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“Sure. Let me grab drinks.”
I sighed when he left, and Marina shot me a look.
“What is going on with y’all?”
“I won’t burden you with that information.”
Marina snorted. “Are you fucking yet?”
“Oh my God, Marina, no. We’re not even together.”
“Uh-huh. With his arm around you before he went to get your drink. Have you considered that you’re dating Ash, but you just haven’t admitted that you’re dating him?”
Yes.
On multiple occasions.
But it was like approaching a butterfly. As soon as I got too close, it flew away. I didn’t want to make things worse. We were friends. We weren’t dating. Because I’d said I wouldn’t date him unless he was over Lila. He might look at me like I was his entire world, but what did that mean in the face of multiple rejections?
Marina rolled her eyes. “Come on. Let’s get our seats.”
We invited Josie and Maddox to sit with us and made small talk until we heard a booming voice say, “Did someone say Ash Talmadge?”
I turned around in surprise to see a gorgeous man stride forward and shake hands with Ash. He was tall with a navy-blue suit.
“Nolan!” Ash said in shock. “Fuck, man, what are you doing here?”
“Holden Holdings was part of the team to help with the movie. The director sent us an invitation to the party, and since I was already in town on business, I thought I’d swing by. Didn’t think you’d be here.”
“It’s my building,” Ash said with a laugh.
“Should have known.”
I cleared my throat. “Introductions perhaps?”
Ash’s eyes found mine, and the light in them was so bright. “Right. Yeah, sure. This is Nolan Holden. We went to Duke together. His family runs Holden Holdings, originally based out of Williamsburg.”
Ash and Nolan went back and forth like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages. It was kind of adorable. Except I was too aware of Marina shrinking next to me. I glanced at her in confusion, but she had all but disappeared behind me, as if she didn’t want Nolan to see her.
I knew she’d dated a guy named Nolan. She’d told me he was a dick. But it couldn’t be this Nolan, could it?
Nolan said something suggestive to Josie about her movie-star status, and Marina gagged. I smothered a laugh as Nolan’s face snapped to her. The look was pure predator. It made me shiver.
“Marina,” he said her name like stretching taffy.
“Nolan.” Her response was all but feral as she came out from behind me to glare at him.
“What a surprise.”
There was something between them here. Something that, at the first spark, would burst like a bonfire.
“I’m sure it is,” Marina said.
I shot her a look. This had to be her Nolan, but Marina shook her head to tell me to stay out of it.
“It’s been a while. Miss me?”
If looks could cut, Marina’s would have gone for jugular. “That isn’t the word I’d use.”
Nolan just smiled wider.
I saw the moment when that look obliterated her anger.
She looked away from Nolan, backing down from the fight, then said, “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Marina, wait.” I ignored the questioning looks and followed my cousin. “Marina.” I grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop. “Talk to me.”
Marina clenched her jaw. “I … I can’t.”
“Rina, it’s me. You can talk to me about anything. Is that … your Nolan?”
She nodded.
“What did he do to you? I’ve never seen you get this worked up about a guy before.”
“Look, I wasn’t expecting him here. I’m going to go home.”
“Are you serious? Come on. Don’t let Nolan drive you out.”
She shuddered. “I’m sorry. I want to stay for you, Mia, but I hate him. I just … hate him.”
I could see there was so much more than what she was saying. She didn’t just hate him. She loved him too. She had to or else he wouldn’t have been able to get under her skin like this. I knew that feeling all too well.
“All right. Here’s my key.” I pulled it out of my purse. “Text me when you get home?”
She nodded before pulling me into a hug. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I watched her walk away with a heavy sigh. So much for an uneventful night. Josie was onstage with her costar, talking about the movie, as I headed toward the railing of the rooftop bar. Ash came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Marina okay?”
I wanted to lean back into him. This had gone far enough. We needed to have it out as to what this was. I needed to know. I couldn’t keep tiptoeing.
“She went home. Not sure what that was all about.”
“Sounds like Nolan to me,” he said. “I’m going to talk to him some more. Want me to get you a drink when I come back?”
“Yes, please.”
He withdrew, and I shivered at the loss of contact. His smile was bright as he headed back to Nolan. There was practically a skip in his step. Fuck, I was in love with him.
