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“Not tonight. Tonight, I’m going to turn around and run the other way.”
“Remember when we first met Elliot and Charlie, and Joey was pestering you constantly for a date?”
“God, yes. Poor Joey,” Nina cringes.
“Well, that’s what we need. We need you locked up tight like you were for him.”
“I can do that.”
Megan cringes.
“What?” Nina frowns, sipping her drink.
“Thinking about it, Joey’s a terrible example… I mean, you’ve still got him lingering around.”
“He’s my friend,” Nina defends.
“Who definitely wants you.”
Megan isn’t wrong. Joey seems to spend a lot of time with Nina on the days she doesn’t have Ellis. She does spend a lot of time with us girls, but when we’re working, she doesn’t have anyone else. I kind of hoped they’d see less of each other now that Nina’s working again. It definitely rubs Mason up the wrong way that Joey gets to spend so much time with her.
Not that he’d admit to that.
“Are we really doing this now?” Nina sags in the seat.
“No, we are not.” Megan nods, grasping her friend’s hand. Apology enough.
I smile at my two friends and raise my glass. “To us, girls. And Luce. And breaking stupid penguins’ hearts.”
“We’ll never have a normal toast, will we?” Nina chuckles.
I clink my glass with theirs and lean into them when Nina’s arm wraps around my shoulders. “I hope not.”
I can pretend I haven’t thought about Lance and him being here tonight, but that would be a big fat lie. I’ve thought about it plenty. I’m thinking about it right now—as the music pelts me beat after beat, carrying me with purpose into the club.
Envy sets my shoulders square as I follow the girls, knowing Nina’s handling the prospect of this night better than I am. I concentrate on their weaving silhouettes instead of the knot in my stomach. I haven’t had as much to drink as Nina, the idea of drowning my nerves in alcohol not appealing to me like it might usually. I want to be sound of mind when I see him. Or as sound of mind as I can be when in the presence of the man.
“There they are.” Megan points.
The knot grows tighter, and I watch as Nina stumbles. Megan slides a hand around her waist, pulling her close. “Vodka’s working.” She gives me a knowing grin and walks with Nina to the table.
I follow behind, happily letting them go on ahead. It gives me time to gauge the rest of the group.
To gauge Lance.
I’ve not seen or heard from him since the encounter in my kitchen weeks ago when he held me as if it was all he needed. As if it was something he’d needed more than air. A hug.
He told me he’d disappeared on me because of his sisters and work—a shoddy excuse. But one that I don’t doubt after seeing him. His eyes looked so heavy that day in my kitchen. Tired and void of their usual intensity. He looked a little broken, and when he hugged me, I couldn’t help but want to put him back together.
I only feel stupid for it now.
I swallow and step out of the shadows of the people around me once Nina’s done saying hello. Lance is the first to greet her, and then he moves to Megan, kissing her cheek… and then he turns to me.
I force a smile, big and bright. Nervous as shit. “Hey.”
He smiles back. “Scarlet.”
A shiver snakes down my spine as he rasps my name. My eyes rake him. Even in the crowd, his presence has the ability to disarm me. To make that knot in my stomach snap into a million butterflies.
