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“Then for what?” I asked, surprised when my voice caught in my throat.
Drake threw the wet paper towels into the bin between us, taking the roll and gathering more, but his eyes didn’t ever leave mine while he moved. “For doubting you.”
I knew it.
My mind rushed back to the breakroom and the way he’d told me my ideas were wrong, then to the parking lot. He had seen me crying. I cringed internally, hoping it didn’t translate to my face. “Go on,” I said.
He chuckled, finally looking away from my face to the spill on the counter. I released my breath. “The boss reviewed your proposal and thinks it’s great. He was incredibly impressed by it, actually.” I stared, waiting for him to continue. Before he did, he took a deep breath. “You were right, and I was wrong.”
I grinned. “I know. That’s why I submitted it my way.”
Drake rolled his eyes in a way that made his whole head follow. “Don’t get cocky. Just accept the damn apology,” he said. He looked equal parts pained at having to admit I was right and annoyed because it was true. I was satisfied.
I clasped my hands, my fingers sticking together from the wine. “I accept your apology,” I said with a genuine smile that I felt offered a truce.
The satisfaction from his apology quickly slipped when Dallas turned the corner. “Hey, baby cakes,” he said, stepping up next to me and wrapping his arm around me. He pointed to the mess on the counter. “Did you spill?” he asked. I nodded, opening my mouth to point out the obvious when I was interrupted.
“Hey, Houston,” Drake said, offering him a likely sticky hand.
“It’s Dallas, actually.” He chuckled, shaking it.
Drake grinned, and I glared at him. “Oh, my bad,” he said. When he winked at me, I knew he was doing it on purpose, and the frustration from moments earlier rushed back in.
As if she could feel the tension from the other room, Mackenzie came into the kitchen. She was practically skipping, her excitement radiating off her like static electricity. When she got to the counter, she observed the mess I had almost finished cleaning up. She looked between Drake, Dallas, and me, and her smile dropped.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You’ll have to ask Amanda,” Drake answered with a smirk. “Right, baby cakes?” Before Mackenzie was able to ask, he shrugged and stepped away from the counter. “I should probably go. Best man duties or whatever.” He winked at me before he turned and left the kitchen without another word. My stomach flipped.
I stared behind him until Mackenzie waved her hand in front of my face and pulled me out of the trance. “What was that about?” she whispered, making sure Dallas didn’t overhear. He was oblivious, and the sound of the party would be enough to drown her out.
I shook my head, and she narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t going to drop it. I was going to have to give her some explanation at some point—but what had happened? Drake apologized to me, and I spilled the wine.
You were right. I was wrong.
I bit my cheek when I realized I was grinning, coughing to clear my throat. “Just Drake being Drake. I told you he’s infuriating.” I hoped I didn’t sound as flustered as I had originally been, but when a lopsided smile made its way onto her lips, I knew I did.
She looked back at the door he had exited through and then to me. “Mm-hmm.”
***
When the party had emptied out and it was mostly quiet, I slipped through the back door to the patio. Everyone else was inside talking about the party or cleaning up the dishes and cups scattered around most of the main living area, and I slipped into one of the chairs. I dropped my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
“Don’t let me scare you,” Drake said, shuffling his feet along the wood surface towards me. He let out an airy laugh, and I couldn’t hold back the grin that stretched my cheeks.
“What do you want, Drake?” I asked without opening my eyes.
“I was just putting this spider outside for your mom. See?” He shuffled quickly, and I threw my eyes open in a panic.
“Don’t you dare!” I squealed, tucking my legs to my chest and looking around for evidence of the spider.
Drake laughed, the sound bouncing off the trees that surrounded us. “I’m just playing with you, angel food baby cakes. Relax.”
I groaned. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“Just let me ask you something,” he said, dropping into the chair next to me without waiting for an invitation. I sarcastically waved at the chair after he was settled, hoping it was obvious I didn’t want him there.
“Fine.” I crossed my leg over the other and folded my arms across my chest. “But I don’t promise to answer it.”
