even sparing Ryan or his friends a backward glance as I shuffle through masses of bodies on my way to the bar.
“Hey, Em, what’s going on?” Trey asks when I reach my destination and I force a smile.
“Nothing.”
His gaze flicks down to the hard set of my mouth before meeting my eyes again. “Come on now. I think I know you better than that, baby sister.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Trey.” Especially not after the last time one of my brothers got involved in my relationship. Ryan got so drunk and came home, convinced that my family and friends were trying to sabotage us. The only thing that calmed him down was my promise to keep things private and the last thing I need tonight is Ryan blowing up because I said something to one of my brothers.
He studies me for another moment before nodding. “Yeah, all right.”
“Emma Harrington?” a deep voice asks from behind me and I spin around, squinting at a man who looks vaguely familiar.
“Uh…yeah. Do I know you?”
He grins at me and nods. “Drew Lynch. It’s been forever.”
Realization dawns and I gasp. “Wow, yeah, it sure has been. How are you?”
“I’m really good,” he says, stepping forward and opening his arms for a hug, which I quickly accept. “How have you been?”
“I’m good,” I reply, pulling myself out of his hold as I offer him a warm smile. It has been years since I’ve seen Drew but we were good friends in high school and spent a lot of time together since we were both really into art. We lost touch when he went to South Carolina for school, though. “You in town for a visit?”
“No, actually, I just moved back.”
I grin. “That’s great. We’ll have to grab a beer sometime and catch up.”
“Absolutely. You free now?” he asks, glancing at two empty barstools next to me.
“Emma!” Ryan snaps from behind me and the hair on my arms stand on end as I spin around to face him. I can’t quite look him in the eye but I’m not sure why. It’s not like I was doing anything wrong. “Come here.”
His tone leaves no room for argument and my feet start moving before I even realize what I’m doing.
“Yeah?”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growls under his breath so only I can hear him in the noisy bar. I peek up at him, trying to understand why I feel so guilty when I know I didn’t do anything wrong.
“I was just talking to an old friend from high school.”
