Page 23

Dina comes over to pre-game with me, and we have a couple of glasses of wine before taking a ride share to the bar. It’s at Bennigan’s, because of course it is. It’s like everything in my life right now is pointing me right back to the past, when all I’m trying to do is move forward and be my own person.

“You’re certainly in a mood tonight,” Dina points out as we head into the bar.

“I just hope our boss doesn’t show up,” I mutter.

We arrive early and have a drink with Dean, who seems to be in good spirits. He’s looking forward to his new life in Hawaii, and I can’t blame him.

Sounds like a dream, having drinks on the beach, laying out in the sun. Maybe I should move there instead of the east coast, like I’ve been planning.

Dina, Javier, and I are on the dance floor, tipsy and tearing it up, when Logan walks in.

He wears a black, long-sleeved, button-up shirt and a pair of charcoal gray slacks that seem perfectly tailored to his tight ass and thick thighs.

I completely freeze, losing all my rhythm, and Javier raises an eyebrow and smirks. “I think you have a crush on the boss.”

“Oh, hush, Javi.” Dina takes me by the arm, leading me to the bathroom as Javier looks on.

When the door swings shut behind us, she takes my hand leaning closer to me. “Did something happen?”

I look at her, wondering if I’m drunker than I thought.

“What do you mean?”

“With you and Logan,” She looks over her shoulder even though no one else is in the bathroom.

“No, nothing like that!” I huff out a breath. “Well, other than him showing up at a family dinner last night.”

She winces. “I never thought about how complicated dating your brother’s best friend must have been.”

It hadn’t seemed so complicated back then, but thinking about it now–well, it’s a logistical nightmare. Especially since I can’t tell my loved ones that he’s the one that ruined everything for me and put my heart in a blender.

“I just want to get out of here.”

Dina nods, opening the bathroom door and nearly slamming into a clearly drunk man.

“Sorry.” She tries to go under his shoulder, but he pins her against the wall.

“Where you going, cutie?”

I grab her hand, trying to tug her away, panic rising up my throat. Finally, he lets her go, and I drag her back toward the bar.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just annoyed.”

“Is Nate coming?” I ask, and her face falls. “Oh, no. What happened?”

“That’s just it–I don’t know. He just stopped texting me a few days ago, and I don’t know what to do.”

Tears appear in her brown eyes, and I hum comforts and hug her, feeling bad for feeling resentful earlier about her new relationship.

“It’s okay. I think I’m just a little shaken up.” She hugs me back, sniffling, and then pulls away, hailing the bartender for another drink.

Javier makes his way over to us, frowning deeply. “Everything okay over here?”

“Fine.” I don’t want him to go looking for the guy that accosted Dina. I know Javier is protective, and I don’t want him getting into a fight. “Nate just kind of ghosted her.”

He gasps. “How dare he?”