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“Babe,” Jesse said, snapping his fingers in front of my face, drawing me to the present.
The very real present where we were sitting at a little table near the bar in some hot nightclub I couldn't remember the name of.
The one that Jesse, Sophia, and Maple had dragged me to all in the name of shaking up my wallowing routine.
“Do you want another drink?” he asked, sympathy shaping his features as he looked at me across the table.
I nodded. “Can you get me another soda water and lime, please?”
“Of course,” he said, winking at me before he headed to the bar.
Sophia and Maple were somewhere on the dance floor, having a great time, no doubt. They’d tried their best to get me to dance, but I just wasn't in the mood. I hadn't been in the mood to drink either, hence the soda water. The last thing I needed was to use alcohol as a crutch to numb my emotions.
My parents had at least taught me that much.
I did my best to take deep breaths, and center myself in the present, not wanting to make my friends feel like their kind gesture was all for nothing.
It was hard as hell though, watching all these people have a great time, seeing everything continue on even though it felt like my world had completely stopped.
I scanned the crowded spaces, mostly looking for Sophia and Maple to give them some kind of smile or thumbs up, but my eyes snagged on a familiar face and a bolt of lightning shot through me.
Crossland was sitting in the VIP section all the way across the room with Gareth, Ethan, Asher, and Weston. His normally neatly trimmed goatee was looking scruffier than normal, but he was breathtaking as he sat there, sipping on some amber liquid while listening to whatever Ethan was saying.
He hadn't spotted me, and I quickly tore my eyes away, wondering if I should make a break for the exit? What were the odds he was at the same club I was? Wasn't the city big enough where we wouldn't run into each other?
I got up from the table, heading toward the bar to tell Jesse that we needed a bolt. The last thing I needed was Crossland thinking that I was stalking him.
Before I could make it to Jesse, a man stepped directly in my way, stopping me. I backed up a step, sayingexcuse meas if I was the one who had just gotten in the way.
The stranger stepped into my space again, smiling down at me. “Hey, not so fast,” the guy said. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“I'm good,” I said, trying to be as friendly as possible. The guy was clearly drunk, and while it was flattering that he'd sought me out, I was not even remotely interested. “Thank you anyway,” I added for good measure, not wanting to insult him.
I tried to move around him again, but he blocked me again.
That's when I decided I didn't need to be nice anymore.
“Just one drink,” he said. “I've been watching you. You've been sitting alone for more than an hour. I can keep you company.”
“I saidno,” I said, wondering why he couldn't have taken my polite dismissal and moved on to somebody else. I was all about everybody finding their person, but goddamn, I’d said no twice.
I glanced around him, hoping to spot Jesse and give him our signal, but instead found a very angry-looking Crossland heading my way.
CHAPTER 20
Crossland
I’d spotted Aspen across the crowded club. Some primal instinct had me standing up and leaving my group of friends despite Ethan being mid-sentence.
I cut through the crowd of people, my eyes only on her and the asshole who kept getting in her way every time she tried to move around him.
“There you are,” I said the minute I reached her.
Said it like I’d been looking for her all night.
All my life really.
I let my eyes rake over her, her beauty damn near sending me to my knees, but my attention snagged on the purple under her eyes, like she hadn't been sleeping well.
