Page 109 of Love Felt Like This

“Loved those. He made me birthday cakes almost every year.”

He’s a liar. Greg just started making cakes. Beau is scrambling. He wants to feel like his connection to them is deeper than mine. And, in truth, it likely is. But hey, life moves on.

Beau shifts his gaze to the empty seat beside me. His expression falls.

“Wait, did you bring her here?” he asks.

“Yes.” I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. I can’t help the small satisfied smirk that twitches at the edge of my lips.

He rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m sure she’ll have a blast. She’s always loved tagging along.”

“Huh. Funny. I was told you never took her.”

“And we’re tagging along with her, honestly,” Poe throws in.

Beau’s head jerks back in surprise.

“What?” Beau snaps.

“Yeah,” Poe continues. “She’s already said she wants to go to a bar afterward, right?”

“Yeah,” Royce agrees. “Bev’s a wild child, that one.”

Dom grunts in confirmation.

Beau narrows his eyes. “A bar? Beverly Lark?”

Poe cocks his head to the side in that distinct Poe-like way of pitying someone. “Sad. Seems like you don’t know her at all, huh?”

I don’t even attempt to hide my beaming grin.

“Um, Beau…can we…?” The blonde attached to him tugs at his lapel.

He gives a tight-lipped smile without addressing her. “Yeah. Well, I’m sure we’ll see each other later.”

“Sure,” I answer.

I have zero intentions of seeing him again.

He walks off, and all three men twist to me.

“What a wanker,” “Ass,” “Christ Almighty,” they all murmur together.

“Beverly dated him?” Royce asks.

I shrug. “It’s my understanding he wasn’t always this bad.”

Poe clicks his tongue. “Even a fraction of that is enough for me.”

“Yeah, well…”

I don’t care to continue talking about him, honestly. I have mental real estate to spare, but I’d rather save that room for the beauty walking back across the floor. Beverly’s eyes inevitably find Beau and his blonde. My crossed arms clench tight. I hate that she even had to see him. I want to stand up and steal her away, but she can handle it on her own. She’s an adult.

She straightens her posture and keeps walking.

Attagirl.

Beverly finally reaches our table again—an absolute vision in green. The boys are still in various states of irritation after Beau slithered away from the table. She laughs. “I’m not interrupting something important, am I?”