I smooth my dress, paste on a polite party smile, and walk to the door.
It isn’t until the hallway swallows me that my breath shudders out of my chest.
The cracks spread the second she’s out of sight. Her words are burned into my brain.
Together. Months to figure him out. My stomach flips unpleasantly. How recent was their relationship?Did she sleep in his bed? Why didn’t he mention she’s an ex when I confronted him? When was the last time they…
The questions keep coming, sharp and uninvited. I shake my head, trying to reset, trying to swallow the jealousy clawing up my throat.
I turn the corner and see the team’s table, Dom included. I don’t know when it happened or how. I just know the idea of him with anyone else feels unbearable.
Chapter twelve
~DOMINIC~
She’s been gone too long. The table has moved through three different conversations already, and Jessica’s still not back. Melody keeps giving me looks like I’m supposed to go check on her.
I don’t check on people. I don’t leave tables for anyone. But my knee has been bouncing under the table for the past five minutes, and every time someone moves behind me, I catch myself turning to see if it’s her.
It never is.
Fuck this.
I push back from the table, and the guys glance up. “Bathroom,” I mutter as I stand.
I head down the hallway toward the restrooms, jaw and shoulders tight. I’m not worried. I just… don’t like not knowing where she is.
Jessica steps out of the bathroom at the far end of the hall. One look and every muscle in my body tenses.
Her eyes are sharp and blazing, her jaw set, shoulders squared. She’s upset.
I move toward her before I register taking a step. “What happened?” My voice is low when I reach her. “You were gone a while.”
She doesn’t even slow. “Didn’t realize I was on a timer,” she snaps.
I stop in front of her, blocking her path. “You’re not.” My brows furrow.
“Don’t follow me around then.” She lifts her chin, eyes flashing.
I don’t know what this is. What caused it. Why she’s spitting fire at me instead of telling me what’s wrong. Because I don’t know how to react to this version of her—closed off, furious, untouchable—I react badly.
“Then stop disappearing like a toddler in a grocery store,” I bite out.
Her eyes widen, then narrow. She takes a single step into my space, craning her neck to look up at me. “Then why don’t you put me in a cart, daddy?” The words are pure venom, but they still make blood rush to my cock instantly.
Heat punches straight to my gut. I fight the urge to pin her against the nearest wall and show her what talking to me like that does. I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath when the bathroom door opens again and Valencia steps out. She smooths her hair, her eyes flicking sharply between Jessica and me.
Suddenly the entire hallway shifts. Jessica stiffens beside me; the fury in her eyes morphs into something else. Her face says it all.
Something happened in there.
Valencia forces a smile, gives us a single lingering glance, and walks past.
Jessica doesn’t look at her once.
“What,” I say slowly, “did she say to you?”
Jessica doesn’t answer.
