“Hey beautiful,” he tells me softly and I almost swoon.
Hayley scowls playfully at me, warning me away before rolling her loving eyes to her partner and quirking a brow at him. “Beautiful?”
He winks at me and ducks when she aims a slap at his head.
I laugh at their good natured fun and take my seat.
“I’ll get drinks, cranberry and vodka?” He asks me, nodding to my half full glass.
I nod and thank him, then wait for him to leave before grinning at my friend. “I love him.”
She grins back, looking like the cat that got the cream, “I know, right? He’s amazing.”
“I can’t believe you’re marrying him.” I don’t say this with any amount of disdain. I mean it as I say it. Hayley has never been able to settle down. “I knew the right man would hook you one day.”
She shrugs and her cheeks turn slightly pink. “How are things with you?”
“Fine, fine.” I wave her off and hold out my hand. “Let me see the ring.”
She slips her left hand into mine and I admire the sparkling cluster of gems that rest upon a thin gold band. It’s beautiful. It’s surprisingly her in every single way. If I were to walk into a jewellery store to pick her a ring, it would be this one.
“Nathan Weston himself made it.”
My eyes snap from the ring to hers. “You’re kidding?”
She shakes her head, still grinning, and twists her hand in the light, making the diamonds sparkle. “It’s insane right? Apparently it was my Tyler that helped Nathan get clients for his business a few years back.”
“Crazy.” Nathan is the well-known owner of a chain of jewellery stores around the UK. I’ve heard they even branched over to France and Germany, but I can’t be certain.
“Do you still have the ‘Forever Connected’ charm bracelet?” She asks and I immediately rub my naked wrist where it used to sit.
Isaac got me the bracelet as a gift when I was his student. That was just when Nathan Weston got started, I think. The bracelets were a huge hit. I see them on women all the time and even men have their own version.
“It’s in my jewellery box.” Buried right at the bottom and out of sight, where it has been since the day after I left Isaac.
She must see something in my eyes that makes her change her mind about the subject. “I do have something to ask of you, even though you totally don’t deserve it.” She flips her dark hair over her shoulder and smiles at Tyler as he makes his way back to us with three glasses in his hands. The love in her eyes is sickeningly sweet.
“Out with it.”
“I want you to be my maid of honour.” She raises her hand before I can say anything and I freeze with my mouth hanging open and my body tensed with excitement. “I know you have a ton on at the moment, but we...”
“Yes. Yes. Yes! I can’t believe you’re letting me have this.” I feel my eyes burn. “We seem to have drifted so much over this past year.”
“That’s my fault,” Tyler puts in and slides my drink towards me before taking a sip of his own beer. “I’ve been keeping her busy.”
He’s right in a way. They’ve been on a couple of trips over the past year and I know that between school and work Hayley has dedicated her time to him, as she should have done.
“It’s nobody’s fault,” Hayley says, smiling warmly. “We’ve all been a bit occupied and that’s fine. Life goes on. You know what they say; a real friend isn’t a measure of how often you see each other, it’s how you’re there for each other that counts.”
“Something like that.” Tyler smirks and winks at his fiancée, kissing her temple and relaxing back into his seat.
“So, shall we discuss the elephant in the room?” Hayley asks quietly and I know she’s referring to Isaac.
“There’s nothing to talk about really. It was so strange seeing him and speaking to him for the first time.”
“Did you get a rush of feelings or anything dramatic?”
I laugh a little. “No. He’s promised to sign the papers tomorrow.”
“Thank god.”
“Not you too…”
“I just want to see you happy.” She holds up her hands defensively. “He didn’t make you happy.”
Why do people keep forgetting that I already know this? “I didn’t tell him about Silas.”
Her mouth drops open. “Why?”
“I was scared he’d make this divorce even harder for me.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“Babe…” Tyler frowns at her but she ignores him.
“I want you to be happy, Elle. You know that. I just… you were so bad after the first time. It took you ages to recover.”
I roll my eyes heavenward, wishing I hadn’t said anything. “I know, I know.”
“When do we get to meet Silas?” Tyler asks and I’m grateful for his intervention.
“We’ll set a date soon.” I grin, finally giddy over something. “You’re going to really like him, Hayley. He’s such a good guy.”
She relaxes and her smile returns. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Do black guys really have bigger…?” Tyler slaps a hand over her mouth before she can finish that sentence but it’s too late; we’re both already cackling wildly.
We finish eating the sharing platters that Tyler ordered for us before ordering food. The restaurant is quiet considering how many people are here, not that I’m surprised.
I’m glad when our old gang shows up by chance. It’s not surprising as it’s a small town and there are only three places to drink. They all come over to say hello, Riley included despite the fact he’s Hayley’s ex. It’s been a long time since I saw any of them beyond the internet. They’re all doing amazingly well and it makes me so happy to see.
I’m only the butt of a few jokes with regard to my husband. I expected a lot more but it seems everybody has grown up a little since we last met.
That was such an age ago. It doesn’t feel like four years; it feels more like twenty. It’s surprising how much people change in such a small space of time, although when Riley laughs hysterically over the bubbles he’s blowing into his drink I realise that maturity only came to a few of us.
“Oh my god,” Hayley says, staring at something over my shoulder not five minutes after our old gang left us to go and do their own thing. As nice as it was to see them, we’re all in different places now and the exchange, though nice, was also awkward. “Guess who just walked in.”
I know already. I feel those familiar tingles break out over my skin, the tingles I get when only he is near.
“Is he stalking you? Is he here on purpose?” Hayley whispers, still staring at him.
“Stop staring at him.” I roll my eyes before looking over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of him. His startled blue eyes meet mine. I see him say something to the man he’s with before placing his jacket on the back of a chair and coming towards us. “No. He isn’t.” I reply to her question because I can see in his eyes that he’s just as startled to see me as I am him, even though he knew I’d be coming out tonight; I told him so myself. I genuinely believe that we’ve just bumped into each other by mistake.
He stops beside the table and smiles warmly at us. “Hi, Hayley.” His eyes come to me. “Hi, Elle.”
The way he says my name is so soft and warm. It reminds me of how he used to say it when he was close to climax. A warm pressure happens between my thighs so I press them together and focus on everything but the image of Isaac thrusting into me.
“Isaac,” Hayley clips, her chin raised defiantly.
I bite on my lip to stop myself from laughing at her ridiculousness. Isaac raises his eyebrow and his lips tilt up at the corners.
“Tyler Banks, fiancé to this amazing woman.” Tyler stands and they shake hands before he retakes his seat.
“I won’t intrude on your time; I just thought I’d come and say hello. I didn’t want to be rude.” Isaac’s eyes come to mine.
“Until tomorrow, Elle.”
He walks away and it’s not until he’s back at his table that I realise I didn’t say a word. What on earth is wrong with me?
“He wants you,” Tyler tells me quietly before bringing the beer to his lips.
Blink. “What?”
“You heard.” He shrugs a little and scans me with sympathetic eyes. “He wants you.”
“He hasn’t called me at all in four years.” That doesn’t sound like the behaviour of somebody who wants me.
Tyler’s eyes move to Hayley, who is watching him expectantly. She doesn’t believe him any more than I do. “I’m a man.”
“We know you are, sweetie.” She pats his chest.
He growls a little but I see the humour in his twinkling green eyes. “I know men. Men know men.”
“Silas said this same thing to me when we went to the cinema a few weeks ago and the popcorn guy was apparently flirting with me.” I put in and drain the rest of my drink. “I think he was just being friendly.”
“Did Silas get upset about it?” Hayley asks, leaning forward a little.
“No, he doesn’t ever get upset about anything. He’s so calm.”
“What’s he doing with your crazy arse then?”
“Ha ha,” I deadpan and go to stand, ready to get another round. “Same again, guys?”
“On me,” Tyler interrupts and pushes me back into my seat. “I’m a man. Men get drinks.”
“That makes me sad for your man wallet.” Hayley pinches his arse as he walks behind her to get to the bar.
I merely sit and laugh at their exchange. “Thank you for yet another drink.”
He waves me off and pushes past another table.
“Do you think Tyler is right? Did you get that vibe from Isaac?” Hayley whispers, covering her mouth with her hand when she says the name Isaac, probably so Isaac doesn’t lip read his name. She’s so ridiculous.
“Honestly, I don’t think so. It was all a bit surreal though.”
“I bet.”
“It felt more like he was… sorry… guilty.” I pause for a moment, trying to think of another way to explain it. “Yeah. Just guilt and sorrow.”
“Oh.”
“Yep.”
The urge to turn and look at the man across the room is almost unbearable but I refrain, purely because I don’t want him to think we’re talking about him behind his back.
I want to ask Hayley to describe what he’s doing. I want to ask her if he’s looking at me. I don’t though, purely because I don’t want her to read into it and think that I still want him or that I still harbour some feelings over him.
Which I don’t.
Like I said, it’s all just so surreal.
Isaac
When Rod, my old classmate, called to say he was in town I could hardly refuse to meet with him. I knew there was a chance that we’d bump into Elle and a major part of me really didn’t want that to happen. I was worried she’d think the worst and assume I was behaving the same way I used to.
Fortunately, she just seemed surprised to see me and nothing else, though her body language told me that she didn’t want me in her bubble with her friends. That hurt. She didn’t even say hello.
I can’t blame her.
I’m glad to have seen her though. She looks beautiful as always, but these past four years have really done her justice. Unlike me. Four years have only added more lines to my face and grey to my hair.
My eyes keep drifting to her as Rod fills me in on the world of accounting. It’s a boring subject but he’s a charismatic man so he somehow makes me want to learn about tax rebates.
“That young lady who you spoke to is coming over,” Rod suddenly says and smiles charmingly at the person over my shoulder.
I swing around far too eagerly and clock Elle squeezing between two chairs. My mouth waters at the sight of her. She’s wearing a thick, beige sweater dress. It hugs her body from beneath her chin to mid-thigh. I’ve never seen her legs look so long and shapely. It looks like I’m not the only one who has been working out in the past four years.
“Hi,” she says, pushing her dark red braid over one shoulder.
“Hi.” Rod stands, much like Tyler did with me when I joined them at their table. He smiles endearingly and takes her hand between his. “I’m Rodney, but everyone calls me Rod.”
“Eloise.” She smiles just as endearingly back and a flash of jealousy courses through me. I push it down and offer her the seat beside me. She declines with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head. “We’re leaving now and I didn’t want to just go without saying goodbye.”
“Are you sure we can’t entice you to join us?” Rod pushes.
“I wish I could, but…” She removes her hand from between his and turns to me. “What time shall I be at yours in the morning?”
“I’ll come and pick you up at nine thirty.”
She hesitates and I know she wants to argue with me about driving arrangements. I’m grateful when she doesn’t. “Sure. I’ll be ready.” I want to pull her into my arms and hold her for a while. I want to inhale deeply and burn that sweet, rhubarb scent onto my brain. Instead I allow her to say her goodbyes before turning and joining her friends at the exit. Hayley scowls at me from across the room and I barely stifle my wince.
That’s the problem with girls. If you hurt one, you have to win back the favour of her entire posse.
“Who on Earth was that magnificent creature?” Rod asks, looking dazed after their meeting.
I can’t help the swell of pride in my chest. It outweighs the annoyance I feel at him ogling her. “That ‘creature’ is my wife.”
He laughs a little. “You’re shitting me?”
“Nope.”
“Nice… you don’t seem very close for a married couple, though. No offence.”
“We’re separated.” I reluctantly admit, hoping this doesn’t make him feel like he has a free pass to try and bed her. I won’t be responsible for my actions if that is the case.
“Christ, man. That’s really unfortunate.” I’m shocked at the sincerity in his eyes. “What happened?”
“I happened.” And for the first time since the divorce I share it all with somebody who I haven’t seen since college. Maybe I finally, for the first time in forever, have a friend I can trust.
I mentally raise my glass and think, ‘here’s hoping.’
Chapter Six
Isaac
I pull up at the end of the driveway and climb from the car. Eloise already knows that I’m here but I’m not going to act like I shouldn’t be here. I have nothing to hide.
Strolling casually to the door, I raise my hand to knock when it flies open and I come face to face with the man I hate.
He glares at me.
I glare at him.
Then I see a flash of brown and Eloise’s mum peeks around her husband.
She grins like she’s genuinely happy to see me, though we both know it isn’t true. “She’s just finding her shoes, Isaac. Would you like to come in?”
“No.” Darren states firmly and his wife rolls her eyes.
“I’m okay; thank you though.” I contemplate walking back to the car, purely so I don’t burst out laughing over the fact Darren is still staring at me, trying to intimidate me.
“Guys,” I hear Elle say, her tone one of exasperation. “I’d like to get to the door now… if you don’t mind?”
Her mum shoves Darren to the side and Eloise finally comes into view. She steps outside and slams the door behind her, right in her father’s face. I want to high five her but she doesn’t look like she’s in the mood to joke right now.
“Rough morning?”
Her features soften as she falls into step beside me. “Something like that. Sorry about my dad. You know what he’s like.”
“I do.” If only she knew what he is really like. “Are you hungry? My dad… he insisted on cooking for us.”
She quirks a brow. “Beans on toast?”
&
nbsp; I laugh loudly. “No, he took a cooking class last year. His skills have actually improved. I think he’s looking forward to showing them off to somebody other than me.”
“This should be interesting.” She stops when I pull open the door for her. Her eyes look suddenly troubled. “He does want to see me, right? You aren’t just… this isn’t…”
I don’t know what comes over me but I can’t help myself. I run my fingers over her cheek before cupping it with my palm. She startles but doesn’t push me away. “Trust me.”
Her eyes slice through me and I watch as her entire demeanour changes. “I don’t.”
Never have words gutted me so badly. I deserve them. I earned them. They fucking hurt though.
She climbs into the car before I can respond. I don’t know what to say to that. I want to apologise and beg for her forgiveness, but what would be the point?
Instead, I close the door and make my way to the driver’s seat.
Eloise
Isaac is friendly enough during the drive to his dad’s house but I can’t muster more than a few grunts and agreements to whatever he’s saying. I don’t mean to be difficult and disinterested, I just didn’t sleep well last night and I woke up feeling like crap.
My head is pounding. I feel drained emotionally and mentally.
Not to mention my nerves are shot. After Isaac’s dad went crazy on me the last time, breaking my heart from pieces to dust, I’m sceptical about how he’s going to act today.
I was hurt after what happened. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I’d tried to be there but Isaac pushed me away. I was young and naïve; I didn’t know how to handle it, so when John threw me away like I was nothing, of course I was bound to get upset. I didn’t just lose Isaac, I lost my family.
Maybe I’m not worried how he’s going to act. Maybe I’m worried how I’m going to act.
Distinction: The Distraction Trilogy #3 Page 5