“All right,” Blake says, a hint of reluctance in her voice. “I’ll do it.”
“Wonderful! You two enjoy the rest of your night.”
When we get outside, Blake turns on me. “I would have appreciated a heads-up. The party’s next week.”
I grin. She looks even more beautiful when she’s mad. “It’s for a good cause. What are you worried about?”
“For one, I have no idea what to wear.”
“What you’re wearing right now is fine. You’ll look great in anything.”
She shoots me a dark look before getting inside the truck.
At first, the silence feels comfortable, but as we keep driving, the mood shifts. Blake is turned away from me as she stares out the window, her hands resting in loose fists in her lap.
Is she that pissed about going to the party? Or is it the class Lottie convinced her to donate?
“You said you lived in Vegas. You a gambler?”
Her question catches me off guard. It takes me a moment to answer. “Not anymore.” Saturday poker nights with the guys in New York used to be my favorite.
“You lost one vice,” she mutters.
“Picked up a few others.” Like obsessing over her.
“Hmm. Are the women a new thing?”
I bite down on my tongue. Why the hell is her head going there?
Probably because of Casey. I wish the woman hadn’t come up to me, but it would have happened eventually. Somewhere, with someone.
Unease slithers down my spine. It would be unreasonable for me to expect Blake to suddenly get over the fact that I’ve slept around. She’s made it very clear it bothers her.
“No, it’s not a new thing,” I admit, not wanting to lie. Haven’t I lied enough?
“Usually, promiscuity is a sign you’re running from something. Learned that after I spent hours googling why men cheat.”
I stop at a light and look at her. “I don’t cheat. I’ve always been upfront about my intentions.”
She meets my gaze. “Which are?”
“With Casey and the rest of them?” I make a caveat so that she knows what’s happening between us is different. “I made it clear to them that I wasn’t looking for commitment or anything serious.”
“I wish Brett was as honest with me. He was running from the fact that he was unhappy with me. I was never a good match for someone like him.”
“Someone like him? You mean an asshole?”
Her laugh is soft. “His family is practically royalty in this town. And me? I already told you that I’m a nobody. The daughter of a criminal. White trash.”
I don’t like her talking about herself that way. “Don’t ever call yourself that.”
“It’s what I am. My mom was born in a trailer park.”
“We don’t get to choose who our parents are. But we can sure as fuck choose our actions. Don’t tell me you blame yourself for what Brett did.”
“I don’t blame myself, but I get it. I wasn’t all that fun to be around those last few months before Mom died, so he found someone who was. I could feel him pulling away emotionally, but I was too wrapped up in my grief to do anything about it.”
My hands tighten on the wheel. God, I’d love to smash that son of a bitch right in the face. “He wasn’t right for you. If he was, he would have stuck by your side instead of straying from the commitment he made to you.”
