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Their eyes widen again.
“So, Bridget knows everything?” Jed asks.
I nod. “She left me in Prague.”
The table falls silent.
“Sorry, man.” Rick sighs, and they all nod in shared sympathy, and we sit in silence for a moment.
“She’s gone for good this time,” I reply.
Belinda catches my eye out on the dance floor, dancing sexily, and she curls her finger up at me in a ‘come here’ signal.
I smirk and shake my head.
“Well, I hope you’re going to take Goldilocks home and fuck Bridget out of your system,” Ethan offers as his eyes stay glued to her. “It would be a dame shame to waste that body tonight.”
I drink my beer and my eyes fall back to her as she writhes sexily to the rhythmic beat.
Maybe that’s what I need.
It’s 1:00 a.m. and I’m scrolling through my Instagram feed. A couple of the boys have picked up women and I sit at the table with Rick. “I’m going to go home soon, man,” he tells me.
“Yeah, me, too.” I sigh.
I’m closest to Rick. He is in a similar position to me and we have been together in the army since we were seventeen. I talk to him more than anyone.
“You going to call her?”
I shake my head. “No point.”
He looks out over the club. “That fucking sucks, man.”
I nod. “It does.”
“Hey, you want to come back and stay at our house? Ally would love to see you in the morning.”
I smile. “No, mate, but thanks anyway. I’m going to head home after I drink this beer.”
He stands. “Gym tomorrow?” I shake his hand and his eyes linger on my face a little longer than usual.
“Yeah.” I smile sadly.
With a pat on the shoulder, he leaves me alone.
I scroll back through my feed and see that Bridget has posted a picture. I click on it. She hasn’t posted anything since I last saw her. It’s a picture of a bird flying over a canyon and the caption is:
Fly free and high
My stomach tightens. That’s her message to me.
That’s her goodbye message.
I drop my head and stare at the carpet for an extended time.
This is fucked.
I hate this feeling.
I need to get out of here. I stand to make my way to the bathroom, when Belinda steps in front of me, effectively blocking my way. “Hi, Ben.” Her hands drop to my behind as we jostle in the crowd. “Did you forget about coming and finding me?”
A trace of a smile crosses my face. “I did.”
She runs her two hands over my chest. “God, it’s been forever since we’ve been together.”
I watch her as a million thoughts run through my mind. “It has,” I say on autopilot.
“Nobody fucks me like you do,” she whispers sexily.
My eyes drop to her lips.
“I need a real man to give it to me hard and good.”
My hand drops to her hip. “Is that so?” I whisper.
* * *
BRIDGET
I sit on the front steps of Ben’s building on top of my suitcase. It’s 1:00 a.m. and he isn’t answering his phone. Fuck’s sake. I wanted to surprise him but now it’s all turning to shit. The plane was delayed and I got in late, and now he’s not answering. I’m going to wait another half hour and then I will have to go find a hotel or something.
Where is he?
What if he’s not even in the States?
No, I know he is. Joshua spoke to him just today… no, yesterday. Wait, what day is it?
I glance up at the building; he’s probably just asleep in bed.
Bloody hell, this is a real fuck-up.
Luckily I’m not tired, because it’s early morning back home.
The big, heavy door opens and a security guard comes out. “Oh, can I help you?”
“I’m waiting for Ben Statham. Apartment 201?” I ask hopefully.
“Is he expecting you?”
“No, I wanted to surprise him but he’s not answering his phone.”
“Let me call up to his apartment for you.”
I smile broadly. “Okay, thanks.” I go to follow him in, but he turns.
“I’m sorry, Miss, you can’t come into the building without a resident.”
“Oh.” I roll my eyes. That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? “Okay, I’ll wait out here.”
I take my suitcase and sit on the top of it. This indestructible, hard suitcase is the best thing I have ever bought.
He comes back out a few moments later. “He’s not answering his intercom or his phone. I’m sorry—there’s nothing I can do.”
I nod. “That’s okay.” I stare back out onto the road. “I’ll wait a few moments and then I’ll leave.”
“Can I call you a cab?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll call one when I’m ready.” I stare back up the road, into the darkness.
“I’m just in here if you need me,” he tells me before disappearing inside.
A set of car headlights turn into the street and I sit up on my suitcase.
It’s a cab and my stomach flips. It pulls up out the front and the door opens.
