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“See you soon. And Aubrey, don’t worry about Riff. He’ll come around.”
“Okay,” is all I can say because while I understand love is a new thing for him and something that probably scares the shit out of him, I don’t think I can forget that he slept with other women so soon after being with me. The best thing to do is forget about him like he has me.
I grab my purse and follow Isaac into the elevator.
He presses the lobby button and glances at my face. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I answer with a smile.
Isaac steps toward me and tentatively touches my cheek. “Is it him that you’re shedding tears for? If it is, you shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve you.”
Even though I know it’s wrong, I lean into his palm and close my eyes. It’s nice to have comfort from someone.
He cradles my head in his hands. “I would never wrong you. Ever.”
I open my eyes and stare into his clear blue eyes. There’s sympathy and caring in them, which is something in my current state I desperately want. I grab the back of his head and bring his lips down to mine trying to block out the pain Zach left in his wake.
Isaac freezes at first and then starts moving his lips with mine while we ride the elevator down. He gives me one final peck and then pulls back. “I’ve been waiting on that for a long time. You’ll be happy with me, Aubrey. I swear it.”
I smile. I don’t exactly feel the same way, but maybe eventually I will.
****
The plane touches down in Houston and I quickly make my way through the airport looking for Lanie in baggage claim as we planned. I stop dead in my tracks when my gaze lands on Zach holding a small sign that reads “Kitten.”
I roll my eyes and grab my bag off the carousel before I approach him. “What are you doing here?”
He smiles. “No hello? You mean, you aren’t happy to see me?”
I shake my head. “Are you really that dense? Where’s Lanie?”
He shrugs his broad shoulders. “She was busy.”
“Of course she was,” I mumble. Lanie always wants to fix things or play matchmaker, which is the exact reason I didn’t tell her about my very first kiss with Zach in the first place.
He grabs the suitcase out of my hand. “Let me carry that.”
I jerk it away. “I’ve got it. I don’t need your help.”
Zach narrows his eyes and takes the bag out of my hand with force. “Can’t we be friends at least?”
I yank back, refusing to let go. “No we can’t. There’s no such thing as just friends between us Zach and I refuse to be another slut you can toss away after you’re done.”
He opens his mouth to say something but quickly shuts it and shakes his head. “You’re right. Maybe it’s best we not even talk.”
I stumble back a bit after he releases the handle of my luggage and gives me full control. “Fine by me.”
He turns and calls over his shoulder, “Come on, then. Our new bodyguard, Kyle, is waiting in the loading area.”
Without any more words I follow him outside to the black Escalade. He loads my bag into the back and I hop into the back seat and slide over, leaving the door open. Zach comes by and shuts my door with a little more force than necessary before taking the passenger seat next to Kyle.
I bite my lip. Now, I’m the one who is getting the cold shoulder? I didn’t do a damn thing to him. What gives him the right to treat me this way?
The entire trip to Lanie’s family home, Zach and Kyle talk amongst themselves up front, completely ignoring me, which is exactly what I asked for. So why do I feel this crushing weight sitting on my chest?
This is going to be a long weekend if this is how it’s going to be.
Lanie scrambles out the door the moment we pull in and jumps into the SUV. Her slender arms wrap me into a hug as she tackles me into the seat. “Easy, there!”
She pulls away and flicks her gaze towards Zach. “Why are you back here by yourself?”
I frown. “I think it’s better this way.”
Zach snorts and gets out, slamming the door behind him.
She shoves my hair over my shoulders and shakes her head. “You two are some of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met.”
After a long day of getting fitted for my bridesmaid dress, the entire group loads up to head to a local club for some drinks. Who knew so much went into planning a fifteen minute ceremony. We need to blow off a little steam and relax.
The club is packed. Bodies gyrate on the dance floor beneath spinning lights while the hypnotic beats the most recent top forty hits assaults my ears.
Trip elbows Tyke as a group of girls walk by and smile at them. They instantly take off after the girls in short skirts as Lanie and I slide into a round booth with Noel and Zach.
A waitress in a tank top and booty shorts comes to the table to get our drink orders. She flips her blond hair over her shoulder and doesn’t try to hide the fuck-me eyes she’s shooting at Zach. We all order alcohol of some type with the exception of Lanie who orders a water.
I furrow my brow at her the moment the waitress leaves. “You okay?”
She nods and smiles. “Never better.”
I eye her suspiciously as I turn my attention back over to the twins out on the dance floor with a few women. She never turns down a drink, especially at a bar. As my thoughts wonder to the possibility that she may be pregnant, Trip makes me giggle as he lifts a girls skirt and smacks her ass in front of every person in the club. “He’s crazy.”
