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“This is it.” I laugh.
“This is definitelynotit.” He looks down. “Ivy.” His face grows slightly red.
I pat his cheek. “It’s fine. I’m practically a nun compared to the Jessie’s around here.”
“I’d like to keep it that way.” He growls.
“Don’t worry. No one looks but you. They know better.”
He looks up, glancing around at everyone. Mostly everyone is already engrossed in their own conversations. “This was Violet’s idea.” He says, not even assuming. He knows her too well. And me.
I shrug. “I kind of like it. I feelhot.” I taunt, laughing under my breath.
His face whips to mine. “I’ll like it once I throw it in the fucking garbage when we get home.”
I gasp. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would and I’m going to.” His eyebrow cocks at me.
“Hey birthday girl.” West says from over Aziel’s shoulder. Aziel looks over and frowns at West.
Aziel has been like that lately. Frowning whenever one of the guys talks to me. West specifically.
“Hey, thanks.”
West gives Aziel a look, and Aziel looks over at me. “Go enjoy your party. I’ll find you in a bit.”
“Where are you going?” I ask, confused.
“Work shit.” He deflects, and my eyes narrow even further. I take a step towards him. “Work? Right now?”
He shakes his head. “Lilah, show your mom what you did today, yeah?”
“Okay!” She wiggles out of my arm and grabs onto my hand. “Come on, Mommy!”
As I’m getting pulled away, I look back at him. “Nice deflection.”
“You like that?” He laughs, walking away with West.
What the hell could he be doing right now? A shiver breaks out on my back, thinking there’s something he’s not telling me. Does it have to do with the Mexicans? I know Santiago’s gone, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have an army of men at his beck and call.
Nausea swirls in my stomach as Lilah walks me around the clubhouse, telling me how she helped put up the streamers and balloons. How she helped Haley cleanup for the party.
“Wow. You must have been busy today.”
“Uh huh!” She bounces back and forth.
“Looks like you need this.” The sound of glass sliding across wood hits me and I look up, seeing a shot in front of me. Haley looks at me sympathetically. “Take it. You need it, apparently.”
I take it without another thought. Being in a huge crowd like this is enough to stress me out, but Aziel walking away with West like he was puts a hole in the pit of my stomach.
“Mommy, can I go on the swing set?” She pulls at my hand.
“Sure, baby. Go ahead.”
“Yay!” She runs out without another word.
“What’s wrong, Ivy?” Haley asks, pinning her hip against the bar top as she gives me a motherly look.
