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“Yes,” I whisper to myself. “This is a good thing.”
Then why the hell does it hurt so much?
* * *
Dom’s name flashes on my phone for the third time in the last five minutes, and I send the call straight to voicemail, managing to slip my phone back into my purse just as Mal pushes a shot glass into my hand.
“Take this shot and come dance with me!”
She sways her hips to the beat of the music and waits for me to comply, completely oblivious to the fact almost every man in the club is watching her. Even I can’t take my eyes off of her body, clad in an olive-green halter dress that hugs every curve and breathtaking gold stilettos that snake around her calves, making her impossibly long legs look even longer.
She’s gorgeous.
And I’m so glad she was willing to come out with me tonight. I had to lie to her and say Ash and I were through, and I just wanted to blow off some steam, but it still feels good to be here with her. It’s the most honest moment I’ve had with my sister and best friend in the last month.
That’s right, Sloane. Focus on the silver linings of having your heart broken by your husband’s best friend.
My eyes stretch wide as I watch her down her fifth shot of the night. I have no idea how she’s still going, between the drinks we had at dinner and the shots we’ve taken since getting to the club, I can already feel the hangover I’ll have tomorrow.
But Mal says a carefree night out is the only cure for heartbreak, and she’s been through more breakups this year, not to mention whatever is happening with her and Chris, than I have in my entire life, so I kind of have to trust her on this. If the resident break-up expert says we need to get drunk and dance our asses off, we’re getting drunk and dancing our asses off.
Hangover be damned.
Returning her mischievous smile, I toss back the shot she’s given me. The vodka burns as it goes down, and I relish the feeling, hoping the searing pain will cauterize the gaping hole in my heart.
“That’s my girl!” Mal exclaims. She’s still dancing around me, holding her hand out and wiggling her fingers at me—inviting me to leave all of the hurt and anger bubbling in my veins on the dance floor.
So that’s exactly what I do.
We dance for hours, screaming the lyrics to all of our favorite songs and moving our hips in time to the beat, being rowdy and ridiculous and a lot like the girls we used to be in college. The ones who never left the dance floor and didn’t know a thing about the heartbreak lurking in our futures.
Mal and I are catching our breath, drinking water, and resting our feet when two men who’ve been eyeing us from the bar finally get up the courage to come over. They try to look casual as they pause in front of our booth.
“You two are easily the most beautiful women in this place tonight,” one of them says. He’s taller than his friend, with black and blonde locs flowing over his shoulders. “Can we join you?”
I look at Mal, trying to gauge her reaction and figure out how I feel about opening up our girl’s night to these two. Her eyes are bright, latched onto the guy with the locs, and a welcoming smile takes over her face when he smirks at her. Just as she’s about to open her mouth and say they can join us, a deep voice cuts in from behind them.
“These two are spoken for.”
All eyes turn to the source of our interruption, but I already know who it is. Dom. I don’t know how or why, but somehow he’s here and despite my determination to get a jump start on grieving us, my heart still tries to pound its way out of my chest at the sound of his gravelly baritone.
The two friends spin around then step to the side as Dom moves towards the table, sliding into the booth beside Mal while another person, Chris, takes a seat beside me. Wait, what?
I blink slowly, my head swiveling between the amused expression on Chris’ face and the unreadable look on Dom’s. How are they even here right now?
“Mal texted,” Dom says, answering the question I didn’t know I had spoken out loud. Damn you, Drunk Sloane. “She said you two were out drinking to get over your breakup with Ash and were going to need a ride home.”
I press my lips together to keep any other thoughts from passing between them without my permission, but I swear I see a flicker of pain flash behind Dom’s eyes as he says the word ‘breakup.’ Like he’s angry I’m trying to accept the inevitable.
Mal’s face contorts into something between a scowl and a smirk as she looks at Chris. They exchange a heated glance that makes me blush. Clearly, things between them aren’t as done as she wants everyone to believe they are. She bites her lip as she holds his gaze.
“Christopher, how nice of you to come to our rescue.”
“I’m always happy to be of service, princess.”
I cringe inwardly, suddenly wishing to be very far away from whatever sick game of seduction the two of them are playing because there’s nothing remotely cool about witnessing your sister-in-law decide if she’s going to sleep with her ex. Judging by the sparks of energy shooting between the two of them, Chris is going to get lucky tonight.
He rises from his seat and smiles at me. “Sloane, always a pleasure to see you.”
