“They’re suspenders, you heathen.”
I grinned, following the material with my eyes. “I see that.”
When my gaze finally made it to his face, Brady wore a satisfied smirk. “You like them.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “They’d be great to strangle you with.”
He snorted out a laugh, and we stared at one another, amusement mirrored on both of our faces. This sort of teasing wasn’t exactly normal—it was too benign for us—but it did put me at ease. The sharp edges were gone, and I felt like maybe there was a chance for me to say my piece and have it received. Not an angry confession mumbled into the ground beneath my shoes, but something genuine and honest.
Abruptly, before I lost my nerve, I blurted out, “Hey, can we talk? I need to say some things and?—”
“Sure,” Brady interrupted, eyes drifting over my shoulder briefly before returning. “But I need to get these drinks back.”
Suddenly, I noticed his hands. All this time, I’d been so distracted I hadn’t realized Brady had been standing there holding four beers, the necks clutched awkwardly between his fingers.
“Oh, sure. Of course.”
“I’ll catch up with you, yeah?”
I nodded quickly and stepped to the side.
As I watched, Brady returned to the bonfire. A small triangle of people opened up to welcome him, and he handed out beers to Abby and two women I didn’t recognize. One of them leaned in and squeezed his arm, mouthing a thank-you.
Something hollow and achy settled in the pit of my stomach the longer I stoodthere staring. The four of them laughed and chatted, and Brady didn’t look in my direction once.
The women were pretty. All glowing pale skin and long blond hair. They looked younger than us by a few years. I definitely would have remembered them from high school, but they were strangers, barging in on a local gathering ... for locals. Who even invited them anyway?
My thoughts had a jealous, spiteful edge, and I forced myself to walk away and go find someone to talk to. It worked for a while, but I was distracted waiting for Brady to come back so I could apologize like I’d planned. And I was angry that I cared so much. We weren’t in a relationship. We’d had sex one time. He could talk to whomever he wanted. It was none of my business.
But my eyes betrayed me. They sought him out, punishing me when I witnessed his carefree laughter over something one of the women had said. Twice, the person I was talking to had to repeat themselves because I’d gotten sidetracked when the girls had leaned in to take a selfie with Brady.
I was disgusted with myself and pretty sure I should just leave. Forget this whole stupid night. But then the foursome approached. I was under the awning talking to Benny Jameson, one of the bartenders over at Trailview Brewing.
“Oh my gosh,” one of the women said suddenly. “You’re here.”
Benny’s smile brightened. “Yeah. Glad you ladies could make it.”
“Thank you so much for inviting us,” the other blond said.
Ah, so Benny the bartender invited some pretty leafers to our bonfire in an effort to get laid. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“We’ve been having the best time,” the first blond added. She squeezed Brady’s arm again as she said it, and I wondered briefly if he’d have a bruise there tomorrow from all the flirty manhandling.
“Hi, I’m Aerrin,” the same woman said, turning to me.
“Oh, hi,” I said once I realized she was introducing herself. “I’m?—”
“That’s A-e-r-r-i-n,” she interrupted. “I know people your age are used to the more traditional spelling.”
I felt my eyes widen comically. “People my age?” I asked as Brady snorted into his beer.
Aerrin, not Erin—the traditional spelling, I guess, what the fuck—laughed like I’d told the funniest joke.
“And I’m Beckleigh,” the other woman said. “Soooo nice to meet you.”
“Sure,” I murmured, irritated for a million reasons, none of them feminist or anything I’d be proud of in the light of day.
I stood in the strange conversation circle while Aerrin and Beckleigh told stories about their own high school friends, who lived in Arizona, apparently. I cut Benny a glare for inviting tourists, but he was too busy staring at Beckleigh’s lips wrapped around a beer bottle to notice.
