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I glance around to Filip peeking at Chloe, who’s holding so much back, it’s painful to watch. The sad thing is she peers at him in the same manner with a broken smile and shattered dreams when he’s not aware.
I hope they give in to what they have because the misery tears their insides apart. On the other hand, Alex and Sophia are sweet, flirty and oblivious to everyone around them.
Damien catches my attention as he leans in and whispers, “I might get jealous that something else has your attention, but then you smile, and I forget to think.”
He leans in to me and plants a kiss on my shoulder, biting down. His hand slips under my top as he caresses my belly and circles my belly button. When his eyes find mine again, we have two possibilities to either stop or continue, and the latter is not smart.
“Later, baby.”
The girls gesture to me to join them on the dance floor, and I accompany them, swaying my hips to the rhythm of the music. We dance until our legs hurt, sending us back to drop onto the sumptuous black leather couch.
“Bria, you have killer dance moves.”
“I always liked to dance, but thank you, Chloe.”
“She was amazing back when we were younger. She used her dance moves to make my brother go mad. How they fought back then. It was exhausting but funny.” Sophia chuckles, and I roll my eyes at her.
“Stop exaggerating.” Her eyes narrow at me and dare me to contradict her.
“I’m not exaggerating. It’s when he started his training. The worst part is they kept fighting until they finally slept together.”
“Soph . . .”
I try to sound serious, but there’s no point in it as my smile betrays me.
“Just admit it, we’re all grown-ups now.”
Chloe laughs with tears in her eyes, and Sarah stifles a chuckle, pretending to read something on her phone. I’m mortified about how adamant she is. Sophia keeps daring me with her eyes to admit what she already knows.
“You’re right. Happy now?”
“I won another bet against Filip.” I scrunch my nose at her and sip from my drink.
“You two are deranged.”
She stares at me with innocent blue eyes as I shake my head. The girls continue exchanging stories about Damien and me with absolutely no regard that we’re sitting right next to them. It makes them happy, which makes me happy in return. A group of men stop at our table, and I recognize one of them as Mark, Damien’s trainer, and some friends of my brother. The girls get up to dance some more, and by the time we finish dancing, they are gone. I lean in front of Damien as he puts his hand on my hip.
“Be right back, love.”
“Take one of the girls with you.”
“Look at them, they’re too busy gossiping about the two of us.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Damien, baby, nothing will happen, it’s the private bathroom for a reason.” I say, reassuring him and press my lips to his.
Chapter Twenty-Four
BRIA
I follow the sign to the ladies’ room next to the VIP area and step inside. I take everything in—the sparkling marble floors, the sophisticated wallpaper, and the chandelier adding an extra layer of glamour. The huge mirrors surround me. My ears still pound from the noise outside, but here, it doesn’t penetrate through.
I reach the round sink and bend to wash my hands when the air around me turns frigid. I raise my gaze to the mirror and stare at the one person I didn’t expect to see. She’s dressed in an elegant, long black dress, wearing a daring dark violet lipstick, eyeing me with pure disdain, chilling my insides.
Fate spares no one from feeling at least once in their lifetime an agonizing pain that alters them forever. For Monica, it must have been losing her parents, or maybe she’d always been just a terrible person. I can’t be sure, but I wish to believe the former, that the grief transformed her, and she embraced the darkness.
I never intended to hurt the people in my life, not deliberately at least, while she betrayed everyone, taking what she wants with no consideration. Perhaps Monica felt alone, even surrounded by the people who were still family, who welcomed her and treated her with care and love. Still, she chose to remain on the outside. It made it easier, surely, when plotting my downfall even though I can’t remember a single time I wasn’t there for her, holding her hand when she’d cry herself to sleep.
