Sadie groans. “It wassoembarrassing. I was borderline sobbing in the middle of this gorgeous restaurant.”
Something in me snaps. I think Lydia says something, but the sound around me becomes muddled, like my head is submergedunderwater. My skin is buzzing, heat climbing up my neck, and I can’t stop it.
I’m moving before I can think twice, pushing Lydia to the side a little rougher than I meant to, but I’ll apologize later. Right now the only thing that matters to me is Sadie.
“What the fuck, Wes?”Lydia huffs. “What’s your prob—”
“He made you cry?” I snap, my gaze locked on Sadie, her green eyes wide and glassy.
“Calm down, psycho. It wasn’t like that. Not that it’sanyof your business.”
I step closer, chest heaving, my heart clawing at my ribs. I know I’m crossing a boundary, but I can’t stop myself.
She presses her hands against me, trying to push me back—but the contact only makes it worse. I feel it everywhere.
For a second, I swear the air between us hums. I wish I could freeze time right here, in this impossible, awful, perfect second. But this was always going to end. A flash of lightning in a storm, never meant to last.
The moment is over when Lane inserts himself between us, shoving me back a hell of a lot harder than Sadie did. Almost like she didn’twantto push me away at all.
“Keep your hands off her,” he growls. “What the fuck is your problem, man?”
“You.”
The word hangs heavy in the space between us.
He stiffens, eyebrows shooting up like he’s less surprised by my admission than the fact that I finally said it out loud.
“Back. Off,” he warns, stepping forward.
I laugh, short and humorless.
“Wesley,”Sadie says softly, her voice trembling slightly. “Don’t.”
She doesn’t step back. Doesn’t look away. And for one reckless and desperate second, I think she might care.
But we both know it’s too late.
My eyes flick to hers and it’s like an arrow to my heart. Tears rim her eyes and her bottom lip quivers.
And it’s all because of me.
Because I can’t stop fucking everything up.
“I thought—” My throat tightens. “I thought he hurt you.”
But no.I’mthe one who hurt her. Not him.
Behind her, Lane’s jaw ticks. “Let’s go, Sadie.”
She hesitates and that’s all it takes to light the fuse.
He reaches for her arm and I don’t think twice before I step closer. To my surprise, the motherfucker shoves me back and I see red. I’ve been dying for a reason to remind him where the fuck he is.
I shove him back, hard, my chest heaving. He stumbles back, and for half a second, it feels good—like maybe if I hit him hard enough, it’ll knock this feeling out of me.
But it’s still there, heavier than ever.
The bar goes still. The music keeps playing, but the whole place feels suspended in time. Waiting.
