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“Hey,” she said, firmly, although there was the slightest wobble in her voice. “Let's save the tearful goodbyes for tomorrow, okay? Tonight we are having fun!”
When we arrived at the club, I was surprised to see it was already jam packed with people. Scanning the room, I took note of who had turned up – as well as trying to spot Radleigh in the crowd.
I couldn’t see him anywhere.
Freya immediately led me to the bar where there was a clamour of people offering to buy me leaving drinks. I took a cocktail from Will, then he, Freya, Bree and I found an available table and sat chatting for a while. My eyes kept drifting around the room, fully expecting to see Radleigh dancing with someone younger and infinitely less trouble than me. But as the evening wore on it became more and more obvious that he wasn't there.
He wasn't coming.
Whenever he popped into my mind, I danced. I spent the majority of the evening on my feet, drinking, and accepting the good wishes of almost everyone on the team. Despite the gossip that had been circulating about me for weeks, a decent number of people seemed sad that I was leaving, and wished me all the best for the future. If they had been so supportive a few weeks ago, I may not have made the same decisions.
Don’t fool yourself. All the support in the world means nothing if you can’t get it from the one person you want it from.
Obviously, it was time for another drink.
I excused myself from the dance floor in search of another Cosmopolitan. Bryce Warren was standing at the far end of the bar and as I approached, he gave me a warm grin.
“Hey, Leah. I was hoping to catch you tonight. I wanted to say I'm sorry you're leaving. I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for back at home.”
“Thanks, Bryce,” I replied, his dark eyes penetrating me. His gaze left me wondering if he was referring to my relationship with McCoy.
However, he didn't push the issue, and instead said, “So, are you enjoying yourself?”
I nodded and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I am. How about you?”
“Oh, I don't know. I think I'm a bit old for all this clubbing.”
He may have been significantly older than the likes of Jesse and Jude, but by no means was he old.
“Rubbish!” I told him, “I saw you out there giving those hormone filled teenagers a run for their money!”
“Well, I try.” He laughed.
The bartender handed me my drink, and in that moment I decided to ask Bryce the question that had been plaguing me all evening.
“Bryce, where’s Radleigh?”
His shoulders sank. I’d obviously uttered the one question he hoped I wouldn't ask. “He told me he didn't feel like clubbing tonight.”
“Right,” I said with a hint of sarcasm. “I understand.”
He just didn't care enough.
“Leah, come on. It's not like that.”
“It's okay, I get it.”
“I don't think you do.”
“Well, by all means enlighten me. Because I would love to know what goes on inside that head of his.”
I'd tried really hard to make it through the night without making a big deal out of Radleigh's absence, but I was leaving in less than twenty four hours and it was becoming more and more apparent that he wasn't going to swoop in and beg me to stay. Not that I was genuinely expecting him to. That was more like the desperate hope of a pining woman. And that hope was fading rapidly.
“Have you even talked to him lately?” Bryce asked.
“No. But he hasn't spoken to me either.”
Bryce rolled his eyes. “You're both as bad as each other.”
