by Petrova, Em
Neither had she until he came back to town.
“What makes you think I’m into him? We were dancing.”
Cori’s forehead wrinkled as her brows rose. “Cass, that wasn’t dancing. You and Theo were fucking with your clothes on.”
A wave of heat washed over Cassie, making her cheeks sting. Cori didn’t just make an opinionated observation. Her sister called her out on the truth. She and Theo may not have had sex at that point, but she sure as hell had been thinking about it.
“I saw Mike approaching, but I didn’t have time to warn you. I don’t think I could have gotten your attention anyway.”
“So you saw the argument between Theo and Mike?”
“Yes. You rushed out before I could reach you. I did my best to track you down but gave up around three a.m. Where did you go?”
“To talk to Theo.” Cassie avoided her sister as she focused on the camellias. She touched the pink petals and thought about their meaning…longing. She was in such a state. The need to be near him again was overwhelming.
Cori served as a good distraction. She plopped down in the seat across from the sofa and continued her tirade. “Did you guys talk all night, because I’ve been by here three times this morning, and you haven’t been here.”
Damn it. She did not want to have this conversation with her sister. It was bad enough that Cori made snide remarks about Theo and Jonah earlier in the week. Now she’d witnessed the chemistry between Cassie and Theo.
She would ask more questions, ones Cassie didn’t know how to answer. She hadn’t given Theo an answer on how she wanted to proceed. There was no way she could explain it to her sister.
“Yes, Cori, we stayed up late talking. I told you we’ve been devising a plan to get Ally and Jonah together.”
“Yeah… So you said before. Does this mean you guys are just messing around while he’s in town or is this a two-for-one deal? Get your best friend the guy of her dreams, get your dream guy free.”
And there it was. The question she couldn’t answer, along with the hostility she sensed in her sister. Cori had no reason to hate either of the McCabes any more than she had the right to drill Cassie with all these questions.
“I’m not sure what’s happening between Theo and me, but it isn’t anyone’s business. I don’t know why you dislike him and Jonah, but I’m not listening to it. You know where the door is.”
Before she could move away, Cori gripped her shoulder. “Hang on. I’m not going to bash you for liking him. I just… I think you should—”
The doorbell rang once again. It made Cassie cringe. Hopefully, it wasn’t Mike. He hadn’t answered her text to confirm a time to meet. Had he taken it upon himself to stop in? Surely not on a Saturday. He’d be at the bar by now, prepping for the evening.
“Hold that thought. Let me see who’s at the door.” She didn’t wait for Cori to respond. There was no time for this nonsense. She had things to do before she met Ally, and the minutes were flying fast. Tonight had to be perfect. There couldn’t be any problems. Ally and Jonah deserved their chance at happiness.
So did she and Theo.
Guess she had her answer to his question. She wanted to be with him regardless of his career. The instant they were alone tonight, she would tell him.
It was hard to contain her smile when she opened the door. It didn’t remain once she noticed the broad shoulders in front of her, then Mike’s face.
Great. This night kept getting worse. And to top it off, she had an hour before she met Ally. What a horrible time for shit to get real.
***
The hotel corridor seemed to grow in length with each step Theo made. It wasn’t his first trip down the hall. He’d been to his brother’s room twice already. If the old adage was true, third time was the charm. Jonah had to be there by now.
Each second that ticked away made his heartbeat increase. If his brother wasn’t back, he was screwed. They had an hour before they were supposed to meet Cassie and Ally.
He could not ruin this…
Quick strides brought him to Jonah’s door. He took a deep breath and released the tension in his shoulders. He had to make light of this situation. Aggression would only send Jonah into defense mode. Then they’d have a huge argument.
Banging his knuckles against the door, he knocked loud enough that Jonah would hear him even if he were in the back of the suite. He listened for any sign of movement. There were no footsteps, but it sounded as if someone were speaking in a low voice. Was it his brother or had he left on the TV?
“Jonah? Let me in, bro. I know you’re in there.”
Another round of silence greeted him. His heart pounded so fast that it echoed in his ears. This couldn’t be happening. Jonah had been at his suite every evening. Why of all nights had he chosen this one to go out?
He was about to walk away when the handle rattled. The door swung open. Jonah stood before him, brows scrunched so tight that his forehead creased. He didn’t meet Theo’s eyes or say anything when he motioned for him to enter.
Sweeping past his brother, Theo entered the suite and proceeded to the center of the sitting area. He studied Jonah from head to toe then surveyed the room.
“Took you long enough to answer the door. What were you—” A sweet scent filled his nose. He drew in a few breaths as he second-guessed himself, but there was no denying the scent of perfume. “It smells like a woman in here,” he chuckled, reminding himself to keep things casual. “Did you sneak one in, big bro?”
Jonah’s lack of response increased the awkwardness. The reality of what was happening made Theo’s chest tighten. He narrowed his eyes on his brother and fought to keep his anger at bay.
If Jonah was with someone, Theo had no one to blame but himself. He’d waited too long to tell him about the date he and Cassie had planned. Of course, with Jonah’s mood this past week, he made it impossible to approach him.
“You got a chick in here, Jonah?”
His brother nodded.
It felt as though a bomb exploded inside Theo. Everything he’d worked for was slipping away. How could he face Cassie and tell her the truth—that he’d waited too long to talk to Jonah? His brother had only made things worse by hooking up with some random chick. Fucking idiot. He didn’t realize the chance he was blowing.
“What the hell, man. Why would you go hook up with some girl? I told you I had someone in mind for you. In fact, that’s the reason I’m here.”
“Theo, I’m not interested.”
“You don’t even know who I had in mind. If you did, you’d bend over and kiss the ground I’m standing on. Trust me. You’ll want this girl.”
Jonah clenched his jaw. He peered toward the hallway that led to his room. Then he trudged toward the mini-bar. “I appreciate your effort, little bro, but I’m not—”
“It’s Ally, asshole.” Theo stormed toward his brother and pulled his cell from his pocket. He found his texts with Cassie then shoved his phone in Jonah’s face and pointed to the screen. “I started texting Cassie last Saturday to set up a time for the four of us to get together. She’s supposed to talk to Ally. I’m supposed to talk to you.”
Jonah scanned the phone then glanced back to the hall. It was as if he hadn’t heard anything Theo had said. This wasn’t the time to pretend like he didn’t care. Ally may have bought that charade, but Theo couldn’t. He knew the truth. Jonah just needed a reminder.
“I thought you’d want to hook up with her after seeing her at the show. What was it you were saying about her dance moves?”
“Shut up, Theo.” His brother growled the words but kept his focus toward the hall.
“Dude, it’s been six years. Aren’t you the least bit curious if she—”
“Theo! I’m going to punch you if you don’t shut up.”
Something inside Theo snapped. His brother wasn’t just screwing up his chance with Ally. He was ruining Theo’s chance with Cassie. “You’re an idiot.” He smacked his hands atop the bar. “You�
�re passing up a chance with Ally Jacobs. What’s standing in the way this time?”
Jonah glared at the top of the bar where Theo’s hands lay. His nostrils flared before he cast his anger-filled eyes on Theo. “Nothing’s standing in my way. If I wanted to be with Ally, I would be. I don’t need your help.”
“Obviously not, since you got some chick here.” Gritting his teeth, he raked his fingers across his head and gripped his hair, resisting the urge to knock some sense into Jonah. “Do you realize you just screwed me? Hooking you up with Ally meant I finally had half a shot with Cassie. You know how long I’ve waited for this. At least you should. It’s as long as you’ve—”
“Theo!” Jonah’s voice echoed. “Shut up!” Half a chuckle passed his lips. “Damn it, man. You don’t know when to stop, do you? You’ve always run off at the mouth, speaking before thinking about who your words would affect.”
Theo fisted his hands. Jonah had no right to yell at him. He was trying to do something good. If his brother wanted this to be a fight, he could sling just as much crap in his direction.
Before he could throw the next verbal punch, Jonah shook his head. He massaged his temples as he exhaled a long breath. “You can come out now, Ally.”
His words had little time to register when the click of a door sounded. Theo glanced toward the hall as a woman rounded the corner. Lo and behold, Ally stood before them. She didn’t look at Jonah or him. She hugged her chest with her arms and stared toward the floor.
“I think I better go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The moment the door closed behind Ally, Theo felt Jonah piercing him with his gaze. He was too confused to care how angry his brother was. The reality of the situation had him baffled. Jonah and Ally had been together.
Was he the dinner date she’d mentioned in the text she’d sent Cassie? Guess they’d been devising a plan for nothing. Jonah was right. He didn’t need any help.
“What the hell is your problem?”
The gritty sound of Jonah’s voice made him wince. He was an idiot, one that may have screwed up his brother’s chance with Ally, as well as his chance with Cassie.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
“Yeah,” Jonah scoffed. He grabbed a glass atop the bar then lifted a bottle of bourbon from the shelf underneath it.
Theo watched him pour a drink and slam it back. When he poured the next, the guilt became too much. “Cassie and I wanted to right the wrong committed against you and Ally. Paula Jacobs screwed things up for you. We wanted to fix it.” He waited to see if Jonah would respond, but he didn’t. “I was supposed to work out something with you to meet them for a double date. I tried bringing it up on Tuesday, but you wouldn’t listen to me. Then you left.”
“I was doing fine on my own.” Jonah took another sip of his drink then shook his head again. “Be honest with me, Theo. This wasn’t about helping me. Not really. This was about you finding a way to spend time with Cassie.”
“No, it’s not. I wanted to help you get your girl. Running into them after all these years…it wasn’t a coincidence. You said yourself there was a reason we ended up here.”
“It doesn’t matter now. I’m sure Ally thinks I’m some asshole that was pursuing her for a quick fuck I never got. She still doesn’t know the truth about Paula.”
Why had Jonah wasted the opportunity to set the record straight? She’d been in his suite for who knew how long. He had time to tell her the truth.
“So what are you waiting for? Go find her and tell her why you left. Tell her you didn’t want to. Tell her how you really feel.”
“Why? Is that what you plan to do with Cassie?”
“Jonah, this isn’t about—”
“Don’t lie to me!” Jonah poked him in the chest. “You’ve wanted Cassie as long as I’ve wanted Ally. You set this up to get what exactly? A chance to fuck her? Did you get what you wanted, bro, because I didn’t?”
“This is about more than sleeping with Cassie.”
Theo didn’t finish when he noticed Jonah glaring at him. Once his eyes softened, he smirked. There was no sense in lying to him. He knew the truth about Cassie as much as Theo knew the truth about Ally.
“Okay, fine. Maybe this began because I wanted a chance to sleep with Cassie. I ruined my first chance when I fought Parker in high school. I wanted another shot with her. Now that I have it, it’s different.”
Jonah finished the rest of his drink. He wiped his mouth with his hand and swallowed hard. “What’s different?”
“Me. I started this with one goal in mind—sleeping with her. Now I want more, but it won’t be long before we leave Savannah. The thought of leaving without her makes my gut churn.” He gripped the edge of the bar, hating the thought of losing Cassie. “I have the two things I’ve always wanted within grasp. Now I’ve screwed it up for both of us. Ally will tell Cassie about tonight. She’ll know I lied about talking to you.”
Tapping his fingers against the bar, Jonah stared past him toward the window overlooking the city. He didn’t seem like he was listening until he glanced back in Theo’s direction. “So let me offer you the same advice you just gave me. Go find her. Tell her the truth, including the way you feel.”
His brother was right. He needed to find Cassie and tell her everything. It would be better than hearing it secondhand from her best friend. Hopefully, Jonah would go talk to Ally. If he did, Theo had a better chance at fixing things with Cassie.
He wanted to ask Jonah to leave when he did, but the less he demanded, the better. At least he could assure Cassie that Jonah would speak with Ally, but it didn’t mean they’d fix things.
Either way, he owed her an explanation. Considering how Ally had hurried out of the suite, the double date was cancelled. They didn’t need it anyway now that she and his brother had met up. All that was left was to find Cassie and tell her the truth.
Then he could start groveling.
***
Cassie slipped outside the door but didn’t close it all the way. She didn’t want Cori to hear her conversation. If she had her way, the impending one wouldn’t take long. Still, she knew it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of Mike.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t you get my text?”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here.” He sauntered closer like he would go in her house without an invitation, but she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back.
“Now is not a good time, Mike. My sister is here and we’re having a family discussion.”
“So you can’t take a few minutes and talk to me?”
“I would have given you more than that if you would have waited to meet me later. I told you I’d come to Midnight Blues.”
He backed away and gazed off. “Again, that’s why I’m here. My boss suspended me without pay for making a scene at the bar. I can’t return until next week and only after I apologize to your friend.”
Peeking back inside the house, she double-checked that Cori wasn’t standing on the other side of the door, eavesdropping. When she didn’t see any sign of her, she closed the door all the way and approached Mike. If he wasn’t going to leave, she might as well tell him what she intended.
“We, uh…we had a good thing going. It was fun and exciting and after a while, I think we got used to the idea of hooking up so much that it felt natural.” He still hadn’t looked her way, but he was listening. She saw it in the way he flexed his jaw, clenching and unclenching it. “If I’ve led you to think there is more between us than what we originally agreed, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, because there isn’t. We’re not a couple, Mike.”
“So I’ve been good enough to fuck all this time, but when I show genuine interest in you, I’m not good enough?”
“Is being a jealous asshole your way of showing genuine interest?”
He grunted in response and walked over to the banister near the hedges. “Seems I had a right to be jealous. I knew you wanted to hook up with that guy. You really had me second-g
uessing myself when you came back to my apartment. It wasn’t until I woke to an empty bed that I knew something was amiss.”
“I couldn’t sleep. I had a shitty day. My best friend had a blast from the past she didn’t want, then you had to go all super-prick on me and get an attitude. The one-eighty you pulled after we fucked was more than my mind could handle. I needed space.”
Mike glowered in her direction then moved the same way. “So what it boils down to is you found someone new and more exciting. I’m not good enough anymore. Hope he is good boyfriend material, because the last time I checked, musicians made lousy lovers. They’re unfaithful as fuck.”
The more he talked, the angrier she grew. It wasn’t just the vile words coming out of his mouth. It was his pompous attitude in general. She didn’t owe him any explanation for ending something that was never a real relationship. He needed to get over it, as well as himself.
“You said from day one that you’re a no-strings kinda guy. It worked at the time, because I was the same kinda girl. But I’ve changed. I want a commitment from someone who will be there for the rest of my life.”
“Let me guess. Theo wants the same.”
“This isn’t about him,” she shouted as she pointed to herself. “This is about me, what I want, and what I don’t. I can’t do this with you anymore.”
“What if I changed my mind and want a commitment?”
“Mike…” She slumped her shoulders and sighed. “It wouldn’t matter.”
“Why? Because I’m not him?” He stalked closer, entering her personal space. She backed up as far as she could before her back met the siding. Mike kept pressing forward.
“No, it’s because you’re wrong for me. I don’t love you.”
A burning sensation engulfed her arm when he wrapped his hand around it and jerked her closer. He squeezed harder as he gritted his response. “I know, Cassie. You’re in love with Theo.”
The faint scent of liquor penetrated her nose the moment he breathed. He’d been drinking. How much, she didn’t know. The fact that his car was parked along the curb was a scary enough thought. He’d been behind the wheel. If he were as drunk as she presumed, he didn’t need to be driving.