She resisted again, glaring at the water like it had done something to offend her before lifting her gaze back to mine. There were so many emotions flickering behind her eyes that I couldn’t begin to read them all, but I did see her resolve starting to crumble.
“Just take the water, Colette,” I said as gently as I could while still making sure she could hear me above the music. “We still have responsibilities, remember? We’re the man of honor and the head groomswench. We have to make sure this is a good night for them, not ourselves. There’s no way we can do that for them if we’re wasted.”
I saw her chest rise and fall on a heavy sigh when she realized I was right, and then she took the water. “Thank you. Do you need any help with anything right now?”
“Nope. I’ve just checked with the bartender. They’re bringing out the midnight snacks at about eleven. We’ll get some of the liquor in everyone’s stomach soaked up before we have to get back in the limos.”
“Okay.” She nodded and even gave me a small smile. “Just let me know if you need my help with anything.”
It looked like she wanted to say something else, but it was cut off when I was swarmed by a pack of women that had appeared suddenly. Or at least, it seemed like they’d suddenly appeared to me, but I’d been so focused on Colette that I might just have missed the damn apocalypse.
I’d known the girls surrounding me for a long time since they were my sister’s friends, but Colette’s face fell when I smiled at the one closest to me. I couldn’t remember her name, and I didn’t know why Colette abruptly spun around and danced her way back to Brett. We’d gotten separated from him somehow, but I allowed the girls to pull me away instead of going after her. Whatever. She wants me to leave her alone, right?
“I’m so glad you’re finally joining us on the dance floor,” one of the girls shrieked into my ear, and I winced.
And this is why I always clear out when these ones show up. They’re so darn screechy. But when Tierra came to join the circle they formed around me, I decided not to find a way to dodge the screechy one or even the one who always seemed to get a bit handsy when she was a few drinks in.
Tonight was about making sure my sister had a good time, so I swallowed my pride and even let Handsy feel me up while she used me as a dancing pole. Cutting loose, I did a few goofy dances with Tierra that had the girls around me in stitches once Handsy backed off again. I even pretended to walk the catwalk when a song about it came on.
There were whoops and cheers, and I brought my fingers to my face as I kept my features all kinds of serious. I didn’t really do catwalks and shows, but I had fun pretending to strut my stuff. Tierra cracking up as she watched was good enough for me, so I kept up the antics and focused on making my sister laugh.
It worked for a long time, and then Brett wrapped his arms around Tierra from behind and dragged her away to dance with them. Colette was still there with their group. She was also still laughing and dancing. I really tried not to keep staring at her, but I still found myself glancing in her direction more often than I’d have liked to admit.
At least she never seemed to dance with one guy for more than a single song before she extricated herself and went back to our friends. She and Brett also goofed off to a song or two from their childhood, and it was their turn to make Tierra shake with laughter.
The first time I caught her looking back at me when I glanced at her, Handsy was at it again. I swore it seemed like Colette was going to be sick when she tracked Handsy’s fingers as they moved up and down my arms. Barely having noticed her touching me before, I did a little bow to dance around her in order to show Colette I didn’t want her near me, but when I looked again, she was firmly focused on Brett once more.
What the fuck was that about?
A few more times throughout the night, we talked for no more than a minute or two. When the snacks came out, there was almost a stampede for the sliders, pizza slices, mozzarella sticks, and piles of fries. I caught her eye and winked, and she actually laughed a little before turning away again.
We’d taken a bet when we’d decided to organize the snacks on who was going to swarm the table faster, the men or the women. At this point, I didn’t know which one of us had won that bet, but it was fair to say that we’d made a good call to provide more food even though there had been something available to eat all day.
Gracefully deciding that I would take the loss, I requested the “Cha Cha Slide” from the DJ—as were the terms of the bet—and arched a brow at her when I took my place in the center of the dance floor.
That pulled another laugh out of her, and she shook her head when the pack of girls from before joined me as the first bars of the song started to play. I didn’t let them bother me, though, keeping my gaze on Colette’s until she disappeared as more and more people joined the dance.
It was nearing the time we’d arranged for the limos to pick us up again when our eyes locked from across the dance floor again. She was holding on to Brett, who looked like he was having some trouble keeping upright, but she cut off whatever she’d been saying when her gaze landed on mine.
There was something so wistful on her face that it hurt just looking at her, but I also couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away. There was longing in the way she was looking at me too. If she really wanted nothing to do with me, would she look at me like that?
I didn’t know for sure, but I definitely didn’t think so.
Chapter 32
COLETTE
“That was an epic party.” Tierra giggled as she slumped against Brett’s side in the back of the limo. Her glassy eyes found mine and then moved to Paxton’s. “Thank you, guys. It was awesome.”
“You’re welcome,” I said and felt Paxton nodding beside me.
It was the end of the night, and the limos were taking everyone back to Tierra and Brett’s house, which was serving as ground zero for the party. Taxis were meeting us there to pick people up, although a few had opted to go straight home from the club, and some others had decided to stay for a while longer.
We spread out in the back of the limo we were in, and I passed waters over to anyone who raised their hand for one. There was still some talking, but most of us were quiet and exhausted after one hell of a day.
It had turned out to be an incredible party, just like Tierra had said about twenty times by now. Sure, there had been sucky parts, like having to listen to those girls talk about Paxton and worse, having to watch him dancing with them later, but he hadn’t taken the bait they were dangling.
To my complete and total surprise, he hadn’t touched one of them. He’d laughed, danced, and had fun, even let them touch him, but from what I’d seen, he hadn’t even really looked at them. The way he’d reacted to being the center of so many girls’ attention had been more like it was when we’d been dating as opposed to when he’d been single.
I’d really thought I was going to see stuff tonight that was going to make me want to gouge my own eyes out, but I honestly hadn’t. In fact, the only girl I’d really caught him staring at was me.
My thoughts were interrupted when we pulled up in front of Brett’s house, the taxis we’d arranged for already waiting. Tierra and Brett were a little past intoxicated when the limo pulled to a stop. Paxton and I helped them out before supporting them as they waved goodbye to their friends.
Very soon, the last of the taxis had departed, and we tried to get the bride and groom inside. Neither of them regularly drank a lot, and it was hilarious to watch them trying to get themselves to bed.
“Brett, baby,” Tierra whispered as she tried to get their key in the slot. I didn’t think she remembered we were with them. “I don’t think this is our house. Our key doesn’t want to work.”
He glanced up, frowning before shaking his head. “It’s definitely our house. Maybe you’ve got the wrong keys.”
Her car keys came out of her purse next, and she tried fitting them into the slats on their doorbell. “No, there’s something very
fishy going on here.”
“Let me try,” Brett said, swaying as he held out his hands. “Do you think they changed the lock as a prank?”
They were both slurring, but still easy enough to make out what they were saying. Paxton and I stood behind them, apart but close enough that I could feel him vibrating with laughter beside me.
I glanced up at him, silently asking him what he wanted to do. While it had been a long time since we’d had a conversation this way, it seemed he could still read me.
All it took was a small, one-shouldered shrug and a nod for me to know what he wanted. It’s up to you, but maybe give it another minute.
Meanwhile, they had their heads bent together, and Brett’s hand was over Tierra’s as they tried to guide their key to the lock together. Paxton chuckled as he watched them, then stepped forward.
“Here, let me try to help you,” he said smoothly.
Tierra blinked as if she was surprised to see him, throwing her arms around his neck the next second to thank him again. “That was such a perfect party. You’re the best, Pax. Really.”
“Yeah, I know.” He grinned as he gently pried the keys from their grasp and unlocked the door for them.
Brett beamed at him. “You’ve got some skills. I was starting to wonder if we had the right house.”
Tierra moved inside after him. “I know, right? That’s exactly what I thought. It’s like we share the same brain sometimes, baby.”
He slung his arm around her shoulders, and together, they teetered and staggered their way to their bedroom. Paxton and I stayed close behind, our arms out to catch anyone who looked like they might go down.
Grinning triumphantly when they made their way to their bed, they barely waited for me to get the cover off before they both collapsed into it. Brett rolled onto his side to pull Tierra closer, mumbling to her even as his eyes started closing.
“I don’t mind if you have morning breath tomorrow, baby. Don’t try to go brush your teeth, okay? I can’t help you, and I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“I can help,” Paxton offered, but his sister waved him off and brought her unfocused gaze to mine. “Makeup wipe?”
“I’ve got you,” I said, flicking on the switch at their en suite bathroom to grab the wipes for her. They were right on the vanity, so I didn’t have to dig. I swiped a few out, then helped her get cleaned up.
Brett had passed out in the minute or so that took, but Tierra’s voice sounded in the darkness after we’d turned their main lights off. “You guys are both more than welcome to stay here tonight. If you want, you can take our guest room. The least we can do after everything today is offer you somewhere to sleep.”
Before either of us could reply, the soon-to-be newlyweds were both sound asleep. Paxton gave his sister a soft, sweet smile before he closed their door behind us. He turned to me once we were in their hallway.
“What do you think? Should we take them up on their offer or head out?”
I stared up at him. He looked so damn gorgeous tonight in his gray slacks and black button-down shirt. The black-and-gray combination had always worked so well with his coloring. Gray brought out those eyes, and the black went with his hair and perpetually tanned skin. I vaguely wondered if he’d put those two together because I’d asked him to wear those colors to prom, but then I dismissed the thought.
As gorgeous as he looked, I knew I should’ve said he could decide what he wanted to do but that I was going home. If we both stayed here, I wouldn’t be doing a good job at the whole staying away from him thing.
But April wasn’t here. I was honestly beat after the day we’d had. It was well past midnight, and there had been no more cabs left outside even when we’d come in. If I had to call one to come out here now…
“I’m staying,” I decided out loud. “I’ll look after them if you want to leave, but I’m just not up for going home.”
His blue eyes danced in the dimmed sconces in the hall. He reached up to loosen the top few buttons on his shirt and breathed out like he was relieved.
“Same here,” he said, motioning for me to precede him toward their kitchen. “But if we’re both staying, can we call a ceasefire just for tonight? I don’t have the energy to fight with you.”
Relief filled every last particle of my body as I agreed. “Ceasefire.”
I heard him humming a tiny sound of satisfaction before he switched gears. All of a sudden, he sounded so friendly it was like we’d never had that fight at all. “Did you get any of those snacks before they disappeared?”
“Nope,” I admitted. “They were all gone by the time I’d finished laughing at you and sorting out our final bill for the food with the manager. You?”
“Nah. I was too busy losing our bet. The ‘Cha Cha Slide’ was actually fun, though. I haven’t done it in years. Did the food come in within the budget we gave him?”
I nodded as I reached for the kitchen light and flipped the switch to turn it on. “They did really well with the budget. We ended up getting more fries and more pizza slices than we thought. The manager even covered a portion of the shared bar tab from the food budget.”
“Impressive,” he said, heading straight for the fridge as we entered the modestly sized kitchen. Turning to look at me over his shoulder, he opened the door. “Want to raid them for snacks? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“My stomach feels hollow,” I agreed. “I’ll check their cupboards if you get the fridge. She did say they owed us.”
He chuckled, the sound low and rumbly. “I even gave her the one slider I managed to get my hands on. I stole it from Ben, but I offered it to her when she eyed it.”
“Such a great brother and man of honor,” I said, “but I can do you one better. I managed to get the kitchen to magic up extra pizza slices for Brett.”
In between pulling things out of the fridge and setting them down, he bent over into a silly little bow and waved his hands up and down in front of him. “You’re a queen. I don’t know what you do to kitchen staff, but they always seem to work miracles if you ask them to.”
“If you’re talking about the caterer at the Spring Fling that one year, all I had to do was promise to give her your number for her daughter.”
He made his eyes wide at me, the blue alight with humor. “You wouldn’t. Really? You did?”
“I did.” I smiled before letting out a soft giggle. “You said to do whatever it took to get more of that cake, remember? I got you more of the cake.”
His head rocked from side to side, then he shrugged. “If my memory of that cake is holding up, it was totally worth it. It wasn’t Spring Fling I was thinking about anyway. It was Ashley’s eighteenth birthday.”
We sat down together on the kitchen floor with crackers, cheese, some cold cuts, chips, raisins, and water in front of us. I laughed at the reminder of that birthday party. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
He pulled his head back, a semi-serious frown forming on his brow and his gaze steady on mine. “What?”
“Ashley’s eighteenth? It was Brett who got us those extra burgers. Not me.” I hid my face in my hands like I was ashamed, but I was also snickering.
“You can’t be serious.” He groaned. “I didn’t really lose our bet? I jumped in the pool in my boxers, in the middle of winter no less, and I wasn’t even the loser?”
I shrugged, still laughing quietly as I peeked out between my fingers when I nodded. “I didn’t feel like having to be your slave for a day if I lost, so I asked him to help me out.”
“Cheater,” he said, but he was also laughing now. “Besides, if you’d known the plans I’d had for you that day, you’d have wanted to lose.”
“You said you were going to make me wash your bathtub.” I pulled a face. “I saw what your tub looked like back then. No, thanks.”
“What if I told you I was going to make you wash the bath with me in it?” He waggled his brows at me. “Would that have changed your mind?”
I put my fingers to my lips as I pretended to think about it, then shook my head. “Nope. I wasn’t going to do all your chores for you again. Once was enough for me.”
“Hey, I did all your chores a ton of times,” he protested, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he leaned his head back against a cupboard. “You want to know the truth?”
“Sure,” I replied, popping a few raisins into my mouth. “Wait, about what?”
“About why I used to volunteer to come help you all the time.” His profile was relaxed, the smile still on his face when he turned his head toward me. “It was because even when we were doing chores together, I always just wanted to be around you for a few more minutes.”
“But you started when we were fourteen,” I said, and my brows jumped up when he nodded. “Even then?”
“Even then.” There was still a teasing smile on his face, but there was a truth in his eyes I couldn’t deny.
Reminiscing like this wasn’t a good idea, but things with him still felt so easy when it was just the two of us. Like nothing had changed between us at all.
My brain was still fuzzy from the alcohol, but I was tipsy at best now. I was thinking clearly.
If it was still possible for things to be this easy between us, then why had they changed? How did everything fall apart so completely when so many years later, he was still the one person aside from Brett I could ever just be myself with?
Without thinking at all, the question slipped past my lips before I could catch it. “Hey, Pax? Why was it so easy for you to just leave me?”
It was only in the stunned silence that followed that I remembered we’d called a ceasefire, but I also wasn’t looking to start a fight with my question. I just really, really wanted to know how he was able to walk away.
Because I never would’ve.
Showing off the Goods Page 20