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“Why the hell not?” she asks, a smirk playing on her lips as she drops down beside me. “He’s going to need someone to help calm him down. Besides, if he gets wind that you’re there, shit is going to hit the fan, and I can’t have you sulking for another week because your big brother was mean.”
I roll my eyes. “He was more than just mean.”
“I know,” she says with a heavy sigh. “And while I’m definitely not excusing anything he said to you, he was also just saying that in the heat of the moment. He was pissed off and spiraling. He’ll eventually come around, and when he does, I’m sure he’ll be on his knees begging for forgiveness. He just needs some time to get there. Besides, he’s naming his restaurant after you. That’s gotta count for something. You don’t do that shit unless you really love someone, and he really loves you. He’s just hurting.”
“You seem to know a lot about how he’s feeling,” I mutter.
“Because I might have accidentally on purpose ended up at his place on Wednesday night.”
My jaw drops, and I gape at my best friend. “You did what?”
“I know. I’m sorry,” she says with a heavy sigh. “But there’s just something about him. I keep trying to pull away, but then my phone dings with some cheesy text from him, and this stupid grin stretches across my face, and before I know it, I’m giggling like a damn schoolgirl. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Aspen. I’ve never liked someone like this, and I’m really trying not to because I don’t want to hurt you and because I just . . . I don’t like guys like this. What the hell is going on with me? I don’t ever go back for seconds, and I know you said it’s inevitable, that I wouldn’t be able to resist, but I thought you were just exaggerating. Now the wholewelcome to the familybullshit you said is playing in my head, and honestly, I’m kinda freaking out. Make it stop. I’m not afall for someonekinda girl, especially assholes who make my best friend cry.”
A smile pulls at my lips. “I really wasn’t kidding when I said it was inevitable. Austin is a huge pain in my ass, and I’ve never wanted to hate on him so much in my life, but he’s also my brother, and deep down, I know you’re right. He just needs time to come around, and when everything goes back to normal, I’ll want nothing more than for him to be happy. If you’re the person who can do that for him, then I don’t want you to pull away from it. Besides, I know it’s scary, but don’t you owe it to yourself to at least try?”
“Can’t I try after you guys have made up?”
“I don’t think it works like that,” I tell her as the Uber pulls up. “Live in the here and now, Becs. Give in to all the gooey goodness, but I swear to the Hemsworth Gods, if I accidentally walk in on you two, you’re both dead to me.”
Becs laughs as she pulls me up from the curb. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
I roll my eyes, and after the Uber arrives, it’s only a few minutes until we pull up outside of Vixen. Becs can hardly sit still, and honestly, neither can I, but my gut tells me it’s for very different reasons. Nerves creep through my body. This really was a stupid idea.
It’s not as though Izaac is going to set eyes on me and immediately declare his undying love. I’m going to have to work for that.
Becs grabs my hand and all but hauls me down the alley toward Vixen. “Oh, God, I always get such a thrill coming down here,” she says. “But before we cause havoc, we drink.”
“Music to my ears.”
Reaching the door, we make our way inside, and within minutes, I’m rolling my eyes at Casey’s sneer. As we walk through the door with our pretty gold stamps on our wrists, Becs spares me a curious glance. “What the hell was that about?” she questions, referring to the clear animosity between me and Casey.
“Honestly, I’m not really sure,” I tell her. “But my guess is that she’s just as crazy about Izaac as I am, and in that case, you’d think she’d be a little nicer to me considering we’re stuck in the same lonely boat, both of us mindlessly drifting out to sea without a single destination in sight.”
“She sounds like a bitch.”
“Oh, she is.”
Making our way through the club, we detour straight to the VIP entrance, and after flashing our gold moth stamps to the security guard at the top of the stairs, he waves us through.
The familiar electrifying buzz of the music pulses through my veins, and despite the heartbreak I feel and this insane longing I have for Izaac, I can’t deny how proud I am of everything he’s achieved here. Hell, with all of his clubs. He’s built all of this from the ground up, and I don’t see an end in sight. He’s going to keep going until he’s conquered every state in the country. Shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to take this internationally.
“Holy shit,” Becs says as we hit the bottom step and walk into the VIP lounge. “I swear, it gets better every time I come in here.”
“Were you actually planning on taking part tonight?” I ask, glancing down at the green band around her wrist, letting the world know she’s down to put on a show in the middle of the club with multiple partners. “Maybe a repeat of your first night here?”
“Honestly, I don’t really know,” she says, pulling at the wristband that’s identical to the one on my wrist. “I think I just asked for it because that’s what I did last time, but I think I might just sit and watch.”
“Woah,” I say, gaping at her as we make our way to the bar. “What the hell happened to my best friend?”
Becs rolls her eyes, and we take our seats before quickly ordering our drinks, and just as usual, two perfectly made Cosmos show up before us. With our drinks in hand, we spin around on the barstools, and as we gaze out at the intriguing sights around us, I feel a familiar stare from across the club. My skin immediately dances with goosebumps.
Shivers sail down my spine, and I glance over my shoulder, finding Izaac standing with one of his security guards, listening to whatever he says, but he’s keeping every bit of his attention on me.
He doesn’t make a move to come to me, but the questions flicker in his dark eyes. What am I doing here? Am I just having a drink with a friend or have I come to play? Am I here for him? Or am I here for something different—someonedifferent?
When he finishes his conversation, he strides around the club, his dark stare locked on mine, and I can’t help but drop my gaze, taking him in. He’s so fucking mouthwatering. It’s barely been a week since we . . . sincehecalled it quits. A week since I’ve heard that raspy, deep tone. A week since I’ve felt his hands on my body, and I’ve never been so desperate.
I need him.
